Matthew Schmidt

Silk Folds

The hardest thing: a face.
A face :: a cocoon.
A cocoon :: cornstalk.
Cornstalk: eerie.
Eerie :: lake.
Lake :: volume.
Volume = scroll.
Scroll ≠
the bidden frame: congests.
Congested :: bulbed interior.
Bulbed interior :: ego.
Ego: eerie lake.
Eerie lake :: cocooned corn.
Cocooned corn :: considerate face.
Considerate face: soft spit. 

Blunt

Wrapped in a gold cape like a polished nugget and no
one around but your hair. Wrapped in shiny bold tape
like nugget polish and no one around but your ears.

Rapped in a gray hose with a front porch.
Rapped in a gay horse with a font pouch.

Rapt in glory pain.
Rapt in gory paint.

Repped by an excessive giraffe statue.
Repped by excellent gaffer state.
Repped by exotic grift and slate.

Wept through a sieve’s glum mouth like compassion
parcels arrive. Wept though a sleeve’s gum mount
like complacent purse bell saliva. Wept. Weft. 

Volcanic

And you came
in earth molting
all while white
birds descend a
choreographic lilt
from afar wings
tilting like lightning
distant and harsh
a harp sick
still lovely
are your eyes
when you touch
my arm I mean
the birds on your
arm touch mine
wanting to escape
fortunate skin
slide across
a gift of slight
resolve before
I’m kindling
light and ashy
the flames done
losing my bones 

Matthew Schmidt’s poems have been published in Pleiades, The Seattle Review, Hawaii Pacific Review, and elsewhere. He is an associate poetry editor at Fairy Tale Review and the Co-Founding Editor of the Iowa-based literary editing and educational nonprofit 1-Week Critique.