Itinerant Tendon
Already tight, the tendon got tighter
Losing even more strength, already weak.
A sudden demand on its core function
Circular rotation at ten degrees
Give or take, exceeded its base limit.
A micro tear thus began its journey
Widening its path steadily to the bone.
Upon arrival, the tendon snapped off
(A simile on the way that went down
Was not found, appreciate your patience).
Scar tissue thus began its pilgrimage
Joining Chaucer-like blokes along the way
Jolly numskulls like Impatience and Hope
But also a saucy alewife, or ten.
The Gronks
Crisp image of a tumbling satellite
Brought to you by satellite Gronk 15
Over Mobile, hurtling towards Marrakesh
The hand off hovering over Houston
Another boxy spiky blinky bot
Racing towards Savannah, on to Lisbon
Gronk 6 (9 years old, expires at 10)
Recovers signal with ample buffer
Reconstitutes the stuff you’re looking for
Perhaps this image, itself a hand off
Something to hold tight, a little longer
And a little bit longer after that
Till neurons deliberate other paths
The Gronks, conducting the neuron shuffle
Rodrigo Toscano is the author of twelve books of poetry. His latest books are The Cut Point (Counterpath, 2023) and The Charm & The Dread (Fence, 2022). Forthcoming is WHITMAN. CANNONBALL. PUEBLA (Omnidawn, 2025), a National Poetry Series finalist. His other books include In Range, Explosion Rocks Springfield, Deck of Deeds, Collapsible Poetics Theater, To Leveling Swerve, Platform, Partisans, and The Disparities. His poetry has appeared in over 20 anthologies, including Best American Poetry (2023, 2004) and Best American Experimental Poetry. His Collapsible Poetics Theater was a National Poetry Series selection. Toscano lives in New Orleans.
Image: scrippsnews.com
Check out HFR’s book catalog, publicity list, submission manager, and buy merch from our Spring store. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube. Disclosure: HFR is an affiliate of Bookshop.org and we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Sales from Bookshop.org help support independent bookstores and small presses.
Heavy Feather Review 