Photographs by James Turnley and Words by Ryan Headley. More pairings can be found here.
I’m going to build a box that’s 5 feet in height
a podium
not for preaching
so I can stand up outside
& write while I am smoking cigarettes
and stare off into the distant known
Not too heavy a box
so I can carry it other places
and stand and smoke to
these other places
& write to other present knowns
—
I don’t like to blush so I don’t talk to people
Flash my skeleton face
—
One minute we hadn’t yet
and the next we had.
—
“Is it it?”
“It is. Isn’t it it?”
“It is. It is it, isn’t it?
—
Once I get the green light
to get the green light
I’m gone
—
Helicopter Baby,
that’s my helicopter baby
I laugh with the boss
and even when he’s villain
Smile
that’s my helicopter baby
It doesn’t make me guilty
I’m only guilty
that I’m fortunate
to be so
It makes me feel so young
It reels
I’m real
But that little shovel’s not so innocent
Digging only the boss’ jokes
See
jokes & my boss really go well with each other
And that’s my helicopter baby
—
You can hit those notes
and you can’t always hold them.
It doesn’t drag on [ like you thought ]
and she won’t love you forever,
she’s only sixteen for a second.
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By Bryan Formhals