Days of Wet Orion

The party starts in one hour.
Look for me under the tulip tree.

A little ship needs but a little sail.

Yellowish vertigo,
spout of angels,

raw rum
and sudden noons.

With directions worthy of a cook.
I knew by that

way we got of losing
everything.

We could barely stand
the night’s glare.

To carry two faces
under one hood.

Beggars would ride.

Children to bed
and the goose to the fire!

I knew.
Someone was putting her up

and buying her clothes and stuff. I met her twin
on the corner—you know about that.

This poem is from Daniel Tiffany’s fourth collection of poetry, Neptune Park, released this month by Omnidawn. His three previous collections of poetry are Puppet WardrobeThe Dandelion Clock, and Privado. He is also a translator and critic; his fifth work of criticism, My Silver Planet: A Secret History of Poetry and Kitsch, will be published by the Johns Hopkins University Press.
*Photo courtesy of Talba.
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