Once upon a time, there was a girl, and her name was Twirlanna, and she was in trouble. Twirlanna sits in her parents’ master bathroom with a tester in her hand. Crying partially into her mother’s Lancôme makeup bag Now that she knows she’s heavy, and the boy that made her heavy has left. Twirlanna is not yet aware at her young age of these secrets of existence: that it all has a purpose, and that any suffering is worth it but for now she is tired and she wants to fall asleep. But she can’t stop thinking of this thing that’s already growing big inside her: the sky tiger, orange, translucent and as wide as the map Twirlanna’s already had drawn for her in her head Twirlanna peeks out of her parents’ bathroom, her vision blurred with promise-girl tears. She sees on her mother’s dresser the trophy: her runner up prize from the baton twirling competition. She had to sell her baton to buy the pregnancy test, and thinking this thought makes her start sobbing all over again and inside through the boundaries of her body the zygotic sky tiger growls. And through his tiny, giant body you can see his ant farm heart growing, and the ants are building a path that’s parallel to one I know well. What is this sky tiger, stretching us all into the future? What is this sky tiger, forming all the jungle around him? Why is this sky tiger, flying through all yet all contained? What is this sky tiger, stretching us all into the future? What is this sky tiger, bringing our girl past the familiar? Twirlanna is now where a set of stairs curve and begin to go upside down She walks up to the ceiling where there is a small door and a flower She climbs out into the underground roof and she is overwhelmed the sound of sky tigers rushing by There is a small keyhole in the shape of the rose she is holding She puts the rose inside, and walks up the platform that emerges from the sky At the end of the platform there is her grown sky tiger, and her grown sky tiger is singing: This seems to point to a sudden spiral You must travel through This seems to point to a hidden pathway You must travel down You are now standing at an unused lighthouse You must make it shine You are the boat on the enlightened ocean You will make it ashore What is this sky tiger changing all the structures around him? What is this sky tiger forming our girl into a trinity? It’s just like the dream I had when I was only three where the tree outside smiled, turned on all the lights in the family room; I was sucked into the vacuum of outer space. Outer space was right in the hallway My nails dug deep into the old pink carpet It all felt very real and un-dreamlike I don’t ever think I’ll get past that confusion to be standing in that giant room of ours, have a tree turn on all of their lights, get sucked out into outer space which is all around me. What is all this water forming in a puddle around her? What if all this dreaming formed a tiger the size of her memory?

On October 17th, I took the bow I gave you out of your strawberry blonde hair as we stood there on our little boat watching the sun set on calm waters. I was thinking of the time we both tucked your little brother into bed, then put his bed into a trash can. Some men took him away; that was the end of your problems. Your skin felt like a tidal wave was about to happen to my family It reminded me of the time I felt very badly about taking such a sharp turn, which made you bump your head on the window and made the tires burn. And may the tires burn! Oh ... You know, Marsheen, I really think you are amazing You’re just a little bit crazy but you’ve got a dash of kindness Your elemental sweetness enables the people who love you to put up with you when you break things in a feminine rage On November 12th, we went for an early morning walk to the baker. He had just baked such fresh bread and there was a drunk man leaning on the counter. He wanted to touch your giant, beautiful left ear and you let him and you told him that he reminded you of your little sister, who ran away on a very long, long walk home from school with you one day. The drunk man got angry, as drunk men are wont to do. He spun around like a fucked-up ballerina and announced what he thought was true: “All women are filled with a human type of gasoline which makes them hard to deal with and when their fuel tank’s runnin’ on empty they come crawling back with a grace that suggests arrogance and lacks any apologetic quality.” You know, Marsheen, I really think you are amazing You’re just a little bit wild but you’ve got a dash of responsibility Your elemental confidence enables the people who love you to put up with you when you don’t return their phone calls for six months On November 22nd, the puppies at the pet store were needily barking We considered taking one home but we both remembered we were getting older and what’s the use of taking care of something if you’re gonna die? We both walked home lonely and wondering if when we got to that point where it was hard to even needlepoint if we would feel like we missed out on major experiences that most other people we knew had, and if that would really be so bad. We ran into your mother who was having trouble parallel parking The radio was tuned to NPR and was turned up very loud, and the Mahler that was playing and the sentimentality it was conveying further brought us down. So we got in the backseat, your mother forgot what chores she drove all the way downtown to do, and we decided to go to the mall and catch the movie. Sometimes life with you is unbefuckalievableyin’ groovy! Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Marsheen!! On December 31st it was snowing. Oh, I love when it snows on New Years’ Eve! We went to Times Square early and we waited for hours until we both felt firmly that we didn’t get why people enjoyed doing this and left at around 7 or 8 o’clock at night, watching the ball drop in the safety of our apartment. Then we had sex three times because it would have felt weird if we didn’t have sex, though I would have liked to have had sex in the snow with you you would have hated it and it’s not like we have a private backyard or anything; I’m sorry I always wanna do kinda weird stuff with you. A neighbor came upstairs to complain that he was lonely and wished to join us We called the police, he was arrested but he was let out the next day and he came back with a gun and killed us both and we were split up and had to go to extremely different afterlife experiences. So Marsheen, I’m wondering if you could put in a good word for me ‘cause being a bird is not for me and I can see you from a distance and you look wondrous as a famous princess. OH YEAH! OH YEAH! MARSHEEN!! You know, Marsheen, I really think you are amazing You’re just a little bit crazy but you’ve got an eternal soul that will enable you to live in various forms forever Your eternal soul will save you from having own up to any of your mistakes because you’ve always got a first second chance ... Marsheen!!!! Marsheen!!

You wrote me a note; I got it in the store It was written in script, it said I was a chore Now all this time is gone, and I’m getting old The secret of happiness remains untold So, Tory, I just gotta ask you: Why do you want to love? ‘Cause I don’t give a shit about being in love You answered me slowly but the details were slim After six hours I didn’t learn a thing Now all this time is gone, and I’m not your child The secret of life is hidden in the wild So, Tory, I just got to press you on this: Why do you want to love? ‘Cause I don’t give a shit about being in love You’re breaking the dishes; I think I’m getting a sense I can understand wanting to express some violence And if the heart beats to move some blood that might come out Then I’m starting to understand what love is all about And Tory, you’re badly bleeding Why don’t we go for a ride? Because my car, my car runs on your blood Now we’re in my car and we’re going real quick The trail of blood is our heart’s shift stick The more defined it is, the faster we’re missed Destruction is my kind of boy-kiss There’s no use holding if you can destroy Don’t turn a human being into your toy Tory, heed my suggestion Don’t ever want to love ‘Cause wanting to love is a projection of fear

I am King Fuck Detest me, yes, but I’m arresting visually and originality is always a virtue! I am love that you can’t get from any of your siblings. I’ll give you things despite your misgivings and I’ll rarely ever hurt you! And you can come to all of my games And watch me fuck bitches from the other team Yes! Watch me shimmer as I show that team! I am King Love Possess me, yes, if you’re unlucky and wanting things like friendships with wings or a life that’s an eternity. And you can come to all my games And watch me win over the other team Yes! Watch me shimmer as I fix the world! I am King God Question my dress that I am wearing. Don’t stop staring on account of me; you know I very ... own you. And you can come to all my games And watch me create the other team Yes! Watch me shimmer as I am the Earth!

When they burned down the movie theatre, I said I’ll never go there again When we bought the tickets back to the mainland I burned the tickets we bought for our friends And they died on the island I let them die on the island I’m so sorry

MAKE MONEY BEIN’ FUNNY FOR THE KIDS SPELL “SPECIAL” WITH A NECKLACE ON THE BEACH WHEN THE SUN SETS THE CAMERA IS AN APE SPELL “BLUR” WITH ITS FUR HOLD HER HAND IN THE SAND AND THE HOURGLASS UH THINGS ARE LOOKING UP THINGS ARE LOOKING UP YET AH RUST YET AH RUST THE GROSS YET AH STUNT YET AH STUNT THE NET (PROFITS MAKE ME BENT) VEGANS STEAL THE WINE AND THEY SPIKE IT WITH PUNCH BEARS ARE GROWIN HAIR AVEC EAR LIKE FIBERS FOR BRUNCH THE CANCERS AND THE LEOS ARE DYNAMITIN TRUST AND THE BRIDGE THAT YOU CUSSED TWICE FALLS OUT THE MIDDLE WITH A BUST THE HYBRID’S GONNA RUST YEH AH RUST YEH AH RUST THE HOST YEH AH JAM YEH AH JAM THE TOAST (BREAKFAST LETS ME LOAF) THE ENGAGEMENT IS FLAVOR I’M IN LOVE WITH FLAVOR THE CASUAL IS RIGHT HERE FAVORED THE OCCASIONS MAKE RESTAURANTS AND THE ELBOWED IS WAIVERED KIDS ARE FALLIN OUT THE SAND’S FORMIN INTO ROCKS LIFE IS PILING UP LIKE BLURRY ALARM CLOCKS HOLD HER HEAD LIKE YOUR LIFE’LL DE-SOUL “4 TUNNA BRIX” FORM GAMES DRAW RULES THESE TABLETS ARE PICK UP STICKS YEH THINGS ARE LOOKING UP YEH AH RUST YEH AH RUST THE PROMISE YEH AH EMPTY YEH AH EMPTY THE CHALICE (TIME IS NOT A CHALLENGE)

“Future generations will not be concerned with their personal freedoms or progressive politics but with two things: the slope and the shape of this slope.” The shape of a slope’s the shape of a swamp The shape of a slope’s the shape of a swamp The shape of a slope’s the shape of a swamp The shape of a slope’s the shape of a swamp Girls that wear “black legs” near the “apartment” Tend to be stingy with “ugly facemasks” Sha na na na na Sha na na na na The slope is what the girls won’t reveal yet The girls are what the slope will conceal till The girls are ready to be revealed ‘cause The slope and girls don’t know how to feel yet Sha na na na na Sha na na na na The shape of the slope’s the shape of the girls The shape of the girls’ the shape of the slope The shape of the slope’s the shape of the girls The girls will not hurt you if you approach them

I WATCHED YOU EXPLOIT MY FATHER’S BODY FOR THE USE OF HIS HEAD WE BUILT A PICKET FENCE, SPLIT A WATERMELON AND BECAME CLOSE FRIENDS BUT ON THAT SUMMER DAY THE ICE CREAM BEE-HIVE WASN’T THE ONLY THING THAT WAS MELTING ALSO SUBTLY WAS OUR MUTUAL RESPECT, THE ICY SILENCE OF THE TAUNT “I’M TELLING” NOW FURTHER ON DOWN THE FARM PROPERTY WAS WILMA, OUR FAMILY HORSE SHE WAS 200 YEARS OLD, HAD LEARNED TO READ ENGLISH AND TAUGHT A LEARNING ANNEX COURSE SHE WAS WHISTLING A SECRET THROUGH HER BIG TEETH ABOUT THE SUDDEN PRESENT I THINK IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE PAST, AN ILLEGITIMATE CHILD, A HIDDEN RESIDENT SOON BETWIXT THE WALLS OF THIS HOUSE FATHER INSTALLED YOUR TV BROADCASTERS SATELLITES, TRADITIONAL RABBIT-EAR ANTENNAS AND A SET OF NOVELTY TALONS YOU WERE GIVEN THE ABILITY TO INVENT STYLE INSTEAD OF HAVING A TALENT THIS OPPORTUNITY WAS THE VERY FIRST OF YOUR MANY IMPOSÉD DISASTERS I STUCK A FINGER DOWN MY SILKY THROAT WHEN I LEARNED ABOUT THE WAVE POOL DAD WAS AFRAID OF SWIMMING AND WASN’T A BIG FAN OF THE LAWS OF PHYSICS, EITHER BUT THERE IT WAS ONE DAY, IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR LATE VICTORIAN LIVING ROOM GODDAMN IT, SISTER AMOURATEUR, YOU’RE THE WORST OF THE BUNCH, DID YOU KNOW THAT? DID YOU KNOW THAT? THE SUDDEN SWORD OF HUMAN PUNCTURE, THE WALLS BEIN’ HIT BY SCREAMS INFANT TODDLER BEORDIBIRD THE THIRD WAILIN HIS NEW CONSCIOUSNESS SONGS FATHER EYEIN’ ME LIKE I’M THE MISFORTUNE BRINGER AND NOT HIS BANKING OF DREAMS OUR VISITOR’S A HOMER-SUITOR AN AIRPLANE FLYIN OVERHEAD IN BETWEEN MY BRAIN SOCKETS BUT THIS IS AN UNPOPULAR SENTIMENT FOUR SETS OF EYES ONE BABY SET ONE HORSE SET ONE DAD SET AND ONE YOU SET AND I KNOW I’M NOT TO BE ROASTED BUT GHOSTED MY LIFE FLASHED BEFORE MY EYES AS YOU HELD ME IN YOUR NEW ELECTROCUTER THIS WAS A BATHTUB FILLED WITH BROWN WATER AND A PLUGGED-IN TURNED-ON HAIR DRYER THERE’S NOTHING LEFT FOR ME TO SAY I’M MADE ENTIRELY OUT OF CHOCOLATE WAFERS BUT I SAW YOU EXPLOITIN’ MY DAD’S BODY FOR HIS HEAD AND NOW I SEE THE HEREAFTER