Shake Well Before Use

my heart
chunks tight to the top front of my chest
the place where
swallowing is impossible
forcing me to
set down all crunchy past parodies
and accept dreams as nourishment

you
consume my thoughts
you
are beautiful
I know that you deny this
your repertoire of self-effacement
is polished as antique mahogany
subtle
as a fresh-hewed speed bump

I say
"I like your hair that way."
you say
"my bangs are hiding a zit that's about to pop
quick - pass me a bucket"

I say
"your idea is the best idea I have heard all day
you
are a genius"
you say
"that was your idea"

I say
"I can't stop looking at you"
you say
"what - do I have spinach in my teeth?"

while I find your humour endearing
I tend to think
when you pummel your own
artichoke
you are really staking claim to a separate superiority
KING OF THE DORKS
The BEST of the Liverwurst-hearts
Creamed something-not-very-good on toast

which prompts the lump-chunk
sticking spot
that magnetizes me in your direction
to say
give it up (please)
because you
are beautiful
so here it is in a coconut shell:

I desire the imperfection of you
your zit
is a GOD-ZIT
and you are King Vesuvius
when you pull on your new bicycle pants
I think that nobody
could look as wonderfully awful in bicycle pants
as you do
and that makes you wonderful
but the best part is your overbite
your overbite enchants me so
I can only stand here and say
DING A LING A LING

when I call you adorable
and you counter with "abhorable"
I want to take hold of your silly head
screw the lid on finger-tight
and shake well before use
until you stop saying
abhorable
and start saying
beautiful
beautiful
beautiful

some time later
the jarring thought may occur to you

^^^^is^^^^doing^^^^to^^^ ???
why^^^ she^^^^^this^^^me
(because I might still be shaking you, just a little bit)

and when your contents settle
to a gleaming strata of
beautiful on top of
beautiful on top of
beautiful on top of
beautiful on top of
beautiful

you will know
why me
why you
why I say it

because I know when I say it
and you believe it
I will believe it too
(and not only for you)

because I know when I say it
I am really saying - from the
rock-gullet heart-stop place between chest and throat

beautiful

yeah, me too
me too