A Dohblin ahccent (how’d the fock that get in hire?)
Take a deep breath in.
Deep breath out.
Welcome to China.
Floating flowers in air.
The crimson yellow of no past.
The charcoal pink of no future.
Trees don’t select flight seats at the time of purchase.
Grass doesn’t need to know the hotel check out time.
Oceans.
Oceans.
Oceans.
Oceans.
Breathe in.
Hold your breath.
Don’t let it out.
Hold your breath.
Sing “New York, New York” in your chest.
Knees clacking together.
Release your breath.
Welcome to Bourbon Street.
There is only now.
Ah-dohn-deh eh-stah lah cantina deh Tequila?
Oceans.
Oceans.
Oceans.
The charm of a medivac helicopter.
The dread of a failed meditation.
The charm of another ambulance.
The dread of a failed meditation.
The charm of a virus on your fingertip.
The dread of a failed meditation.
The charm of a curved graph line.
The dread of a failed meditation.
Take a deep breath in.
Deep breath out.
Two petals.
An emerald white of no past.
A lavender orange of no future.
There is only now.
Blue, with a hint of silver.
Oceans.
Oceans.
The last puddle on your street.
The power of a cat finding it.
The last flower of a hibiscus plant.
The power of a worm chomping it down.
That damn rooster again.
The rooster again.
The rooster.
Rooster.
Rue.
Stir.
Welcome to Antarctica.
Ah-dohn-deh eh-stah – breath in.
Icebergs.
Icebergs.
Icebergs.
Nobody.
Nobody.
Nobody told you to stop breathing.
Nobody told you to start breathing.
Nobody told you – stop goofing.
Nobody told you to stop regarding that leaky faucet.
Droplets − one by one − is music.
Birds − one by one − is music.
The clouds are hamming it up.
Your heart it is hamming it up.
Your lungs are hamming it up.
Your belly is hamming it up.
Your tongue is hamming it up.
Your toes are hilarious.
Your toes have always been hilarious.
Night sky, stars.
Night sky, stars.
Night sky, stars.
Rodrigo Toscano is a poet and essayist based in New Orleans. He is the author of ten books of poetry. His latest book is The Charm & The Dread (Fence Books, 2022). His previous books include In Range, Explosion Rocks Springfield, Deck of Deeds, Collapsible Poetics Theater (a National Poetry Series selection), To Leveling Swerve, Platform, Partisans, and The Disparities. His poetry has appeared in over 20 anthologies, including Best American Poetry and Best American Experimental Poetry (BAX). Toscano has received a New York State Fellowship in Poetry. He won the Edwin Markham 2019 prize for poetry. He works for the Labor Institute in conjunction with the United Steelworkers, the National Institute for Environmental Health Science, and National Day Laborers Organizing Network educational/training projects that involve environmental and labor justice culture transformation.
