"When I Try to Verify Why They Carpet Driveways After the Rain..." by Callie Jennings

When I Try to Verify Why They Carpet Driveways After the Rain, Google Keeps Feeding Me Distressingly Hot Factoids About Hermaphroditic Earthworm Sex Until I thought to check, I thought I knew: worms emerge from dirt to tar on the run from drowning. Actually no one understands their reasons. Maybe worms emerge from dirt to tar when vibrations ape a predator. Or are their reasons maybe traveling fast on slicked slab? Reproducing? When vibrations ape a predator, or are mock applause when I drop a glass traveling fast on slicked slab, reproducing language is beyond me. My speech breaks with static snow, mock applause, when I drop a glass knife voice. Sticking to the surface language is beyond me. My speech breaks with static snow, turns trail. Trail: proof and proof of absence. Here’s my opened-by-a- knife voice sticking to the surface of the steel. Spill turns trail. Trail: proof and proof of absence. Here’s my opened-by-a- mouth mouth. I say of the steel spill that I can be allowed to want. I’m saying mouth: Mouth. I say all that I can be allowed to want. I’m saying I’m all mouth, I’m just open mouth, and I’m just-open. I feed and I’m equalizing pressure. I feed like falling and I fuck like falling, equalizing pressure, meant to shed a wreck of men like falling, and I fuck like falling was becoming of the nymph stage. I claim I was meant to shed a wreck of men, their aims. I knew what needy grubs, what writhing life I’d swallowed clean, was becoming. Of the nymph stage, I claim I was on the run from drowning. Actually no one understands their aims. I knew what needy grubs, what writhing life I’d swallowed clean until I thought to check. I thought I knew. ————————————– Callie Jennings called us from Boston, MA. voicemailpoems.org/submit/ facebook.com/voicemailpoems x.com/voicemailpoems bsky.app/profile/voicemailpoems.bsky.social instagram.com/voicemailpoems