Renee Angle works at the University of Arizona Poetry Center. Her poetry can be found in EOAGH, Practice: New Writing + Art, Sonora Review, Diagram, and others.

NATIVITY

in time the baby ran through
the bayonet
in the mother’s bun
and the paisley of her skirt
dog and dove and done him in
the doorlight in a griffin’s mouth despot
the nipples show
hefts her hue. her riddle skin
of what crucifixes do we allow the carriagement
of electricity? her wealth is as well as one
ivory key, depressed, and the chestnut of the piano.
perhaps this is after the poison-ment
baby with his bullstain she is
the sherman of a man
wearing earrings, the goggles of monarchy,
the gossip that leathers the balcony.
mother and son mother and son
mother and son. lamb drip madonna
and the circumcision of the children
of israel mother and son and st. michael’s
foot as part of a tree ring test
papal breast cross chest
mother and son and the knives of a bullfight
inserted into the heart of the virgin mary.
here we see. the nurse is much prettier.