maus sneeze

***

i keep these smallish ears halfhidden behind a blunt veil of brown fringe

but when i frame their tips with tortoiseshell clips-ah!, the smallest sounds impinge:

i am here like sniffs and shuffles and eyelash ruffles to nine neat knuckle pops

i am weary of toe taps and pen caps and the virgin space of yellow paper.

 (

i listen              in secret                  to fragments      between blue lines.

)

***