I.
arboreal ouroboros—loops jade coils of soft dermis and hard scales, rests its head amongst itself,
ventral white and yellow dots its dorsal surface and are laid to rest in entwined vertebrae.
slitted pupils stare back as i, not conspecific, lay in wait for an extended forked tongue.
can your tines smell me in three dimensions— pheromones, chemicals, heat and all?
or do i smell like thick glass?
II.
a(Xolotl): Aztec deity of fire and lightning now occupies
a soft, leucistic body, its head cradling black, lidless eyes. vestigial teeth snap, while
hidden gill rakers perform border customs.
regrow limb, regrow heart, regrow eyes, regrow brain, don’t scar.
regrow a drained Lake Chalco— seek Mexico.
III.
salted summer sweat beads him a necklace
and attracts a parakeet garland, a watercolor of yellow and blue,
their claws and beaks pinch pinching in jealousy—
imagine, a jealousy of perspiration!
dear parakeets,
i’m sorry you have no sweat glands,
do you want mine?
my father won’t take them back.