Jazeki

“Don’t go in the potty,” Chloe told Ryoko as she pushed past her with her arms full of perfume and an assortment of Yankee Candle tea lights in shades of pink. “I’m using it.”
“Did you eat too much taco pizza again?”
“Excuse you. No. I’m doing a love spell to make James fall in love with me.”
“What. You just met him this week. And you barely know him?”
“I know he is The One. Because women’s intuition and this spell from Google that is going to make it so.”
Ryoko rolled her eyes. “You’re going to curse him into loving you? That’ll go over real well.”
“It’s not a curse. It says ‘love spell’ right on the paper,” Chloe answered, doing her best to motion to the crumpled spell that sat on the couch.
Ryoko caught her drift and picked it up. The paper had been sprayed with one of Chloe’s perfumes.
“Really. Your perfume smudged part of

“For Career Week,” Aster had insisted. “You can just talk to them about writing for forty-seven minutes. They’re good kids.”
James could barely stand giving presentations to clients during business lunches. And yet, here he was in a classroom with thirty students on a Monday morning. Because Career Week.
“You’re Sela’s boyfriend’s dad, right? Cinna? He looks like you.”
“Yes,” James answered, looking from the girl to Sela. She blushed and looked down at her notebook. At least there was one familiar child in the room. “Anyway, Mrs. Mallory asked that I come in and—"
“Does Cinna like college?”
“I suppose he does,” James answered. Cinna hadn’t called in about a month. But that wasn’t something to share.
“Are you paying for him to go,” another student—a boy this time—asked. “My dad says your family has lots of money.”
“How about we

A golden streak of pollen
misplaced beneath the soft trail
of fingers along your stomach
and the sweet humidity of late May
(grass heavy with dew and perfect for an opportune roll)
Beyond the door
and the murderous scent of lilies,
you wait
I'll follow
beyond the cries of others just as badly in need
I'll follow
beyond the property line
I'll follow
beyond the trees
I'll follow
into the soft cool of the night
I'll follow
the crackling of leaves
I'll follow
the dance of fireflies
I'll follow
the whine of crickets
No walls can keep me
No man can keep me
No woman can keep me
You, my dear--
You may have me
In the throes of darkness
among the company of beasts
we can pretend your pedigree
But you may not keep me