What Cleopatra Said
by Kylin Larsson

Twinkle the approximate
mystery of the disappearing
fruit leeched wordism
from Cleopatra’s red red lips
they were red as a slivered trainwreck
under the light of a silvery
loom me a mystery,
      she said
weave me lessons on how
to play peekaboo
tremble my crumbling
waltz in a room filled with mirrors
lovely my ugly
stare over a newspaper
preempt delicious longing
play strip poker
and mirror fruit,
     she said.
I want to
approach the approximate
rhythm of clarity.

Rhythm me this
rhythm me that,
     she said.

Kylin Larsson is a senior at The Evergreen State College. His work has previously been published in the literary journal On Uneven Ground, and will be published in the literary journal Slightly West (date forthcoming).