Chelsea Margaret Bodnar
Miami Vice Suite
the neon blinks / and hurts your eyes // dark lensed /
for witness / protection // witness for / ekphrasis of
/ inner monologue / gone lowbrow / in your mouth
// your blank dream / washed out / seafoam blue //
disguised / saltwater / taffy // it is certain / that
everything / unsoft / as a bullet / will ricochet / back
/ and back / always // to keep / these small arms //
off the streets // to keep / tequila sunrise / going
smooth // the city // its black palm tree / rising up /
from the water / like a hand / that can never / just be
/ held ///
for witness / protection // witness for / ekphrasis of
/ inner monologue / gone lowbrow / in your mouth
// your blank dream / washed out / seafoam blue //
disguised / saltwater / taffy // it is certain / that
everything / unsoft / as a bullet / will ricochet / back
/ and back / always // to keep / these small arms //
off the streets // to keep / tequila sunrise / going
smooth // the city // its black palm tree / rising up /
from the water / like a hand / that can never / just be
/ held ///
the moral is / you’re better off / alone // spiral of /
dayglo / body paint / and ultraviolet / light // mirror
ball / glittering / the nightclub / as you check / the
exits // watch / briefcases / changing hands // you
hide / like a derringer / under / a dress // until the
drug / wears off // the case / leads you / to outskirts
/ of the town // a marsh / a burned-out house // war
analog / you’d rather / not retrace // but there’s /
nostalgia here // you cup / your hand / instinctive /
over red / of cigarette // the missing / kingpin /
bricked / behind the wall // it’s all the same // the
higher power / sending you / back home / before the
thing’s / resolved // how could you / explain this to
/ a lover // second pillow / only used / to cover up /
a gun ///
dayglo / body paint / and ultraviolet / light // mirror
ball / glittering / the nightclub / as you check / the
exits // watch / briefcases / changing hands // you
hide / like a derringer / under / a dress // until the
drug / wears off // the case / leads you / to outskirts
/ of the town // a marsh / a burned-out house // war
analog / you’d rather / not retrace // but there’s /
nostalgia here // you cup / your hand / instinctive /
over red / of cigarette // the missing / kingpin /
bricked / behind the wall // it’s all the same // the
higher power / sending you / back home / before the
thing’s / resolved // how could you / explain this to
/ a lover // second pillow / only used / to cover up /
a gun ///
what else / exploded / in your / crystal ball // the
blown / pupil // snowglobe / of ashes // nubs of
bone / clattered / on the hood // to drive / the black
car / too ambiguous // the cowboy / Cadillac // the
backup / in floored / throttle // I don’t know shit /
about vehicles // I don’t know / how to read / the
litmus test // to deem hyperbole / and scoff // what
pressure points / the bullets strike / to split / chrome
coffin // beauchêne skull // the top down / catching
flash flood // king of cups // ocean air / rusting / all
things / prematurely // a machine / caressed / brittle
///
blown / pupil // snowglobe / of ashes // nubs of
bone / clattered / on the hood // to drive / the black
car / too ambiguous // the cowboy / Cadillac // the
backup / in floored / throttle // I don’t know shit /
about vehicles // I don’t know / how to read / the
litmus test // to deem hyperbole / and scoff // what
pressure points / the bullets strike / to split / chrome
coffin // beauchêne skull // the top down / catching
flash flood // king of cups // ocean air / rusting / all
things / prematurely // a machine / caressed / brittle
///
what if we pretend / the blizzard / isn’t tough-talk /
metaphor // just something / rare / in the weather //
but the enchantment / we’re afforded / works against
us // only rains here / to accompany / a heartbreak
// shipwreck / of failed dalliance // spine snapped /
from car chase // death just means / there’s no /
interrogation // I read once / that wind speed / can
make feathers / into knives // cast styrofoam / to
bullet // so in a way / it’s natural / what happened //
internal affairs / comes calling / on the carphone //
venetian blinds / slivering / your jewel-tones // the
hope that / we are bending / like palm trees / in a
hurricane // we can come back / from this / and
anything ///
metaphor // just something / rare / in the weather //
but the enchantment / we’re afforded / works against
us // only rains here / to accompany / a heartbreak
// shipwreck / of failed dalliance // spine snapped /
from car chase // death just means / there’s no /
interrogation // I read once / that wind speed / can
make feathers / into knives // cast styrofoam / to
bullet // so in a way / it’s natural / what happened //
internal affairs / comes calling / on the carphone //
venetian blinds / slivering / your jewel-tones // the
hope that / we are bending / like palm trees / in a
hurricane // we can come back / from this / and
anything ///
almost-over / is when things become / mythic // our
hero-figure / swanning through / interminable /
crimescenes // polishing / his Ray Bans / their lenses
gleaming / like knives // the rape / is edited / to lapse
/ in judgement // an ex / who can’t commit / but still
concerned / she’ll fall / for someone else // and then
/ ego death / of clipshow / and comedy // you find
yourself / nostalgic for / suicide // when the only /
bad taste / in your mouth / was from the bullet /
nestled / at the back / of throat // a black site /
washed / with pink // for a moment / you let yourself
believe / that the detective / has a future / with the
gangster // you wish / her far / away from this // the
old flame / pins her wings / to matted frame // we
breathe/ for each other / he lies / in the squadroom / as
she pulls / the black rose petals / from her hair ///
hero-figure / swanning through / interminable /
crimescenes // polishing / his Ray Bans / their lenses
gleaming / like knives // the rape / is edited / to lapse
/ in judgement // an ex / who can’t commit / but still
concerned / she’ll fall / for someone else // and then
/ ego death / of clipshow / and comedy // you find
yourself / nostalgic for / suicide // when the only /
bad taste / in your mouth / was from the bullet /
nestled / at the back / of throat // a black site /
washed / with pink // for a moment / you let yourself
believe / that the detective / has a future / with the
gangster // you wish / her far / away from this // the
old flame / pins her wings / to matted frame // we
breathe/ for each other / he lies / in the squadroom / as
she pulls / the black rose petals / from her hair ///
Chelsea Margaret Bodnar is probably a little too manic pixie to be femme fatale, but a girl can dream. Her poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in: Sugared Water, Crab Fat, The Bennington Review, Sad Girl Review, Rogue Agent, and others. She is 1/2 of the editing team for the digital literary publication Everything in Aspic.