July 3, 2024 - “Pilgrimage of Aisles” by Ingrid Jacobsen
Stretch tops
low-back tubes
slinky longs
courageous shorts I pine
high waist high cut unders,
ambidextrous rubber slides
sour suckers deals & steals
total change for little of it,
in and out of grasp,
I could, I could not,
when did it become
so easy to resist
temptation, or perhaps
resistance is not temptation’s
armament, here the sister superior
(part time, no benefits) plays
satellite radio what’s the
electronic dance hit
of the summer
no one knows,
down shop rows
into which cast the rack,
spine silver, bent and giving,
laden by arms unattributed,
washing just-in to clearance,
pilgrimage of aisles,
each trend illuminated:
Tie dye tinies
Pucker athletics
Life together matching set
Rememberwhenovision graphicT
Don’t talk to me, I’m sleeping
Skinny girl elastic underwear
Sweater for sparse parts
In some stores
I wander Mens’
having sailed flap shirt
long zip pocket pant
here, Mens’ is Siberia
Womens’ is a multi-climate
interconnected landmass
from here to Siberia
all species represented:
Young skin, Body at gym
Form enshrouded at gym
Fresh in class
Don’t look at me in class
Religious rite
Out tonight
Interview
Uniform
Night shift
Sleep
All day cooking
All day caring,
every size and occasion,
at the equator of the store,
stamping single postcards
with decaying values
of isle hopping owners
The universe inside
Telco is exactly as
big as the universe
outside Telco, our relation
is civic, in line
for passports or vaccines,
working for the government,
cleaning the building,
walking by and using
the darkened window
as a sort of mirror,
but never entering,
no use for thinking
what goes on in there,
just some happy carts
signing for your eye
outside, we’ve got
2 for 3 we’ve
got starting at 5
wow, get it now
going going gone
Ingrid Jacobsen will be reading at the following events:
NYC Poetry Festival, Governor's Island
Sunday, July 14 at 2pm (Beckett Stage) and 4:30pm (Blackbird Stage)
Verses & Vinyl reading
Tues, Aug 20, 8pm
All Blues, 87 Walker St
