John C. Goodman

Shadow/Light


a prison with no walls

only manipulation
we can’t draw light.....and so we draw shadows

((I can taste the love…))))
the tangle of your hair is essential to the theory of universal significance
xXxX***[[x]][[X]]***XxXx

the depths of her eyes draw a film over
the constrictions of responsibility

she taught me the language of tongues, how they blossom
sweet as apple boughs in the spring
............whirls of white petals
...................---[i][u][m][e][w][e]---

here in the shadow of the blossom boughs
we imprison
without bonds
but s/u\r-r(e(n[d]e]*r

in the darklight of iwantthis/uwantthat

D ON.. ’T... DR A W
........LAN..GU....AGE..BO..UG.. HS
PE..TAL.....BO..N..D..S
....SHA.. D... OW......... Li G Ht







John C. Goodman lived in British Columbia and Ontario before settling in Newfoundland & Labrador. His novel, Talking to Wendigo (Turnstone Press) was short-listed for an Arthur Ellis Award. Stories, poems and essays have appeared in magazines in Canada and the US. He is the editor of ditch, (www.ditchpoetry.com), an online magazine of experimental poetry.