Amanda Auerbach

three poems

Ducks are for

Ducks brown and green-headed
male and female hide them
in back-feathers. Beds do they think they are
what they are sleeping
his and her why focus on

fact made of feathers like down comforters
choose to think they are human
respect in which we have parts
hide them not using when they are not heads
when heads are not gender when we
are not species

why have what don’t use: Catholic reproduction
idea also earlier sense
must use what we have to keep meaning
use talents each part must be eaten
no gender not in relation to species
unused they are not having sex
unused bodies are beds
used for not using get out of upper
air out of river when.

Sun is for

Bird shadow flies past
upper corner window partly covered
by blind does not know what to do with.
Go to typical page on Internet

check to start being normally cancel out bird
not sure what to do with.
Window and blind
permeated by sun enjoy that

if they are person are entertained
not forced awake or awake does not mean
browsing.

If bird is person more person
than window regrets un-intention
or is pre-Internet. Older people
acquired habits took satisfaction putting
selves in the way

what else is sun for?
As blank canvas the bird flies across
upsetting the person what is that? or stressful
if there is a goal

Both Option

On way to work two birds reversed.
Mistake the tail of eating bird
believe it head
both circular and brown and gray
therefore two different kinds of bird

difference in heads
small fan-tapered head of some
species or to do with gender.

Do not reduce non-eating one
looks normal bird not bird with head
walks in water now and then
as wants

not bird whose tail if head
is both upright and eating.

Amanda Auerbach's first book of poems What Need Have We For Such as We was published by C&R Press in November 2019. Her poems have also appeared in the Paris Review, Kenyon Review, New Delta Review, and Fence. She is currently an Assistant Professor of English at Catholic University in D.C.