i begin to cover and
uncover the mirror
regularly with a black
tablecloth I bought
for this purpose.

stick the genie bottle
with my brother’s ashes inside
the carnival armoire
that I have become devout to.
you can see inside of it,
and you can close the door.
cover it.
pace around it.
take it out.
uncover it and lay
the cloth on the floor,
kneel.
put a candle inside.
watch.
walk away.
the roof can catch fire.

good.

back away.
completion.
sometimes I walk for
miles leaving several candles
burning in my house
at once.
I don’t tell anyone
these games of faith
but once I left 1,000 dollars
on a mantle in plain
sight and the door
unlocked and
slept the whole night.

“the fanatic”