Mark Cunningham


Fail Lure

(With thanks to Linda Kobert)

1

characteristics preclude
formation. tentative
systematics unlikely to alter.


2

never fully descended.
seemed to be.
doubtful was ever.


3


throat approximate.
little specific relativity.


4

only obscure
greenish rays.

point and non-
point immediate threat.


5

head, dorsal region
penciled in.


6

availability of more
than 50% of outline
accompanied by
soil erosion and flooding.


7

head, throat, and upper
portion of neck
were outer webs.
eggs hollow.


8

head and body
began to decline.
for many years
it was thought
actually occupied.


9

was published.
was recognized.
bluff.


10

rhizome creeps
one-third of distance
margin to mid-rib:
feral axis
wrinkling.


11

mosaic of small bones.
no sharp angle.
thermal inertia.


12

primarily self-dispersed
topographical litter accumulation.


13

sperm
poor quality.
used as filler.


14

roamed mountains.
mountains inaccessible.


15

nocturnal not available.
primarily nocturnal.


16

slate-blue body
occurred primarily at night.
spawning occurred
primarily at night.
was most active
during the day. 


17

an almost golden hue
on its belly.
a night feeder.


18

entire margins
long-lived.
preferred habitat
very constant.
always occupies
a transition habitat.


19

large spots encircled
by smaller ones.
two dinner habitat regions
half occurred.


20

lack of vertical.
other threat:
surface runoff. 


21

habitat:
highway rights-of-way.


22

swift runners.
limited space.


23

lack herded.


24

robust-bodied twice
a day. survives
densities.
destroyed by diversion.


25

areas forced into
other areas.
no match.


26

largest in length.
habitat
too little,
too late.


27

habitat mostly forested.
painted flame-like markings
substantial disturbance.


28

habitat illegal.
enforcement intensive.


29

stones carried
in its stomach.
victim of
avalanches. 


30

small head, flattish.
a grinding surface.
the line between very general.


31

papery outer coat,
inner coat.
rainfall.
inundated for
a reservoir.


32

radial with no
central. rolling.
root pushed
completely out.


33

sprawling ribs, small
spine-bearing areas.
ornamental possibilities unstable. 


34

spine dance
damaging.
survivorship
rare.


35

bladder-shaped.
impermeable.


36

aquatic ash.


37

pincushion sparsely
distributed.
habitat threat
a cactus recreation. 


38

elliptical glands leveled.
random yams threaten
the remaining individual.


39

giant kangaroo
activity
detrimental.


40

mint hair
observed by
feral pigs.


41

abdomen mandible
completely destroyed
by coconut. 


42

an important nectar source
for insecticides.


43

wooly star.
full sunlight-scour.
continue mining.
little effect.


44

throat extends to navel.
vigorous bubble blowing
high water mark of potential.


45

capable of breaking eggs themselves.
rarely observed doing so. 


46

peel apart.
failed to
locate repairs.


47

flat-headed.
then: head concave.
juveniles botched.


48

orange.
mock orange
often found.


49

rust-colored
pubescence.
life cycle
creeping damage. 


50

outline dissolved oxygen.
remnant outflow aggressive.


51

largest horny tongue
a warning to stay away.


52

break-neck speed
breeding. once
started, would prove
impossible to stop.


53

dull: was thought
smaller than.
did not have
beautifully melodious
song: particularly damaging. 


54

nests a shallow depression.


55

between serious bite wounds:
solitaire.


56

less active escape.


57

conspicuous eye nomadic.
control eroded.


58

females and males
alternating
complex mottling.
lost control
of non-point source. 


59

mouth seasonally closed.
transition area
eliminated.


60

little behavior.
stomach opportunistic.
isolated for
thousands of years,
pumping serious reduction.


61

similar in appearance
to evening.
last time sighted
identical in coloration.


62

appeared the same in all
seasons. became immobile. 


63

utilized dense
vegetation for
concealment during
non-breeding season.
never found.


64

confused.
forming loose complexes
subsequently determined
to be another species.


65

beautiful
squirrel-banana.


66

each side of head
lost through conversion
to cavity trees. 


67

16 feet of small
sharp prickles.


68

rage.
fear.
jealousy.
barking inferior.


69

considered evergreen
but loses most of
its leaves over winter.


70

hopping motion stank.


71

females lacked spectacles. 


72

nuptial males
discharge urbanization.


73

largest concentration of
sexual catastrophes.
replanted in the mall.


74

muzzle cold enough
to cease growth,
with an average
temperature of
minus 2
degrees Celsius.


75

world’s smallest metabolic
rate. in 1905,
last individual killed.
believed extinct by 1917. 


76

observed sleeping
in a peculiar sort
of way. exploding,
unfortunately. senseless.


77

unbranched, hairless.
between less and about.
remain closed, just because.


78

larvae metamorphoses
complete,
drops dead.


79

seeds released only
upon death. seedling
mortality higher. 


80

dead male and female
released into suitable habitat.


81

host pseudo-time.

Mark Cunningham's latest chapbook is Alphabetical Basho (Beard of Bees). He has a few books out, including two from Otoliths: 80 Beetles and Helicotremors.
 
 
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