Crimes Of PassionThe SlasherWhat I like most is whenthe hemline rises& they place the high heel,usually the right,onto the first step of the bus,then, they grasp the smallrod, & pull themselves up. The nylonsflare like hot butter, & as thatthigh bulges slightly, & thentaut, I gently nudge her& with the razor blade, one sidetaped, as if a fingerwere lovingly running from the back of the knee toward the buttocks. She will sometimes turn & smile, feeling some part of herself freed, only hours later does she learn how deep my passion runs, the thick blood of birth drips silently to some cold floor, & in that pool, my face returns the wonderful smife,& then, I think, she probably screams. She will dream of me & that is all anyone can ever ask.In this remarkable collection Terry Stokeshas written poems that are by turns elegant,raunchy, charming, touching, and frightening.He has been able to make concrete thesensations of loneliness, terror, passion, andgentle love as well as the elusive reality of dreamsBut his poetry is impossible to describe.Read the example above. Page through the book.Judge for yourself.Cover illustration by Cathy HullCover design by Charles SchmalzAlfred A