The Desecration of Doves

taking calcium tablets the previous

occupant lost behind the sideboard in

the hall. He died alone in his sleep.

After six years in the same apartment,

my right leg still aches every time

clouds come out. Studies say that's

the secret we always come back for more.

from "Conversation with My Femur"

From the delicious allure of skinny-dipping to the love confessions of a diseased spleen, to an exiled Starfleet officer whose day job is in an adult strip club, Arlene Ang explores the complex machinations of human relationships and the characters behind them. Sometimes sensual and provocative, sometimes black-humored and surreal, the poems in The Desecration of Doves display her sharp technique and inimitable voice.