I was going
to write a poem about the side effects
of taking multiple prescriptions
for extreme hyper tension and a
broken heart.
However I’m experiencing :
Irritability
Nausea
Joint pain
Shortness of breath
Abdominal cramping
Irregular heartbeat
Blurred vision
Dry mouth
And a headache
So
Goodnight.
Cleaning the sealing fans requires
I muster my gumption
to climb the step stool
and wrangle my arms
among those nose busting blades.
I dread it but need the air.
When I believed in soulmates
I never counted our breaths
our natural rise and fall
I never questioned
did I inhale with you
did you exhale with me
always in sync
it never mattered
today I counted
waited with skepticism
who would flinch first
it never happened
I hope you fall back in love
With life
Every time.
I hope you see the stars twinkle
And you watch red lights turn green
I hope you turn your favorite song up
As loud as it can go and I hope you scream it louder
I hope your hand stays out of your car window riding the wind
I hope you realize that tears are just
Filling the river so your boat can float
To a smile
I hope you live how you want to live
And I hope you embrace every moment
And enjoy every second
I hope you are being you
I hope you live every day like your last
And I hope you eat all the ice cream you can
And every slice of greasy pizza
I hope you see the leaves blow in the wind
And I hope you jump into the cold water
To swim
I hope you are living how you want
And I hope your life is becoming exactly
Or at least,
Close to what you’ve always dreamt of
I hope you dance in your socks
And I hope you stay out too late
And I hope you never give up
I hope you laugh until your face hurts
And I hope the freedom you feel is real
I hope you fall back in love with living
And I hope you’re hoping the same
I remember
our first cuddle session.
I remember
your smile you gave me.
I remember
holding you little hand in mine.
I remember
being enchanted by your world of firsts.
I remember
our first goodbye.
Awaiting our next adventure,
so I may have more to remember.
I stared too long into the
white hot heat of summer.
The locust rose up from
the ground in loud
clambering hoards; nights
thick and succulent filled
with fireflies and
whippoorwill calls,
and I stared.
I stared as the forest
leaved out in a rush to
its green fruitful glory,
and as mushrooms
peaked from the leaf litter,
as heat soaked the days
and drew them out to last
well past bedtime,
as rat snakes wove
their bodies around
the fence posts and
sunlight only came through
the hollow in great golden
flecks – I stared.
I stared in wonder at the
resilience of life, at its
persistent need to
survive.
And I stared as it all
faded – gone in one
deep breath of a dozer.
And I stood lost.
Lunar madness wait
break the pattern transition
drink the poison now
Scorpius waits death
the hunter falls before dawn
mother finds solace
He planted corn in the field by the road
and built a wide wooden swing for the thick oaks
in the yard. They’d sit on the swing a
watch the kids play. Their brick house
was shaped like a fort. The kids crawled across haybales
like spiders, pulled at ancient moss
with their fingers. They would both sit and winnow
apples with knives, beans into buckets, watch
grandkids—one standing with her hand on her hip,
and the other, reading books on the green plateau.
