how many summers
has he spent his nights
as the watchman of the maize
in a mobile uhaul hut with
the best discarded mattress
a companion to constelations
a sheperd guardian of tasseling
stalks whose rattling would wake
him against white tail invasion
he could taste the polenta
before raccoons could hear
the sweet message of the ears
years with his canine companions
as the depths of night rose
quitely around him
Dear The Woman,
It has come to my attention
that we’re both suffering from the same
poetic delusion.
How are you alive this far in?
I spend my days in a wondering well.
Have you lost
your conviction to seek help?
Your eyes too accustomed to the pitch
black nothingness.
I can still catch a glimmer.
So, once I get out, I’ll throw my hope
down to you.
Respectfully,
Another Woman
You know it’s dire straits when you relate so much to that one Linkin Park song
And it’s all surrounding shit you already think is stupid,
But now there’s lyrics to match
I was promised, by a boat,
That I would not be an island
Forgetting that all land is the same as not-water
And boats only concern themselves with the sea
My island is lot of sand
And all its visitors telling me they don’t like how I’ve organized it
It’s not shaped like castles to choose from
And it’s in our shoes and socks
It’s sand, I say, I didn’t pick it
Well you’re the island, they tell me
So why didn’t you demand better dirt?
I would’ve, had I known to
But the answer already lives in their question
In the end, it doesn’t even matter
It’s a stupid island, I’ll tell them
What else did you expect?
The neighbor saw you come to my door,
not through the yard, but up the steps.
14 steps are hard to climb.
She said you didn’t knock.
She was on a Zoom.
You flicked your tail,
wandered off.
My dear,
deer.
have you ever been from : have you ever been : have you ever been from : a wound : it’s easy : we are each walking with one : mine is shaped like : a door : heart : with its valves spilling : mine is two girls with dark wrists : fighting for sunlight : hot tar : of a parking lot : have you ever been from : from : from : where is your fromness : from : is it a field : does it smell like : jasmine : like prayer : in your fromness : does the street open : with hands : in your fromness : is there a woman you love : is there a photo of her : as a child : in your fromness does it rain : in sheets : all at once : like sleep : tell me the name of your fromness : i’ll start : moon : warm milk : cockroach : do you know : the soft : of its elbow : do you know : it’s called : mercy : have you ever walked around your fromness : in circles : have you been afraid : of its tender : are you : are you getting closer : to the middle : are you getting closer : to the middle
My secret hiding
places are gone now but I
invision them here
Curly dried tendrils
decorate my window panes
like wrought iron endures
Nature may just say
it once. You must listen full heart
Whispers can be keys
that unlock the trees
to speak to you though no breeze
Are you listening?
I try to shame myself
into thinking
my identity
is something
I can control.
Or abandon.
But those who have seen her
tell me
I’m happier when I’m her.
I’m calmer when I’m her.
More peaceful.
Less angry.
That I glow
as her.
Still, I keep looking
over my shoulder,
trying to find
an escape route
from my destiny.
She had galaxies in her eyes
And electricity crackled within her
Amidst the flurry of white
Is a ray of light
Fingertips fiery with a passion
Everything she touches
An exchange of energy
Butterflies spin throughout her body
As wind catches the tips of her hair
Laugh lines
Freckled nose
She glides through life
With an innate joy
A carefree spirit
Sometimes life is a lot
on those days,
it is hard to be an optimist
Today was one of those days,
a Dr. appointment, tests,
and then a little drama thrown in
But then, a simple greeting from
a young neighbor and his
sweet smile, reach out and touch my heart
Going on my daily walk, I take the time to
appreciate the beautiful green trees and
colorful flowers
I am greeted by several curious cats,
and barked at by multiple dogs,
the cacaphony of life follows me home
Tonight, I am once again appreciating
this wonderful world and the
life that I live
