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Love beams
from stars over
Kentucky
Makes me wonder
why I don’t look up
more often.
didn’t they outlaw
that shit back in the
early aughts or what-
ever? ain’t no way
you’re gonna get this
approved, ain’t no
way you’re gonna
get this right so just
relax a little, let your
hair down, play a-
round awhile—‘cause
what we’ve got here
is a bona fide predic-
ament, a case of mis-
took or taken, miss
guided, mal-shapen
mise-en-scené. Take
two: it’s 1983 and your
hair is BIG. you’re late
for dance class. garbage
bag pants and the big T
swoop cut at the neck.
yeah yeah yaz you’re
wearing hoop earrings
with a scrunchie and ya
can’t stop now. don’t go
but, girl, you still gotta
finish that cig before
you dash into class.
and when the lights fade
won’t the imprints of our souls stay here forever?
when the neon-flashing heat has died down
won’t the night be loudest, echoing with its experiment of humanity?
after the sound waves and their spirals caught up in the metallic flashes
have completed their many circles through space
won’t we come back to find the same resonance lying in anticipation?
one day
sitting in an Adirondack chair
on a Friday evening
with fire illuminating
you face in layers
shadow and orange and yellow
with wild hair and laughter
you are
a
masterpiece
I noticed the lightning
bugs at the edge of the street
raising up over dew-kissed grass to greet us
while we sat at picnic tables with our
beers and pops and stories
lifting glasses to croon along to tunes
we knew from back in the day,
singing with the band as the sky
lowered a curtain of darkness
around our swaying shoulders.
In case you think that
You are ready for your child
To outgrow a seat
That they were too small
For yesterday and you had
To adjust the height
There is no shame in
Shedding a few tears because
Your pride and joy is grown
Almost always
I’ve felt like
the little pieces
of a Perfection™ game
not fitting
with time running out
