Synchronicity’s Ballot
List of Candidates
     Road trip stoplights
South Carolina exitramp
      Lazy River at the hotel pool
Absurd rally televised
      Local news
Columbia or Charleston
     Doesn’t matter.
I love how you
     Set out for lobster
And damnit somehow despite it 
      The picture in your mind
Stays clear
      For now
Lingers only with
     Sweet pink wine in its chandelier bottle
What vessel
     Teacups or dreams of Eschers zebras
Quilt-patched
      Carried side-clasped 
Your name
     Leave it to me
Absurd, insisting I have to know
     What light
Anyway it was constant
     Of course of course
Summer beach stay
     Narrows it down: July
Sun City (oh no) I find out (despite myself)
     How poetic
Date turned up in Mothers Jones
     Of all places
Right, the lobster
     Scanners
A shell or four
     Suntanned
Courtyard or a maze
     Navigated
A shorter drive home
     Maybe through the night
Maybe not, I can’t remember.
     Oh Lord
Chance coincidence
     In fighting stance now
Or ready to dance
     I can’t tell
Mis-dreaded porch encounter
     Flowing
Like milk over leaded saucers
     Under some podium
A straw hat I stole
     From a cabin
In Michigan and I do know
     I’ll never recall that city
No reference point
     No last hope laundry list to bring
Sorrow combustion belief disbelief
     All together
In the same room
    The marbles didn’t shake out
That way
     Or whatever Sam would say.
Kick sand
    Out of your shoes
Instead
     Of walking on glass,
Stop at red lights
     For Christs sake, and
Wash out that mouth with some soap
     And water
Smoking your first cigarette
     A gleaming marble pillar
Holding up
      ‘Grand Opening Day’ signs
In front of the Parthenon
       Hallelujah on the Piano
Humming Golden Years