is a glass of spoiled milk
the lure of sweet dew
dripping the glass
but up close
the nose’s vile pucker
the curdling tongue                 

When the second line rings, Dad
and all his brothers and sisters know
to leave the room, go outside to play,
go visit a friend’s house, just get out
because the conversation soon to be had
is for only two parties to hear.

It’s the seventies after Roe v. Wade
and my grandmother has chosen her side–
to stand for the unborn. She embraces
a calling to help young women in trouble,
guiding toward resources for both mother and child.
Thus the birth of the Right to Life of Owensboro, Kentucky.

For decades, she would devote her life to the cause.
Those who knew her always spoke of the civility
and open-mindedness she approached the topic with,
even against those who staunchly stood opposed.
Her home stayed full of children from babysitting
for a multitude of families needing a hand.

And while the contents of those telephonal conversations–
the names and numbers–would all stay private,
the outcomes occasionally echoed in public spaces.
You’re Virgina Corley? a woman excitedly realizes.
Please let me introduce you to my daughter
who you saved.

Half a century later, the world rolls almost unrecognizable
and I’m just a man standing within a magnanimous between;
a rich and beautiful legacy upheld by all my family behind me
and before me, deeply cherished friends and a literary community
all fiercely loyal to the rights of women, among others.
What role do I serve in the progression of the nation?

To love, is my simple answer, and to share these stories
showing how, I believe, a truly pro-life voice should sound,
reminding us that the right to choose doesn’t always mean
any given choice is right in any given moment.
In this, I hope to show support for those I love
while carrying on my grandmother’s legacy of honoring life.

for Darcie’s younger sister

always a sense you were not of this world
see Willow embrace Snow Moon fervently
step over the threshold as stardust swirls

as immersed as the freely-floating fishes
dwell in waters of imagination
always a sense you were not of this world

oil painting, ink, collage talent unfurled
age six acclaimed artistic prodigy
step over the threshold as stardust swirls

insightful intuitive Willow wishes
her green eyes emanate deep compassion
always a sense you were not of this world

toward emotional overload she hurled
highly sensitive empath feels deeply
step over the threshold as stardust swirls

moon water on tip of tongue feelings whirl
to make manifest lunar energy
always a sense you were not of this world
step over the threshold as stardust swirls

Dog daisy still
romps at my knees,
red clover at my shins, and now
grass pinks grow in little
Barbie bouquets.

Chicory stretches high
silky petals made of sky.
Soon Queen Anne
will arrive in lace, and milkweed
open its fists
to greet her with palms
of butterfly wings.

I want to set my clock
to this living wave,
count my life
in colors,
my minutes
in flowers,
blooming,
receding,
reseeding.

Even as they lie dying

on the sidewalk, in the grass
cicadas sing

cadence of whirs and clicks

growing slower
tiny, intricate, castoff

clockwork toys

Jesus, I’m sorry. There was a time when I was
Only a girl with a missing part in her
Ribs. Now, I stand before you, having found a part
Distant but never closer. He makes sense in
All contexts while contradicting my very existence. I
Never thought I’d feel so alone after gaining so much.

(posted 5 days ago)
Happening near you:

Animal Control made a local sweep today
of hundreds of cats and dogs-
those without licenses on their collars
or an emergency contact present
who could speak human to vouch
for their legal status
were subject to detainment 
and possible rehoming.

Witnesses say beloved family members
were snatched from parking lots
and sidewalks outside vet offices,
obedience training schools,
cat cafes and dog parks.
Some were at the shelter to submit final
adoption papers when they were intercepted.

Authorities are not revealing
where the abducted souls are being held,
whether they will be given a hearing 
before being shipped back
to their birthplace (if known)
which of course they are unlikely
to remember, with people they do not know

One resident was quoted as saying,
“I’m just in shock.
This is not what I voted for.
My dog has all his shots,
he is an American breed,
he has never been aggressive 
until they tried to throw him
in the back of the van
with masks covering their face. 
Who knows if they are even legit, 
they could have just stolen him
to abuse or sell him!
Can you imagine?” 

If your best friend or fur baby
is missing, join the peaceful protest
happening outside the civil offices, 
and if things go sideways 
your best course of action
is to sit down silently 
in the crowd. Gas masks
and passports are recommended.

As I drive through the west 

realizing all the hills were built with water 

I remember our islands will become plateaus one day 

the motto of the world is “no existence is infinite” 

global warming or not 
the earth will find a way to change 

it’s Earths way, and the highway

She needed my pen and writing pad
to write her own words, interpreted
toddler scribbles in between the lines
to a poem.

The two-year old was careful as she
scrolled her delicate marks
across the page, a balanced dance
like the gazelle.

Her shapes and curves,
ancient petroglyphs carved
into my poem with hidden meaning
for a volatile world.

Her gentle sceptre
resounds with joyful
marks, a Latin hymn
resonating from the angels.

Reaching and yearning
    Definitive
Human attributes
    Primitive
            cravings.
Ravenous monsters
   Deduced to this?
Emptiness haunts us,
   A Self-induced
                thirst.
Restriction, taboo
   Unless, “The Food”
Addiction, to you;
   Numbness,
            ecstasy.
Sipping, slide away
    With the wine wave
Dripping, with escape
    From perpetual
                 flow.
Convincing, I am,
    Eyes blazing blue
Must be desired
    Unhinged, then
                  unglued.
Yes, insatiable.
   Contradictions
Implored to ensure
    Infliction
              remains.
Wine. Control. Favored.
    Three simple musts
But just like me, they
    Are never
            enough.