—MOONLIGHT FALLS LIKE RAIN

What the Dead Say

Some of the dead say, “I never thought that’d be me.”

Some of the dead say, “I thought it’d be much sooner.”

Some of the dead hold hands with the living, though the living can’t feel them.

Some of the dead float around town, bored as geese.

Some of the dead want their respect back, their name back, their life back.

Some of the dead circle the sky like a drunken planet.

Some of the dead say, “I’m your father, or I'm your mother, and I know it’s too late, but I’m sorry." 

Some of the dead don’t know they’re dead, but they sleep in the same bed together nonetheless, year after year. 

 

—I MET YOU IN THE DARK, YOU PICKED ME UP

 

 

…There is literally no one here. But I’m having a mini-concert in my office, and it’s pretty amazing, even if you do think so.

 

…That old stuff is so stupid, I can’t even believe it.

 

.,,,I’m just going to play this on repeat forever.

 

…I guess I’m not sure what happened. I thought we were important. 

 

…Why do I always think too much?

 

…I’ll thank my lucky stars for that night, 

 

…Good luck tomorrow.

 

…I guess that was a time.

“Is this the series finale of America, or do you think they’ll release another episode?”
 

...The tricky part is always the hardest.

 

…Wait, why is that straw dancing?

 

…A lot of times lately, it’s too easy to get angry.

 

…When’s the last time you said, “That was maybe the worst day of my life?”

 

…I think other people are better at living than me, and that’s okay.

 

…So, I guess this is how it goes.

 

...You really don’t want to know. Trust me.

 

…It doesn’t take much.

 

…Just leave it there then.

 

…“Your head is the most valuable thing you have on you.”

 

…Who says this stuff?

 

…It’s a problem if you’re still thinking about it after all this time.

 

,,,,I guess you have to eat at some point, whether you want to or not.

 

...Maybe I should tell you this before I go: (….)

 ...I still owe money to the money to the money I owe…

 

…You’re not going to get it, and you’re not expected to.

 

…Are YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?

 

.It’s not very often that I chose the Good Call, and it certainly wasn’t’ today.

 

…It’s a real trick to be both things.

 

…But I really don’t want Jesus to be a hoax. Please.

 

…“I talked to the coach at half-time and he told me, ‘We really need to pick our offense up.’”

 

…The hard part is when you’re stuck in the presence of bullshit and you’re required to smile.

 

…“This is what I do—I fix things.”

 

…The problem is that song doesn’t last long enough.

 

,,,,No one can have this much fun by themselves. It’s impossible.

……That’s some bad juice, whatever that fuck was.

 

...Is it tomorrow yet?

 

—TIME IS A MOTHER

Frost

We walk across the bridge, neither of us certain or sure-footed about anything, a couple of young dolts, falling through the ice and drifts like snowmen with no stories left to tell, though you kiss the frost from my mouth and remind me why I should keep on living.

 —I HATE THIS TUNE BECAUSE I THINK OF YOU 

 

Birds

There were too many birds that day, each one splatting into the window like old ink as if they knew something I didn’t, and then Dad did those things again and the birds never showed up or mattered again.

 

—BUT THERE’S ICY FRINGE ON EVERYTHING

 

…“Those faces you see every day on the streets were not created entirely without hope; be kind to them.” Charles Bukowski

 

…I know this is dark, but I’m pretty proud of it:

…https://ghostparachute.com/issue/january-2026-issue/see-through/

 

…I really miss John right now.

 

…Careful now, don’t get caught in your dreams, look out Baby, this is not what it seems.

 

….”Some things look dead, but they're just resting to get ready for whatever lies ahead.” Jay Halsey

 

…Maybe that’s it.

 

…Okay, that’s a little tricky.

 

…You know, I hate this tune because it makes me think of you.  

 

…It’s complicated, learning who to trust enough to share something that private.

 

…I don’t really know. Is it true?

 

…There’s always another level.

 

….I guess it always boils down to this: What do you want more? To give joy or get joy?

 

“…Be curious.

Speak your mind without fear.

Be social.

Care about people less fortunate than yourself.

Walk fast.

Be financially frugal.

Don’t be a schmuck.” Benjamin Emanuel

 

...Here’s the thing—shut up once and a while, and it won’t hurt so bad.

 

…Eat your fucking ice cream and I’ll eat mine.

 

…“Your family—love them or hate them—that’s all you’ve got.” Everybody Loves Raymond

 

…A song can be great but if the video for it is bad, well, the song then kind of sucks.

 

…I was 23 when I had my first dentist appointment. True story.

 

…I would say the majority of my best friends are very optimistic, despite everything. And so, I’m envious.

 

…We got enough, is it enough to stay?

 

…The thing you have to remember is you’re really not as hot as you think you are.

 

…It all went so fast. Why couldn’t it last?

 

…I believe in Jesus, but most times when I hear other people talk about him the way they do, it’s like Charlatans who are possessed by something almost demonic, and then it scares me to be a Christian.

 

 

…Stevie Nicks might bark an entire week if you didn’t come home and feed her.

 

…Apparently, I have “massive potential.” We’ll see about that.

 

…If you have someone who’s been like the sister you’ve never had, and you find her, and then she’s basically trying to kill herself for no good reason, well, you only have a few choices, none of which are good.

 

…You know what I don’t want is this.

 

…“Remember the first rule of life: We’re all going to die.” Ezekiel Emanuel

 

…I should probably just stop writing so much stuff down.

 

…Just cook, Bllll!!! Start your own channel. I'll watch it religiously, whatever that means. Brick.

 

…There’s no magic if you don’t believe.

 

…“WANT TO LIVE LONGER? Ahhh, not really.

 

…It is crazy, and I can’t explain it, how as I start to write something that seems sort of beautiful or wise or happy, it always takes a dark twist. Yeah, I can’t explain why that always happens.

 

…In the end, you have to ask yourself, “What’s most important?” and did you almost make it there?" 

 

…You know what? That’s pretty good.

 

…They just shot her. She was in her car. I saw it. They just shot her for having the wrong color of skin.

 

…It’s hard to toggle, but sometimes it doesn’t seem like there’s any other choice, and besides, I’ve gotten pretty good at it. (Not that I’m bragging in any way.)

 

…I’m not quite sure what I did, but it must have been something.

 

…Can you be a cheerful pessimist?

 

…Okay, well, that was something I’ll have to ruminate over.

 

…Yeah, it’s not okay.

 

…Yep. It’s me after all.

 

…*Every second we live can never be recovered.” Ezekiel Emanuel

 

…Life expectancy on the eve of the Civil War was 39.6 years. By the start of the 20^th century, it had increased to 48.2 years. Today it’s 78.6 years.

 

…If I really have to explain it to you, well, maybe we shouldn’t be talking.

 

…I don’t want it to be a hoax, but I’ve been listening, and it sure seems like it is.

…It still feels like something’s missing. 

 

…Americans are a peculiar species.

 

…It’s almost impossible to read the news now and not throw up in your mouth.

 

…We can pretend we don’t, but, really, doesn’t everyone judge everyone else?

 

…The three fundamental fears that all humans experience are:

Fear of death.

Fear of abandonment.

Fear of failure.

…“Happiness is not a goal. It is a by-product of a well-lived life.” Eleanor Roosevelt

 

…Nobody wants to hurt someone they love.

 

…This is really tough, but it’s worth it.

 

…Maybe I need to talk to someone.…

 

—THAT’S A DAY WE’RE NEVER GETTING BACK

 

Reunion

We’re in the middle of nowhere, everything barren, flat and spread out like a used dish towel, a few dumb souls standing next to a crumpled RV.

My oldest brother has driven all this way to Dakota, and he unlatches a storage unit in the back of his pickup where a set of AK47s sit gleaming like metallic baby seals.

My brothers each select one, but I can’t move my arms because my bones are disintegrating by the second. 

I still remember Vegas, the rat-a-tat, the chaos, the random slaughter.

“Grab a fucking gun, Lenny,” my oldest says, as if it’s that simple—a choice.

When I say I won’t, No way, he calls me a Fag. 

It’s been years since I’ve heard that slur, but it still stings as do the bullet casings that pop off around me as my brothers shoot at nothing just to at shoot something, our parents or failed ghosts maybe.

When the quiet hits and the smoke rises, my eldest says quite seriously, “I miss killing people,” his eyes fixed on something in the distance.

 

—RIGHT DOWN THE LINE IT’S BEEN YOU AND ME

January is the Cruelest Month

 

You told me the truth this time 

as if it was a death threat 

though your words were folded like origami 

when I fell again, another Autumnal collapse.

No one reached down or held me up, 

or even cared. Why would they?

But the geese went flying by, 

boisterous and doomed,

and the beaver might have too, 

though he was sunk and underwater.

It was winter after all, 

though I never saw a 

single snowflake fall that season,

not one chip of ice.