—I SEE MIMI EVERYWHERE, ANGEL’S VOICE IN MY EAR

 

Non Sequitur

 

This pen

in the bath

still works

ink as wet

as water

poems pouring out

stories being the

best way to

keep lying to

yourself

when you’re feeling

submerged and there’s

no air or anyone

else around

but the solitary din

of nothing in the drums

then a trail of air

bubbles running scared 

off cheek and chin

then pen to heart

dye to blood

everything smeared

as one at last.

 

—WHERE YOU STAND DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU SIT

 

Which Is Why

 

I’m in the main,

got these

bruised knees

and not much else,

squares turning circles

circling around me til

I’m dizzy and don’t know it,

which is why I’m

so comfortable

with the dark.

Don’t tell anyone,

don’t speak much about it,

a lid’s a lid for a reason.

People are gonna paint you,

it’s what they do,

can’t help themselves.

Some wood-makers

make caskets cause

that’s all they know.

Some villains take

a piece of you

with their (….)

and a paring knife

cause that’s all

they know, too.

When I see you, I’ll

wear my plastic mouth

and knife-point dimples.

I’ll laugh and snort at

all your funnies, keep my

eyes trained on yours,

which is why

you’ll never know

how weak my bones are

and why they

won’t stop weeping.

 

—BLINKED TWICE THEN I MISSED IT

 

 

All Night Long

 

As you

may recall

we were naked

when it happened

scars and flaws

on full display

wondering who

would go first

who would share

their sharpest

and darkest parts

light fanning the

mattress like a

code or riddle

neither of us

could crack

when you turned

me over

turned me

inside-out

I knew I

was safe and

you were a haven

where I could

just be me

and you you

my broken

springs creaky like

a coarse crow

poking us both

in the ribs

as we laughed

and loved

all night long.

—I MISS YOUR FACE LIKE HELL

 

Tripping

 

Set us in the cove

bald as fish

bald everywhere

we don’t care

it doesn’t matter

because it matters

feeling a little rich right there

yeah there

your lips liquid air

dripping like that

has me kinda tripping like that

gonna swim like a beaver

not ever gonna leave here

sun ripe on our skin

feeling hot as sin

just look at that grin

the last wave’ll take us under

make us grateful make us younger

take a gulp and hold our breath

let the water do its best

—AUGUST IN THE HEAT, SWEATY IN THE STREETS

 

Undeniable

 

Let’s go dancing

up there on the balcony,

no use for excuses,

you’re looking

fresh as hell and

tonight’s not going to end.

Let’s cast a long spell,

spin until we’re

dizzy-drunk,

a couple of clumsies,

rummy and funny

only to ourselves,

who cares?

You can pick the tunes,

I’ll pick the flowers,

bring you your

favorite wine while

we twist and

sway for hours.

I’ll grip your hip

like it’s the

last piece of gold,

hold your hand

over my heart,

kiss the end

of your nose

if you sigh or

toss your hair back,

throwing me a lifeline

not knowing it.

Maybe we’ll make

it to the rooftop,

fly there or even farther,

dancing with wings on,

dancing on air,

dancing because 

I’m here

and

you are

and

we are.

 

—JUMPING FROM LEDGE TO LEDGE

 

…Oh, Friday, why are you so gray?

 

...I thought yesterday was Wednesday, even though I took the garbage out (it gets picked up on Thursday.) I thought Wednesday was Monday. I thought I was younger. Thought I was stronger. That my hair was thicker. I thought you could still hug whomever needed to be hugged. 

Obviously, I have been thinking too much so I’ll just start the weekend with these other peoples' thoughts...

 

“Faith shares best in the dark.” Kierkegaard

 

“Often we prefer to hear the trumpet while ignoring the tragedy that produced it.” Jon Meacham

 

“Stay in good trouble.” John Lewis

 

“If we live in hope, we open our souls to the power of love.” Jon Meacham

 

We are tied together by the single garment of god’s destiny.” Martin Luther King

 

“The words are the important thing. Don’t worry about the tune. Take a tune and sing high when they sing low, sing fast when they sing low, and you’ve got a new tune.” Woodie Guthrie

 

“We are not self-made. We are dependent upon one another, and admitting this to ourselves isn’t embracing mediocrity, it’s a liberation of misconceptions, and it’s an incentive to not expect so much from ourselves, and to simply begin.” Kirby Ferguson

 

"If we should fail -- we fail. But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we'll not fail." William Shakespeare 

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

 

"I was taught how to work. I think that's everything. Creativity and imagination alone are not going to get you there." Elizabeth Gilbert

 

"We all have dreams. And we all get disappointed. We all have heartache and we suffer and work to get through it. It's just the human condition. So, I stand here today so proud. I'm so proud of my team and I'm so proud of myself." Diana Nyad, long-distance swimmer

 

—I JUST WANNA BE FUCKING HAPPY

 

 

Steadfast

 

It’s another

mundane Monday

every day

Groundhog’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day

in autumn

broken taxis

masks on all

the windows

flights in the drawer

farsighted CPR

babies born to bedlam

and that’s not even

one tenth of it

so I’ve been

dancing alone

in semi-circles

under the skittering

streetlight glow

with a power outage

in my throat and

a drunk therapist

reaching conclusions

that don’t map out

watching wine

flood by like water

but still I’ll lift

the heavy hours

for you

I’ll turn back

a warm sheet  

give you the best side

tell you a story about

how dark it was once

until the light

broke through

landing like a

crescent on both our lips

like a steadfast prayer

at last answered.