1918 Midwestern farm bank Greek revival In white brick Oversized windows Brightened the space Until in 1929 Everything went dark Decades later Out of bankruptcy limbo A ready return to the marketplace A barber college Then an upholstery shop A daycare A carpet store A judo studio A vape shop Until in the go-go Subprime … Read moreThe Indignity of Aging
When the meteor hit The deep earth didn’t notice When the ice age came The deep earth yawned When we finally consume everything on the surface The deep earth will care as little As an elephant Threatened by a flea Before the first sea sponge Wriggled in the mud Trillions and trillions of microbes Basking … Read moreUnder My Skin
Firm flesh Papery skin Dropped in the crisper For an eventual Soup or sauté Rolls to the back Forgotten Cold Dark Waiting Flesh softens Sprouts appear Weeks pass The onion a time buoy Finally discovered I snap awake In realization I need more onions
One size too big My vintage down jacket Avocado corduroy Mustard yellow lining We call it Ugly Coat A family favorite from When coats stood up To cigarette burns Or laying on the road To chain the tires Collar and sleeves Still hemlock green Right handwarmer pocket Worn through from A former set of keys … Read moreUnbeautiful Embrace
Every seven years Cells turn over And a newer me emerges Reborn Reincarnated Recycled Scars persist Like a darned sock The stitching smooths And blends A remnant No escaping the mileage Erosion Can carve canyons Memories fade So slowly The glacier is long forgotten Only the effects remain Am I still me When all the … Read moreLost and Found
Julius Caesar decided A year should be twelve months Instead of ten So added November and December Daylight Saving Time Let’s us reclaim or lose an hour Allowing time travel Twice a year Clocks give shape to time But if time flies when you’re having fun And clocks can’t keep up What are they counting?
In the moment Between awake and asleep A fleeting bubble No dreams No thoughts I slide into it sometimes Lost on a project or In the woods listening for birds or Watching a movie Not knowing I’m in one Until it pops Which is the most free I ever feel And the peace Inside the … Read morePresent Perfect
Cut a blade of grass into Smaller and smaller pieces Name all the parts you see Now you understand grass. Cut a human into Smaller and smaller pieces Name all the parts you see Now you understand humans. Cut the earth into Smaller and smaller pieces Name all the parts you see Now you understand … Read moreGenerative Existentialism
Death is a cat Creeping on silent fur paws Death is a dog Gouging the floor with its claws Death is a calm day Dappled light in the glare Death is a hurricane When cars take to the air Death is a bicycle Gliding silently through Death is a dump truck Speed bump hopping near … Read moreDeath is Death
As a result of Profound nearsightedness And limited household affection My little kid self Thrilled Whenever my ophthalmologist Raised his eye scope And pressed his cheek to mine. The light scent of his aftershave His calm, steady breathing The patient clicking of the viewing wheel As he looked deeper into my eyes Than anyone. When … Read moreCan You See Me Now?