Rings

the bay was a bowl
of crystal waves
and golden sun,

we left footprints
in auburn sand
side by side,

we were the ocean,
the mountain, tree,
the sky,

far from home; far
from home, the
torea pango cried,

silent the stars rose
against the night,
the dark blue cape
of the world,

the southern moon
danced on the shore,
outlines your hair,

you reached
for my hand as
the day fell,

I held onto your heart,
you held mine.

Rebellious Sheep

un-sheared
hidden among the hills
batches of green earth
below the current rises
untouchable electric fences
whirl
all your flock is naked
there on the other side
each car to wind
the road's bend
an informant
a traitor
a Sheppard;

they won't take you alive.

Blue Pool

float in
the god's eye
clear pool
green lashes
old old
mountains

is it blue?

see the sky
wink back

up there
or down
here?

Re-Forested

checkered plots of
tree
deforested originals
reclaimed
by immigrant seed
towering
red woods
far far from home
tropical forests
grown
to the hum of saw
wait
to be cut
and sold whole blocks
gently removed
remodeled
patiently stewing
on one hundred years
the next
technological extravagance
cleared out
plowed
hills
re-planted
turned to gold

Splendor

in come the cruise ships
their many windowed hulls
lulling on jade seas
washing their decks on a
thousand water falling cliffs;

at milford sound;

if man has one great strength
it is to make the grand
small and commonplace
and the trivial
majestic and adored.

The Yolk of Conversion

beware man
the yoke is dripping
                                 see it
swept under welcome mats
and city sewer system grates
environmental protection stickers
rune frog carvings calked down
beginning to be forever
                                      the end
what's happening inside?
I'm out here
                    we're all out here
no worries it's not too cold
the weather is fine
                              I think
I felt it long ago that the memory
still aches and heats my bones
or is that the fire
                            ha
you can never tell well
what was I saying something
about well it's not important
otherwise
                I'd have remembered
it
it was you know where we were
just trace back the threads
pulling at the conversation
it could have been someone else
I tell the same stories all the time
did I tell you
                     this seems
like a blanket response it's not
I was saying something
you were standing right there
listening
               about the city
and the clouds and forever
starting right now
                              see
I thought so I'm forgetting myself
these days
                  isn't that strange
to remember you're forgetting yourself
spinning in circles at the door
that's when I recalled I'd asked you
about coming inside
and when
                 you broke
all the where was I yeah
you broke all the damn eggs
standing there throwing them
against the
                   wall
standing outside

Excuse me ma'am, behind you

Not only am I old
                             grown older
hunched over
             I'm ma'am
listing like an old ship
on ches'peake's bay
to be scuttled and shunted
& packed tightly
bonded
             removed for food
see my beard?
      what does that say?
any way?
       nothing I figure
just hair
                I move
I'll make way
I'm excused
I'm mis-id-ed
                       left rotten
on the booth
               bar stool
ambiguously
           I'm in the way

LIO (your Life insurance officer is working hard for you)

Each joke strike a flat note budget references only get you so far
pop-culture references a little more so help the hours drone by

'I won't give you the satisfaction, fiend!'

sitting arms locked, face scowled

'I will not be complicit in your PowerPoint game!'

the only truth is a beneficial silence insured
I won't raise my hand I won't die in 10 20 30 40 years

you'll
never
be
rid
of
my mute existence

you'll never win

I won't be taken alive.

truly

curiously you say,
   
      'Oh'
you say craning your neck,
   
     'what're you reading?'
you become silent when I answer,

     '...'
you turn your head away toward the window,

     'Oh'
I have maybe said something wrong? Too much?

What had you been hoping to hear?

what
          image had you
painted of me
          that I've dispelled

How have a failed you?
         
         I'm sorry.

Co-Worker

At a distance
hey
      I am          that
bloated deathless soul
hey
      look here          at me
no living thing will touch me
look here          hey

--I eliminate them first
scratched them off the board
slotted them in categorical purgatory
this is the corner
where I'm left
                       where you leave me
where I'm alone

if I am like you i am
                           like          nothing
                                           like me
we have that mush to say
no words
a void of word

we have gone on in different directions
                                               from the start
passing
                      going
                                         in neither another' s
direction

it's better this way

anyway

Internment

in these distended
           lifeless letters
focused up on the slides
I banged against my forehead
           my useless fist
for this is how my life,
           for this,
for this,
this is how my life
           my life,
for this,
is lost
and nothing is gained
           in percentages & numbers
each year you'll progress
to middle age
and how bout death?
           would you like to spend 40 years
           exchange 40 years
for the chance to leave six numerical figures
and a wasted life behind?

She knows I hate 'I'm sorry' red roses

She knows I hate 'I'm sorry' red roses
listen to this shit
I have no ego but the one god gave me
placed by the solely by the finger of his right hand
directly to the touch of my porcelain brow
everlasting
she knows I hate valentines day
but there were flowers on the table anyway
there is no one more laid back than me
but I can't stand when I am not listened to
and obeyed
She knows I hate 'I'm sorry' red roses
there they were anyway
casting red shadows in the afternoon sun
this kind of thing would offend anyone
not just me
I am only reacting logically
she should have expected this outcome
I told you she knew
she didn't care
She knows I hate 'I'm sorry' red roses
she left them for me
I threw them away

Writing a walking poem

feverish long poems in the night left tattered on front door steps
making an arrow of the map unable to escape the grid like sprawl

follow the stanzas out to the river edge
remember each word must go with you
stick them like candy between your teeth
wash them out under the sewer of your home

these relatively meaningless directions on specific on wire-taps
contain massive spoilers for the coming week
poems cascade like arc waves drowning offhanded remarks
each new episode resets the continuity mark
ADHD victims are integral to this body trade

the street signs are no help it is the cracks on the floor show the way
fill them with your spit and sweat
eat from tattered remains from the hole punch
recognize the language unrolled from collective heads
leave the DNA to be gathered by the next intelligence sweep
throw your hands up at the unhinged finish line
ejaculate on the cuffs

Cater to the master

to get down on your knees
bend slowly
take care not to stress your back
lean over
slightly arching your hips
place equal pressure
on the balls of your feet
breathe out
while engaging your core
make sure
your thighs are parallel
then perpendicular to the floor
place  palms facedown
before you
make sure to keep your eyes
on the ground

Possum

they tried to console me

about your death

told me that you stole food

that you weren't supposed to be

but that doesn't change the fact
I left you in the cold night
trailing halfhearted prayers

that I rode you down

that you died alone
upon the black earth

without even the headlights
to guide you home.