A Grub's Life

An ant at the bowling alley only
name in lights winning points
soon forgotten at the snack counter
ankles frozen in foam past pretend
after a few seconds OK happy
at the dunes before the damp.

Survivor: Brains Beauty Tribe

Strong drum beats sorrow
from caves animals back
west wind temple
earth mover shape
shift collector them they
calling all calling.

Those Birds

Just before moon
flying too fast get home
settle against leaves 
minutes counting feathers
smoothing the day gone
night loves shadows
water ripples the chase

I Am Animal Wonder

Force could tell of forces
a tongue of another tongue
language on the edge of death
a language spinning blue
words don't die just won't lips
songs of grandparents parents
dead or missing found here
another chance was it ever
my tomorrow rattling

Broken Cafe

They sat there in the dark
a decade after the facts
listening lost
remembering before
was it singing or was it
musical weeping
nobody could mention
breaking what was already
gone made it back
before venturing out
to the bright noxious.

Speak, Archipelago

Backwater backwash byway backstroke
sweating way below ten ten vital data

Hope a promise a future where drones
summarize it all for the books remember

Someone at sometime somewhere supposed to have
sampled sized-up for the chart to see if it correlated

Matched what sort you were supposed to be in
which category with a check mark placed neatly

Beside the day what's it worth what's the payoff
moon writing symbols into the water if you stare

Long enough a good angle it could be studied
night did it capture a focus group question mark

No Chai Left Behind

Someday they'll toast
buckets of brew
a spicy elixir
this poem or that
meant a library
expiration dates renewed
stains tears damage noted
fines charged
all that elegant vanilla
under the bridge
dog paddling
to catch up to ginger
cardamom cloves
black pepper
cinnamon.

Change Enough

For the machines
beyond the doors
they found a pocket
inside a grand experiment

unraveling domestic
buttons simple
to operate
activating love
sixties a continuation
she said
no longer so lonely
hungry machines
together they 
matched
until one
got stuck on soak
spin cycle
flooding
that one time
too much

Crumbling Shrill

Birdsong steady
each call
corrected

Who could know
see small song
hope climbing

Escape my attempt
to join up spaces

fly from

Rabbit duck swirl
reindeer migrate
towards these

Sleight Out Of Hand

Caught up in tree in nest in branches
before nest before tree could be
tree branch tree as branch west wind
through tree blowing singing blossoms
overwhelming adhesion to think tree 
wind into absence the requirement
common I did not realize contradictions
worry tangling with spectator failure
notions of location or notions of love.

Are Always Rich On My Mind

Happiest loving
did not realize hunger
American easy-going
could not tell did not care

where pretense began
contrast no real obligation
facing jive data misreports
numbers jumbled tabled.

Lovers study another view
facts in Vienna of struggle
humbug paths led to true life
to accordance to taradiddle.

The Sharks The Jets

Sleeper
woke up 
disturbed 
chased

but those
were sounds
of the dog
I heard

funny Valentine

American State

Mostly relief
hearing
familiar language
then to run
in the opposite
direction in a way
after the trip to Vienna
standing was nearly free.

Up the Downhill

An elevator of trees
took me away
from the river
its problems
far from the station.

It was good to walk
from Waldhaeuser Ost
it meant progress a plan
measured metrically.

Once I asked someone
could I have the fallen plums
in your yard to make a cake
they also say garden instead.

Exactly Oblique

Conference on the cliff
lecture on Marquez
angle
of meaning
somewhat technical

a fancy version of my name
I was hopeful to find out

now there's this now there's you

Waldhaeuser Ost

In another time
grapes will come
already peeled

life has good plots
not like life at all

the way
to Bebenhausen
shorter
through forest

past large mounds
their sign posts
explaining
nothing

leaves
peacock colored
even outside
of fall

someone
walks ahead
not even ready
to turn around

Moon Ink

The water was clear
there would be clarity
moon showing through
opal landscape of edges
moon matching only.

Scope of Duties

Even if it's not your brand
when they start asking
if you reviewed this

say yes

Grey Smear

They marry at Prom
first black then white
so last year 
frozen  
sheets
stretched thin
crinkly crispy
minions
of the Data King
subjects of the
Data Queen

Super Dupe

Let's just say
when they start
your investigation
report review meeting
asking if you've read
Profile Of An Effective Teacher

and wait
for your answer
while you float
in rhetorical space
lengthening into days
no matter
you'll lose

Unless it is the bones
of your ancestors
Offer up
nod affirmative

Ed von Sydow

Little patch of green
across the church
where nobody built
yet I thought
of something.

It was not clear
because mirrors
their splinters
candles puppets
their struggles.

Plexiglas now protects
the Black Madonna.

Returning there
was overwhelming
home is where
it's  hard to sleep.