Empty

It doesn't weigh much empty
that's what the image tells
full to the brim still it is light
dusty underneath watered down
made into mud huge windows
looking out for the others
that were inside they remembered
less than expected maybe we
can go find them go listening
get a different verdict than what
they said in the old country before

From The Hip

They planted everything they could imagine
especially corn in rows according to the date

She was that magic it was seven eleven
and the calamari buried inside
little mounds were what
the cats loved best above all else

The rows were crooked but things grew
this story came out of nowhere
it was somewhere in the past now

Please plant these he said and meant it
they help assemble five thousand
all hope on the surface before it was
pushed down again nicely watered

Gardenia

Soft flowery petals strong
enough for a woman but made
for ants for the fire ants their
stinging stories their divine
chambers all in all their glorious
inabilities made strange made certain
my meditation does not become my own
curl of April's last humor yellowed
with too much handling by the pm

Mythical Core Shift

I'll wait for the sale on mindfulness
twenty dollars to put it on the pacing
guides the code shift you're here for
the day tell me why I go to places
where I'm disrespected though the
cultural lens stereotyping in order
to survive ruminate future no such
thing who to work cover the west
poor choices are not evil beings
nearly the death of us that what
we have done greater than
the acronym might indicate
beating stabbing cooled pancakes
popcorn these are the actual skills

Who's Your Sub?

Give me their number
You can go home sick
if you agreed to that job
the job is for you right
off the bat they have coffee
there in Arizona a couple
weeks ago layover somewhere

Skeleton Teacher

Skeleton school climb up the bones
fill in ribs windy
thoughts absent ask the vendors
bosses gods demands compete
forever unfulfilled 'til death
profession disappeared
all bones they walk backwards
old mind young heart

A Few Busted Booms

When they got there it wasn't
all that cracked up to be
against mountains who could win
so they returned in a complete silence
ancient trees down all clear could maybe
understand where all this was heading
jobs in town what you could get
orderly streets mostly straight
front porches for the summer
smooth surfaces easy up
off the ground a few feet

Begin At The End Of The Trail

Say you were there you were
say it over and over again
becomes true smoke true mirrors.

Not here to recall overflow
picture unsuspecting with flowers
portage of long ago ruined turn back

and forth go past rusting slump
massive won't be embarrassed
focus more on breathing.

One Advantage To Losing

"certain laws of blue sunlight..."
--Neruda


It's not the green flash
but the blue light of walking
I tried to enter it tried to beg
I made the soup palm the oranges

At the door I arrive late
before anyone else
know the disappearing world
just at the edge how it works

Easter Noise

There was a lot to figure out
before the next disguise could be chosen
after all it was not a huge surprise HQ
took this aspect to heart 

Every murder needs a body after all
obvious to the mere passerby

Here a dilemma a challenge
happy to take on
the noise of Easter 
kicked to the curb
only one way up

Fortune

One mentioned a rumbling sound
without laughing so it must have
been true let's be more positive
they said in the meeting
half dozen these don't last
forever that's for sure where
will this go one more month
outta here they gave the prisoner
choices at the very end he kept
stalling was suddenly childish
is this the way it happens 
say that was you this is you
what did you like to do then
not counting dreaming but look
at your parallel life line
and the small scars scratches

Melts

Strange blocky beings moving ever
so slowly searching for others
hiding in plain sight suffocating
sugary sugar it bubbles up
to the surface holes simple breath
will last fifteen minutes the further
they travel the harder it will be
they snatch a breath then travel on
forms an impenetrable barrier
for now they've reached a dead end
and must wait retreat to open water
the journey to the feeding grounds
shorten by the day they gather to hunt
in the murky depths for two minutes
go on around the clock driven by winds
currents fragmenting over a mile away
a shift in power is beginning to arrive

Ruins Dear

Fire seemed past sun or moon
nightmares
all that redness in the moon or sun
now they could play again law into
their own hands after the evacuations
knocking
at the door get out we had to
the headlines were part fact and part
fiction
unable to go any further word
got around carrying what they could
the stream seemed dead great silence
arrived in what was left
slightest
comprehension all that was left
foundation a little sewing machine

Jealous Dark

That's when all thought of Poetry
gold alchemy search all dumped together
beautiful middens igloo rugs everything
thought were mine secretly my own
turned tiny dead small in the shadow
thoughts lit rounded and strange
so still could not breathe or else
it would smear a wiggly streak
across a little loop above last night's
coppery less bossy than the icy white
even clouds probiotic in their
drifting that wasn't my gold my igloo
after all in the shadow there was more
can't forgive the tomb however
and the friendliness of the skeleton
others how easily changing back

Bees In My Throat

Looked under pillows behind the curtain
under my nails through the window past
my tooth beyond my dreams it wasn't there
not really it wasn't mine why did I call it that
why should it be the possessive case when
my suitcase is not packed yet I don't even
own one but lumpy packs shopping bags
no firm destination in those just outlines

Best When Used By

                                                  
I was trained by Larry
about the plastic wrap (trade secret)

then again by his brother Gerry
our other boss the busy one

Gerry's wife showed me later
some more about the plastic wrap

when in doubt throw it out
Larry always calling in his lunch order

voice disguised a secret shopper
from the office in the back

bologna on white with regular
mayo no lettuce almost apologetic
                                                              
our employee wall our pictures 
shirt with blue grey my hair good

the picnic where nobody
had an appetite out at the reservoir

honeyed ham enough cheese already
film stars after all not employees

barely aware you could get suspended
or stay on and attend endless meetings

wishing to get canned like now
like then only there is more now

Pling Plang Plung

Thought I could laugh it off
hide in a memory or on an island
wait isn't this isn't that

last curl in a slack spiral
same as just a moment ago
hairdo my pillow just invented

It's All G

People pay you to worship
six dollars and sixty-six cents
stuff you can buy at McDonald's
that proves it Illuminati 
you have to be rich to be one
stalking friends on Facebook
that's why I can dunk it
look up to them keep playing
Please don't get Mr. E next time
even though he brings you avocados
they are not from his tree

Q

But your lesson what you
want them to know is that
accurate?  Rubric looking
at rubric yes clarify?
Understand the process?
Yes.  Q's?  No. What does
L3 mean?  Type in Q's
also put the assessment
more specific you did
say sentence patterns [I did not
answer] (I did not have this
in my plan)  How will you know
standard learning happened
in the lesson how will
the written the summary
meet your expectations

Beside

Bring out the onion
ask you to peel it
your hands weep
they do what they've
always done robots
your arms summarize
eyes do the job for you
put you in the situation
beside yourself all along
plan to meet up again
don't blow this off
you are excellent you are
running water the knife
butter potatoes the soup.

You Say Tomato

I thought I read happiness
in fancy script
pure range mystifying
I would pay the price
without too much hoo ha
never questioning
in fact I learned

America isn't tame yet
that summer they fixed the porch
used the level a lot on the steps
pounding wild with the hammer
next to the lake see where
they go gauzy woolly

Oasis Al Dente

Come back to 29 Palms

go to the farmer's market
listen to NPR

belly full of muesli 
floss cardamom

my tooth my war 
where
dead fronds manage
expensive stars
gulp down organic sand

April Fool

You're at the wheel
the answer isn't there
put that away and study
the scenario
Your mind is a genius
your mind is an animal
finds it difficult to pause
a situation in which you find
A concert with friends next to you
offers you alcohol it feels like
everyone is looking at you home
waiting to hear your phone buzzes
You captured it all the easiest way
Three things you could practice
to help pause two positive things
Flower in ear alone doesn't count
You need to use a complete sentence

Born To Speak Of This

When our husky took off running
teeth open mouth tundra
Whiskey in the shot glass  
dumped into his beer glass
Slightly suicidal but oh with such
flourish thirsty anchor again

The murderers act surprised
by new blood over old streets
New streets are made old
faces old moons bone white
The  masque drapes data
drowns out weeping simmer down

Words are circus artists travelling
acrobatics forgotten until I until my
Love glows from a body from behind clouds
clouds we can't see experience this
What you left is not leaving any time soon
once a tiny baby grew up a wide grin

This Tree And That Tree

Leaves falling addicted to floating
eels small flying fish over near the rock pile
either direction a problem just swimming
between both ends lucky when I laugh
thinking of the two young tourists
all night their stuff gone everything naked
they thought I should finish my swim before
driving them for a few seconds I did then
did not against their wishes mine
dominated get them dry warm husband's
coffee this was before my keys were stolen
twice last year will end soon this year's ideas