Pillow First

The stains cried out to the fire ants.
Sprinkled, as they were
tears large, loopy
Dropping drops after lightning
over the water did nothing
through the bug screen
her scream dripped down
around her after the hand
scared him it was hers
there in the shadow reaching
She had just come home
from the skeleton school.  It was
not far from the encroaching lava
after the storm trees down
knuckles knees elbows ankles

Furry Shadows Fuzzy Trees

Nightscape sounding dim at dusk
swim warm not cooling down
I sent out a theme knowing
what to do where to go
stress sticking around for dessert
a shower laundry piled up I hated
washing it removing all stains

Lava Lake

Level a little less
pages touching pages they are more
or less kitchens we noticed the plight that was awkward
it came to be it was another
time of resistance a doctor the blanket
red stripes black hats conversations
beginning ending forgiven feline

Same Name South

Slippery shapes opposite.
Their footholds precarious.
It doesn't look inviting.
Gaining more loss passing.
Give what do what think what
pleasing strange life dashing
to darkness where it went
during the day standing nighttime
purring claws desert's fangs

Yesterday's Mind

That the bleak did not stay so
charcoal smudged away to blur
blues water cosmos colors petals
shown again beyond fears of empty
worry from a mind so generous there
are no words that equal this explored
territory this map reading so pleasurable

As Competition

Dragging my feet timing is important
ha what what did you want? You're OK
Take the bug what could happen to kit and
caboodle Kalapana another idiot that lives there
so that's what they get I don't have much sympathy
for him weird opinion doing her stuff telling
like it is listening respectful torn up outer reef
we'll see in a way to the ocean a purpose there

Lifestyle Interruptus

Earth's honey burning the way ocean

pointing out the dump the meat-grinder

substandard infrastructure in a world
to regain her health swarming is allowed
as much as possible most docile at that time
miracle force of nature moving handling

flowers rain seeping cooling singing 

silica lovely such a good queen dripping

Burning Dirty Cloud

It's got data written all over it
have them gather (data)
until the lava slips (data) over (invented)
boxes your things no we mean stay here!
waiting gathering dizzy tight through trees
danger slides sideways puffing
widening headache thick tongue

Out of the Way

Safety last at the school tight chest
hands on throat tickling army planes
keep collecting data answer to the data
meeting asking do you understand
your data?  any questions about how
students are learning all the check marks
saying no teaching occurring no learning
working free rice dot com not enough
invisible volcanic breathing creeping
slipping past the forest down to the town

Way To White Mountain

Our neighbors went back to fish camp
boat all packed up gravel bar
checking my mosquito bites
they were gone
around the fast bend
Nome not the only soggy edge
mushy world beyond the driftwood
beyond the beach served up as leftovers
after the feast a few days later

Danger Question

Danger travels down the mountain
crossing highway methane
they don't have questions
only answers clear morning cloud
There they sit all at one table smiling
at the slaves running around clowns
hearts on their sleeves savings spent

Make Art Not War

Orange hill purple burst with yellow
the blossom shows inside ingredients
stark feline rounded creeping mind map
connecting fang sweeping insane away

Protecting the Den

One of the instances a Siberian
will turn man killer
they tested the flares
night is the time far superior
The signal once faint
getting louder the team must be
quickly in and out of the den
not just for fun serious work

Yeah yeah we got the spot rejection
A healthy male
Never learned to purr Sasha
christened for the first time ever
scientists returned to the wild coastal
even to live with the idea village afraid
as a species an enclosure in an adjacent woods
hopefully even mate well informed especially now
local schoolchildren to the compound why keep tigers
so different from life in the wild limitations
simply following tracks through the snow

The Five Double Yous

Where she had it stored
another place she remembered
wasn't there something someone
inside all that weaving
cool dry making sense

That Was It

That was it for me but not for him
that was finally clear as mud constant
The loan needed paying it was easy
where it went was mind boggling
reaching out I did not believe it
The task was inside another one
sealed nesting dolls each
a question mark no answers

Land Line

Down around the town
in the rain up from the mud
cane spiders the shack
still leaks despite the patch
I bit the cupcake instantly
regretted my choice my control

Detecting

It was difficult to detect what was happening
exactly it was out of place to speak so
anyway questions came up and I glanced
at the clock that one question didn't worry me
until she bought it up was that what I had been
thinking deep down I don't think so it was always
something else occupying me or was it was this
the parasite I wanted to identify could I stop
becoming that sort of teacher you know which
the disguise no longer that at all but true identity

On Site

Creeping they'll visit the most the best
in case the data was false never mind
clean it up later repair the missing structure
all better the next days ahead productive
wiped clean fresh start to everything
recycled from last year's pretending

Starving

It is only individuals
who starve
for the future
three years
working my way up
dishwasher host server
ten dollar tip
from the folks
at the side table
they ate almost
bursting
Jim Morrison
Beatles
relaxing music
lava flow one point
two miles away
we smelled the burning
it was in our backyards
Pele's tears made it all the way
in the house
hair on the ground
outside

Past Due

If it could only be thrown out
with the bath water staunched
then disappear from the earth's skin
travelling down-slope to the ocean
Our only company has been our fear
hissing sentences shouted glottal stops
sweating no wind neighboring barbecue
words for what is left invented
skeleton moving today take it to heart