Teach Me How

The clock is blank
there is no time
just gravity pulling
hands down toward Earth
remembering the burdens
they are so smooth
heat up in the sun
rain sizzling
drops bounce
metallic

All signs flat symbols
going nowhere now
or so it seems the station empty
thoughts lost to passing

marks these black beats over white
Warm Pond at its best half moon slice
clear underneath our legs visible
kicking through it how lucky

Old Man Mountain

They carried up
someone's heavy
burden
to the base
left
in a flat
meadow

Colorado mystery
climbing up
shallow pools
old rain

fresh

years later

About the grinding--
see the elk
their ancient paths
now quite
developed

From Now On

Their world is blue
from now on
she will live
in that world
with the others
straining to hear
what's happening today
every day right there
with them

The others and their things
will never matter so much
as this as them they sat
on the couch somewhat
depressed but were together
can you imagine and then

It was a good trip but she misses
them the ones still there
her dream was she ate she was sick
never the same always the same
except how could they leave
over and over and over

Lost And Found

So art is for when
the world breaks deadly
even more mirrors glass
looking for the lost and found
beat in everything listening
to bones how they washed up
on a dim beach picked clean
sinking in ankle deep stumbling

Rules To Die By

Imagery mixed with allusions
to weather to unforgotten misdeeds
onomatopoetic steps across frozen lands
lakes and caves to treasure of lucky finds
quick as a furry animal stepping into its own
foreshadow to avoid personifying a tree
that would be me repetition hyper repetition
slipping slick climbing static air flat clouds
used to address the antagonist in a positive
flashback to climax strict lake resolutions
 

Across The Miles

Stones shrink time sun stopping
thought the poet spoke about fingernails
care digging in this was love at that place
all over the place traveling all over some
sort of ambassador people stop listen look
throw caution dust burning eyes faces up
precious shade of olives their branches

Give me a few days to pick the fruit
drying time without doubt gather jars
shout into them lift without growling

Moving Sound

Tears in the middle
for beautiful Mr. Franz Kafka
his funny self his hat his laughing
corner the shame being held to the task
the class sister cat her velvety fur
besides the point now.  The remaining
unfolding and folding these moving sounds
the whole planet everything around all
moving all in another sort of time frame.

Sad Surf

Listening to it in order to decide
is it growing louder or softer (tides)
ears naturally disagreeing (with everything)
held up as shells to my brain
roses with their folds and mazes
all lists are sad endings
teasing our edges down cheeks
pillows mixing night into day

About Time

Running into Keith at the Natch in town was just what the doctor ordered.  At first he was unrecognizable with his sunglasses.  This was because of the mirror effect of his shades.  When he took them off I realized I had been looking at myself.  We were by the grapefruit and I had already put two into my basket along with French green lentils and some buckwheat groats.

Hey, he said and I then thought it was the perfect timing to tell him that we were sober with a capital we and that was why Oscar was not working for him any longer. I didn't say I had basically forced him to quit between the hurricane in August and the approach of the lava ever since.  And here it was just a few days after Valentine's.  Yeah, he said, I could tell because he didn't just have one when we...after work.

Keith seemed a little drunk, holding a six pack and filthy from working.  It was President's Day around six pm and of course he would be on his way home.  You're not saying you have a problem, too, he said.  Well yes, it is me too that we are keeping sober.  I thought he had his upper body step back a little fake but who was I to judge.  Keith had a long drive home ahead of him through a nightmare of stop and go traffic and electric company rigs out repairing downed lines from the recent storm.

I was a drunk as a kid.  I began in sixth grade, I said.  A drunk girl.  It took me until I was in my early thirties to get sober...and I said a few more things.

I could tell he had promptly left the conversation but was smiling painfully at me.  I noticed my horrible breath from when I ate that cheese Danish at Starbucks.  Well, bye, I said.  Tell Oscar hi from me, Keith said.  Oh, and tell him that I found out more on my family background, that I'm from Sardinia and France, not German.  He'll get a kick out of that.  I will, I said, and watched him walk towards the counter.  Beyond, the big glass doors were framing dense, green covered slopes, vog blanketing it all.

Full Fresh

A muscle that needs using

exercised daily a work out

speeding up increasing

flow from blue to red to

what's left what's gone what

didn't take a leaving no frantic

goodbyes hanging in the air 

perfume sometimes caught 

voices straining to listen ears
clean rhythm means olive oil health

what did the poet speak of

this one full fresh flowering whoosh
his daily whispering his starry trail

Doing Right

The mountain is still there
molten lava still burning brush
grasses trees Civil Defense said
everyone is now taking a break
resuming a sense of normalcy
meetings are put on hold for now
updates will continue monitoring
will continue until further notice
with what all the community
has been through rest awhile
it is so quiet listening for it
nothing is the same again

Grief

We look nothing to see
candles bundled up winter
they're not here/are here
Night our hearts blue
to red no stopping
life even when we're
all together tears warm
Better feeling doesn't last
other tomorrows already
busy at pushing back

Hello From Rose Mountain

Where we gathered for the ski bus home

Reno so far down below in the other world

working moms latchkey kids pots of stew

walk past the mall stores too expensive

at the park with swans just like in Germany

near the airport the apartment the pool our

best friend waiting always for change it was

temporary how it all  became clear the air

desert whipped up wind then glad to be inside

where it was sterile with TV and our beanbags

so quiet we might have been dead but weren't

that was beside the point we came around to

Swag

Their prints could be seen
across the way frozen
sanctuary they were
themselves one or two
swim until the morning when
waters have cleared
know what I mean
full moon underneath
I mean probably
mass hibernation
what it was like
out there so wild
healing news such
mystery waking

Breakfast Poem

Rattling rush people rising

up the wait sounding 

instead there is a purr

velvet smothering snow

way it has gone by dirty

a sign of occupation so 

what chance held slipping

favorite meal of the day

immune therapy for the 

alternatively minded!

Beyond Oxy

Wake up get up get out of bed
stop wasting time wake up
get up get the weekend rolling
Daddy you have been sleeping
winter snow yes blanket not nice
if I grab your arm I'll be a wolf
across the frozen spring dying
and cheating is this the future?
Mr. Sugarmountain Mr. Door
imagine the real down to earth
remember the last war what
happened in the clearing do
you or are you neutrally crazy?

The Chill

Poetry's bones
now located

seeds burst
dropping
from stars
just as
he said
they would

not far
from the shore
crashing along
as usual

we are
to lie
about it
to play
the game

who you are
but not
entirely

does it matter
now
whichever
way planted
painted

Save An Extra

Probably there all the while
something large jumping
only her hairdresser's mind
tracing the day's path tracks

poetry's better view seconds
splitting small fires between
lighting up the dark starry sky
making it hold and more than
what is there.  Strong and sad
together meaning happiness
survival beat continuing notice
even though she was quite alone
in her thoughts Illuminati and all

Probably You

Silence at the end of my hellos
twice said most of my sentences
jokes points arguments smiles
beginning of love not beginning
at all so all I imagine quite plainly
spoken timing is everything gadget

The Forgetting: Warrior Children

We walk and marry under the paper trees
gardens cut just so atmosphere thin
living do not ask it was painted
how much the expression costs

A dumb question light has washed
everything surrounding nothing rubble
not even tatters dust every particle
something else before this was family

Who decided what gets blown up giving which
deadly instructions time shortening running
from the center to another center carried so away
growing up pushed aside in a long ago war

She said he played the game when he was young
mystery solved in the ongoing battle restless
for the next bout of pain the smile or do they
all in the row it is their picture lasting