Take A Seat

Over there it sits
without a ticket
the past so-called
in the mind of words
the knock of it jealous
the kiss of it gone she is
yourself but isn't this pain
broken open by beauty
of that cloud.  You can say
you were there too
always and beautiful night
stars twinkling Big Bear
little bear integrity.  Green
water more than you thought.

Suit Up

And show up
as they say round the circles
somewhere off that avenue
the view of the ferry? something?
the call to earn the pride in little
of it  not lasting  past the Space Needle
I wandered around there once
when I met Hank and saw
where he worked in an office
with an espresso machine
in full view of the enormous grey
we walked to a cafe where I was hated
he had moved on after all my hair like Cher's
he said but blond my clothes not grungy enough
but too tight there in the wet Northwest
in between digging down in the old ash
my inner compass pointed past Missoula
to Tina's closet of Hawaiian shirts
I was forever uncouth my animals forever
Boulder forever Eugene forever Umpqua
a dry dream a volcanic investigation
on file a report for the boss who never quit
even with tons of down time and no commute.

So Activity

A familiar name
across the radio
said by a familiar voice
quite national
while gazing
thinking
oil change reminder--
hanging there
above the road
it all clicks into place
or nearly appears so
with darkening skies
the warm pond crowded
where a man named Will
introduced himself and said
he didn't get my name. I said
that was OK I was swimming
looking at the trees above
to find my way along the edge
to not get lost
in the back and forth.

Alchemical State Of Things

In their alchemical state
no separation of church and state
the sheets expose something quite

magical the naming of the state
before and after
much like
another whip up
the daring an energy.  It blazes
there like the teacher
what took place
exactly not quiet at all
not resting with the rest
but quite demanding of it.

Something New

It is not too difficult to love 
beyond the mish mash

but I did
I do look
to find
a place

beneath the frame
of a bleak landscape
crossed by green elephants
where we walk
hard-boiled.

Never has the last frontier
been so extreme
my mind your mind
oh the jeopardy
pacing balancing
in the drizzle of safe. 

Grudge Against The Standards

I began to have a pretty heavy grudge against the standards.  They controlled my life pretty immensely. I had to show them who was boss, much like the guy in Dog Whisperer.  The only thing was this--somehow, whispering for them to go away wasn't enough and ignoring them didn't help, either.  I wished for another chance to have them be at my mercy instead of me being dragged around more of their unrelenting interpretations.

One standard circled round and around.  It had been special ordered from the Southern Hemisphere, thus, the impulse to go counter-clockwise, or was it clockwise?  Another, well, some had found out that it had been shipped from so far away.  A cute bow clipped onto its mane did not help the situation.

One kept biting viciously.  I guess it is good when they don't get ahead of you so then they know who is in charge.

The New Journalism

Of course your shadow appears there.
It always has anyway.
Of course it has come to this.
You enter the world of nonsense
beyond the access.  There are
two worlds.  One is on Waimanalo Beach
one is everywhere else.
There is a certain confidence
about that.  Joan Didion or no
Joan Didion.

There is no instant place for you
an instance for instance when
it seems to match up.  Stabbing
away at things will bring
some blood and then death.
Bandaging the wounds indicate
a sign and not quite a symbol.