Getting Told

Tell me my mind is not a sugar mountain.

Tell me I'm almost home.  The sounds are late
on Sugar Mountain

cheeping chirping gulping

round barns and all--

Steens rises high near Sugar Mountain
all that stark fooling around.  Let me
sew my faults
together.  Let me
salt my alkaline.
Let the patches flatten

on Sugar Mountain

let them answer
water's question.

Was Forever

Forever was yesterday.  At the shelter.
Cups of coffee all sugar, yesterday.
No spice forever.  As a trained volunteer
you should know yesterday is
our protocol forever.  Don't
you know.  The proto
call?

Don't you know
the way
to Sugar Mountain
all runny
with melting snow.  Don't
stop on your way
to yesterday's
Sugar Mountain.

Don't step in the snow forever
on Sugar Mountain.

Sugar Mountain

It's a long way to Sugar Mountain
a long way to Candy Cane Lane
the ideal time to visit would be never
my only love took me there.

Way past the willows weeping
red drips like lava flows
I carved my name into the aspens
which way tell me which way
the sign is saying? my eyes are closed.

They Crave

milk.  They crave honey.
All they get is sugar.
Upside down.  Shoes abusing
crystals on the floor
mental toughness
is this sliding scene.
Shuffling anger
the size of a forgotten

war.  My mind gets taken away.
Alarm set to nowhere
no time.  Might I trouble you
for a moment, just a moment.

Silken Monday

My heart knows the difference.
Is there an and/or in my future?

This is a smooth Monday.
Boots muddy, laced tight.

My shadows are absent.
Is it fog or wood smoke

beneath the cabbage
against the crust of ice

my fingers search
for an open spot

where they died
stories disappearing.

I study the octopus ice
and also the eyes of this creature

here a tentacle there a piece.
Winter branches not touching.

Volunteer At The Shelter

Meltdown dimension of home lore

Beginning to rent horse knees--

Snoring into night just a minute my arms

Not relaxing before the kill plan

I'm walking down 13th mistaking 

My identity leaning backwards

Funken

Goodbye my year
year by year
my year good ear
your ear my ear
read good mood
dear bear mad deer.