If You Can Get It

What will it be when I have caught up
to them and there are no more student loan
payments the anger in their voices at my loan
it lingers lingers like in that lingering song
my hand in the clear one day one day turning
brass handles of my future without debt newborn
American solid instead of a mass of whirling cells
that don't settle down smooth as glass I mean
borrowed gleaming future of America's got talent
in the good taste of the judges their sorrow absent.

Not Exactly

Just being in the future didn't solve
my loneliness at windows looking in
at night past the happy homes their stars
moon above belonging to me only that
suddenly the antiques look new and the
new has some antiquing expertly applied
sold in sidewalk bins quite a deal I almost
got a worn fleur de lis in Whitefish
it had crystals and a stake it was for a plant
it was the size of a hand now I think my hand
cannot stop thinking of the real glitter of it
but who would I give it to who would want it
like I want it they had blue ones and some
with yellow and green is there anything else.
 

Stumptown Madness

Whitefish Lake pillow waves
wash over the esker I tried
harder to understand why
gulls easy going all in all
what else would I expect the point
for me waiting I mean traveling.

Summer Wrap-Up

My life an attempt to jump into symmetry
or out of it needless counting I catch myself
at it until new dandelions come back weedy
summer we nearly broke our backs this summer
hunting them from across their morning geometric
bursts of life in the middle of the lawn that is
pasture if you look at it exactly in that way.

Polson Jitters

Town glittered from a safe distance its
pirates sans boat sans shirt sans everything
at the pier of the lake world glacial
town where you could get a city suit made
western fashion at the Mode-O-Day windows
yellow plastic against the curious sun new turquoise
bras jeans blouses fit tiny anonymous waists
small medium-rare steaks and cokes on ice
I worshipped my blue idols sky and lake
they had no faces only intricacies shifting filigrees.

Polson Stickup

We were held up in Polson a spell
speed boats disappeared across Flathead
under the bridge water light maximum
a separate day hibernated blue glacial
yellow until winter until rumors
cherry season other lake ancient
flooded tutti-frutti multi rainbow rinse repeat
paradise located by sitting inside the dream
alongside the exquisite gravel its gulls its docks.

Low And Fast Along The Clark Fork

Montana ponderosa ghosts hang gothic
the coal train is in ravens match bins
short sound in summer clack clack rick rick
water so clear root so bitter Mount Jumbo
more trees still its L in white across
there's the M glass carafes at the U my hands
were students then up the Rattlesnake wild.