Poetry

Insatiable

Little brother drinks his neon sadness liquid—no one has a healthy relationship with Mountain Dew. Large, no ice. That means more pop for his buck. Who knows   if he enjoys the stuff anymore. I think it’s less about savoring those extra sips and more about putting off the empty cup, that undrinkable last bit…

Bible All Out of Order

One thing’s for sure; in the future, the morgues are going to be full of tattoos. It’s going to be more colorful, and easier to manage: “Hey Jeff, move Dolphin-Shoulder-Girl to Tray Seven.” “And get Mr. Flames-On-My-Neck out for the doc.”   In Italy the tabloids are talking about the “Ambulenza di Morte,” The Ambulance…

Recast, Again

You are your father’s broad back                          re-writ in small script. Your feet, like his, grasp the soil, confident       the planet will never spin too fast                      to throw you off.     I never was so sure. I spent most of my childhood watching                 the clouds                 move while I stayed still.  …

Metamorphosis

Before she died, my mother practiced turning herself into stone. Now she sits—a rock on my father’s grave, six feet above his reach. Each spring he punches a hole in his roof, sending up a riot of yellow flowers to tempt her into softening. The tendrils of his need claw the air, grope to touch…

Rhode Island Wedding

I don’t wear long dresses because bad things always happen when I do. For Kai’s wedding, he hit his head skinny dipping afterwards on the cement by the pool, ended up in the ER while his bride slept, her father an inappropriate Gemini questioning me all night long, sober like the righteous lion. I wore…

Threat Level

Everything threatens—                     benches meant for children occupied by old men   who clutter the playground                     and interrupt the slides where a schizophrenic takes   interstellar dictation.                     I’m looking for a way out— not a way down   and play the game                     of sidewalk juxtapositions: cons versus dot coms   crazies versus kids                     in superhero shirts….

Polar Bear Express

The boy won’t fall asleep                     without books, pictures             before bed of polar bear             who never leave a scent of blood against the ice,             watered down tales of jolly             rotten pirates setting sail.             The cannons shoot coconuts.          …