Side Effect of drowsiness

I’m not afraid of where the tree is tornand all the scorpions and apricotsappeasing death around the base of it.I burn it down repeatedlyand it grows back palerevery time with bark that looks like fleshthe more I’ve killed it.I walk in a ditch next to the roadto get to the drug store,and fill plastic bagswith […]

Outlaw Irises

I know she’s at the concert nowbut I can’t make it out of town to be there,and she likely wouldn’t see mein the first place.I wish I could take this part out of me,like a single gear lifted from a pocket watch,but all these machinations aren’t so simplespreading slowly over everything I feel.Being around her […]

Nimbus

When the shock wave knocks the windowsfrom their frames and sends itsripples through the oceanwill our lightning storm descendand cover everything?During the darkness downtownall our stationary trainscollect the ghosts of former passengersstill sticky from the ectoplasm, laughing.Will there be anyone walking down thosetunnels in the undergrowth?Protected by the tightest fit,a woman’s legs in stockings pacethe […]

In The Event You Wind Up Missing Me

Break the glass any glassand grab hold of the velvet curtaindrooping from its place up in the rafters.Stare off into the orange skywhere the billboards just get palerin the glow of it.Forge paperworkand make it look like all escapingprisoners, in their khaki shirts and blue jeans,hopped the fences silently.Forget the lessons that don’t apply anymore,so […]

Since It’s Burning

My stomach is a handle of whiskeystaying just as cold while foxesdrag their teeth along the window glass.Out here in the green burstswhere the earth rocks gentlyon the fingers of the skyI cannot find the lanternsfloating in the local creekwhere frogs all flicktheir tongues aroundand whistle. Target practice in the clearingpast the mismatched truckswith broken […]

Loudmouth

I’m smoking by myself practicing the words that I’m not good at anymore.Oh wait, she’s here too, just like she always is.I am missing herwhile she is right in front of me.I think I’ll remember this as a mediocre view with all the branches in the way, and every fucking bird for miles pulling feathers […]

Longevity

I’m sure someone’s grandfather carriedtheir favorite book under their armin World War II,and there was paper there with inkthat never faded in the booming dustof gunfire. I don’t know anything about that.A part of me remembers thoughthe same part that stands up for the anthemat baseball games. The cold beer leavingdark rings on my jeans. […]