Staring Into the Sea

This is the only poem I’ll write for the sea
The matriarch’s gown that swallows me
Terror and peace in a getaway,
Float forever and sink away

Cold and brine
Black and white twilight shine
But at another place and time,
Hot swim in topaz and tropic clime

What she hides under there
Intimacy, biology, intimations of mortality
Explore all the secrets of the sea
Unlock every county desk with a single key
Uncover top drawers and mattress beds
Exploit the gifts of magnificency

Traps and lures and toxicity
Humanity begets vulgarity
Lower the nightgown to display
A bloody breast from a hurled glass ashtray
Lost treasures and recovery
Rehabilitation, shattered glass
Looking back, eyes with dark circles under
Can you see what we can see when we stare into the sea

Invitation

Special engagement:
This Friday, 8 p.m.
Reading by acclaimed poet, W.W. Walestooth.
Dinner and wine to be served.

You said, “You should join me. It will be fun.”
You invited me again. And again.
Fridays are my nights to be lonely
So I wouldn’t go.

But I’ll wonder what the chef has served
Walestooth’s favorite salty meat
Which selections did he read
Shaky voices make cold words colder
Would I have shuddered in my seat
Are you really missing me
Am I really missing these

You said, “You should have joined me. It was fun.”
Oh? I asked you what I missed
You said, “Dinner and wine and a reading by W.W. Walestooth.”
Ah, but yes, that’s what I’d expect, as the invitation said
So unless you’re keeping secrets
or care not to share the exquisiteness
Seems there wasn’t much I missed

When You Left Her

Shut an apartment door.
A rusty nail in the crosswalk
Crossed a scornful tongue’s talk.
Clawless and hammered
Sealed the final touch.
Lowered or lifted either way away
Old clothes are easy to replace
Shut an apartment door.
You don’t love her anymore.

2007 on

Is this year through with me
A tiny capsule holds the time
The capsule held in tiny palm
Hard to live
Hard to see
When you’re addicted to pills like these

I just want to fade away
all these days they go by slow
the weeks are fast
but not enough
Can’t this year just let me go

hey dude

dear you used me or innovative,
i think you’re kind of nice and i think you might have tried
so really i ain’t mad but it doesn’t change the truth
that you were smarter and used me as a tool
A normal girl and simple machine
but not a clever lever or a wheel or pulley
i guess an inclined plane, because you stepped and rolled up on me
and when you got up there
you stood there in that red brown hat
and seriously tried to look down on me
haha
Then you walked away with your funny walk and pants
i never told you this, but everyone thought you were gay
but i just knew that’s the look and vibe of a life’s lesson aka: mistake

hey girl, what’s up!

dear chronic poor choices,
hey, couldn’t help but overhearing
(next time try a lower voice)
you got into a jam
you and the girls with all the big round glasses
and the boys who tried to ask us if they could pump your gas
so it has been some years
you went your way i went mine
now i see that you kind of lost your place and a little bit of mind
oh yeah, i saw your pic a few months back
thought your crow’s feet weren’t so bad
i guessed you’ve been smoking less but still distressed
because didn’t the python die
well, you’ll never get this letter because i don’t want to be like you
besides you need money and all i have to give is worthless time
and furthermore, yes, “furthermore”
wouldn’t want to say you ought to live your life like mine