Acceptance
want not
to ask
a word why
of any when
of a whole thing
within its infinite
parts
whether working
in accord
in discord
the line stops
as it started
you forget a face
your own
the winter world
you walk in
and out of
a trail of glass
worn to water
you sink to its bottom
squinting like warmed ice
on a windshield
Atlantis does exist
TL
Transition
in the end
my dear friend
you won’t need
your spectacles
or your teeth
you won’t need
your shoes
or your wallet
you won’t need
your belt
or your buckle
you won’t need
your hat
or your coat
you won’t need
your watch
or your pen
you won’t need
a shower
or a commode
you won’t need
a phone
or a quarter
you won’t need
a television
or a remote
you won’t need
a car
or a house
you won’t need
a lawnmower
or a shed
you won’t need
a table
or a chair
you won’t need
a book
or a map
you won’t need
an envelope
or a stamp
you won’t need
your shirt
or your pants
you won’t need
trinkets
or tools
you won’t need
a cane
or a walker
or a wheelchair
you won’t need
a cup
or a saucer
you won’t need
a fork
or a spoon
or a knife
you won’t need
a ticket
or a receipt
you won’t need
a list
or a reminder
you won’t need
to go
and come back
you won’t need
a key
or a lock
you won’t need
to talk
or be heard
you won’t need
to know what day
week or year
you won’t need
to please
or plan
or promise
you won’t need
a lamp
or a candle
or a stick
you won’t need
a match
or a lighter
or a switch
you won’t need
a compass
or a channel
or a chime
you won’t need
a toothpick
or a brush
or a comb
you won’t need
a dip
or a snuff
you won’t need
plenty
or enough
you won’t need
up or over
you won’t need
before or after
you won’t need
this
anymore
the sun and moon
will converge
the wind will lift you
like a leaf
and carry you across
the blue sea
to the end of the ocean
where the earth is ending
and the heavens just begun
TL
Trick-or-Treat
we won’t turn
right
we’ll drive straight
to the light
and take a left
we won’t see ‘ya tonight
we won’t turn
right
we’ll drive straight
to the light
and take a left
she won’t be knocking
at your door
we won’t turn
right
we’ll drive straight
to the light
and take a left
we won’t be watching you
watching her
we won’t turn
right
we’ll drive straight
to the light
and take a left
we won’t come in
and sit a spell
we won’t turn
right
we’ll drive straight
to the light
and take a left
we won’t laugh like that
without a joke
we won’t turn
right
we’ll drive straight
to the light
and take a left
we won’t get up
to hug ‘ya bye
we won’t turn
right
we’ll drive straight
to the light
and take a left
we won’t hear ‘ya say
“come back
and see me
sometime …”
we won’t turn
right
we’ll drive straight
to the light
and take a left
we won’t see ‘ya tonight
TL
Consumed
in the degrees
of a storm
the wind
is an untamed thing
laying waste a forest
exposing roots to air
the slash of rain
fencing
nobody claps
but thunder
electricity in the sky
a second of connection
sparks fly
walk through fire
looking for the door
but you can’t get out
engulfed
you crawl to a window
and break the glass
so you can breathe
somebody tells you you’re bleeding
and you look down
and see it’s true
a burned up body
feels no cut
stitch
the bandage blue
you walk the forest
at night
watching the sun
through a window
the trees in ray
a bird flies in
sits there
on a limb
and takes off
TL
The Lines
stretched along
the side
towering like trees
glistening in the morning sun
dripping like spider webs
in the rain
these lines
carry connection
from one end
to the other
the dial
the punch
the press
the ringing
the hello
the “how ‘ya been …”
the hang up
the silence
the busy
the static
the hold
the wait
the call back
the forgot
the pick up
the ignore
the message
left
the tone
the truth
the trying
“he died last night”
“she took her own life”
what now
“the wedding’s when”
“ok, we’ll be there then”
the honeymoon
is over
“congratulations, it’s a boy!”
he’s getting older
“did you hear about that”
“yeah, it was so sad”
that’s life though
ain’t it
complex in the cruel
wonderful in the weary
sweet in the bitter
careful in the crazy
beautiful in the not
tragic in the torture
dead in the life
sheets in the sadness
singing in the dancing
empty stages
nobody came
the plate’s still full
left the drink
chilled
who’s gonna clean the kitchen
mow the grass
mail the letter
make sure it gets there
in time
does it need a signature
do you have a pen
you always have a pen
yeah, but
it won’t
here, use mine
thank you … I love how it writes
no, you keep it
TL
Underneath
hey …
‘ya busy
I know but
take a walk
with me
won’t take long
wanna show ‘ya
something
grab a coat
it’s windy
here’s your hat
might rain
you can drive
turn here
and park
we gotta cross
that street
and walk down
that path
yeah, I knew you’d like it
the leaves have a certain
edge
and the bark has a fresh
shave
and it has a story
behind it
and I know how ‘ya love
a good story
TL
The Bed
they put
a stake
in the ground
where your bo
dy
will be
lower
ed
tomorrow
morn
before supper
and goodnight
at the headboard
on your side
next to
her
muddy
and
mowed
the rain
will turn it
green
before long
a matching cover
to hide
the hole
TL