Hereafter
dip of hand
leaves a swirl
of satin ribbon
that snakes across
a lake in morn
where ripples
even out
to edge
like wrinkles
from a made-up bed
and night is nigh
as warm you were
and waking
and stirred your cup
and drunk the dreg
and fore you left
you said
later and after
like there would be
later and after
but ribbons unravel
end to end
so, if you’re waiting
for a lull
in the lake
that is your life
don’t dally the day
twilling later and after
for nothing is more
than here
than now
TL
Jennifer Mejia
her little sister’s
on TV
and probably always
wanted to be
but not like this
not like that
and little starts out strong
like she taught her to be
but little gets lost
in that broken place
and you ache for her
the little girl
who’ll walk the world
without her sister’s hand in hers
and you ache for her
TL
Roberta Flack
3 a.m.
and you’re here
with me
and the moon
and I play your song
and it sounds the same
so it must be me
that’s changed
and I thought I knew you then
like I know you now
but time tells
otherwise
and you realize
too late
the mistakes
were not
“things we can’t untie”
TL
Dear Dad,
she just sneezed
down the hall
dust or dog or bunny or bird
and she was just here
a second ago
with her pirate patch
but blinked
five now
and too beautiful
for words
and has no idea
an inquisitive child
sensitive and serene and silly
there’s a look she can give
like she can see past it
all your flaws
and she tells you like it is
then does a little jig
and screams for ice cream
and a cone
but never eats the cone
just the cream
and she loves salmon
swimming in malt vinegar
and pours too much soy sauce
too much salt
too much lemonade
too much Mr. Bubble
and she’d rather the frosting over the cake
and when she finds a penny in the parking lot
she thinks she’s rich
and she is
TL
My Love
never said
but saw
that was all
TL
Left
and after all
that
no need
just want
aware to sit
too spent for else
or much
leave it
to the young
to that
to the puppies
to the kittens
to the calf
leave it
to that
leave it
to the leaves
let go
of the trees
leave it
to that
leave it
to the tables
to the chairs
to the silent stare
leave it
to that
leave it
to the glass
to the rim
to the cube
leave it
to that
leave it
to the gold
to the greedy
to the cold
leave it
to that
leave it
to the wind
to the dust
to the smoke
leave it
to that
leave it
to the word
to the syllable
to the verb
leave it
to that
leave it
to the sea
to the sand
to the weed
leave it
to that
leave it
to the mouse
to the cat
to the trap
leave it
to that
leave it
to the song
to the dance
to the second chance
leave it
to that
leave it
to the lies
to the truth
to the bye
leave it
to that
leave it
to the memory
to the mind
to the sublime
leave it
to that
leave it
to the wept
to the mirth
to the earth
leave it
to that
leave it
to the love
to the unloved
to the mud
leave it
to that
leave it
to the up
to the down
to the turn-around
leave it
to that
leave it
to the broken
to the whole
to the speck
leave it
to that
leave it
to the best
to the worst
to the first
leave it
to that
leave it
to the line
to the pins
to the cloth
leave it
to that
leave it
to the time
to the moment
to the beep
leave it
to that
leave it
to the quiet
to the loud
to the proud
leave it
to that
leave it
to the hit
to the miss
to the if
leave it
to that
leave it
to the travel
to the ticket
to the top
leave it
to that
leave it
to the can’t
to the won’t
to the could
leave it
to that
leave it
to the lone
to the crowd
to the rest
leave it
to that
leave it
to the trace
to the trail
to the tomb
leave it
to that
TL
Movie Magic
sitting there
in your body
still in your story
staring at a square
and the scenery
and the sound
and the emotion
carry you
off the couch
to the shores of someday
and the words
are the words you would say
to someone
if you spoke
and the song
is the song you would sing
to someone
if you sang
and the moment
is the moment you would give
to someone
if you gave
TL
Unreal
ad-apt
ad-just
ad-here
womb to world
knees, toes, soles
the first time you bleed
and the grass is green
and the dirt is brown
and the shadow of someone
disappears
and there are bones in a box
and it’s too much for the mind
what with days
and a million moons
weddings and babies and balloons
and there are forms to fill
and forms to file
and you’re in
and you’re out
and the occupation
turns to weather
which way the wind
and what hurts when
falls and breaks
cataracts and canes
and it sums the same
less it happens
out-of-order
bones in a box
without length
and it’s too much
to contain
TL
Pine
underneath a Georgia pine
the cones are constant
and I find myself
searching that
all along
that even
in the toss about
and in the stillness
of the ground
the cones are constant
and I find myself
searching that
all along
TL
Oprah
if only
she had had
a daughter …
if only
she would
TL
Compass
this road
I’d never taken
has become
“The Beaten Path”
where leaves have left
tall trees
and rain has fell
from gray
and rays have followed days
opening a year
that on the first
well was …
the amputation
parents know
the limb of letting go
merely a warm-up
for the stretch
and there are plenty ahead
and plenty behind
and plenty who have
crossed that finish line
and winded there
they are
at a crossroads
“The Beaten Path”
behind
three roads
ahead
TL
Well Then
should you
have to ask
and ask again
and wonder
why and when
no not
a friend
TL
Bouquet
weeks of
no wind
not a hint
of sway
so it seemed
that day
tossed the mold away
and returned the plant
then long I’d sit
and see it
like a facing window
framed it
and when night fell
fast asleep
the gust
a distant hum
muffled in the mildew
of the mind
then the sun
shown the splattered paint
damage done
TL
In Limbo
her husband
had somewhere to be
her kids, too
so she’s standing there
fidgeting
can’t feel her feet
no one to follow
forgot how to lead
how to walk into a room
and it be enough
she used to dress up
for no particular reason
but pretty
pearls and perfume
heels and hose
lipstick and polish
but that was ago
now she hasn’t
the time
nor the inclination
or form to fit
or will to want
and it happened to her
on an ordinary day
much like today
when she wasn’t looking
like how her kids grew
her husband, too
how sixteen
handed her a senior discount
she didn’t ask for
how her teenage daughter
slammed out the door
how her husband ignored
and in the thicket
she gets a call
at 3 a.m.
her daddy’s dead
and her mama
hasn’t a clue
and it’s all she can do
to pray
and in the blur
she’s faced with it
like that photo somebody took
and made her look at
and the choice
is hers
get up or sit down
TL
Divine
cut Gardenia
to bottle
the scent
like Lilly
of the Valley
its fragrance
leaves none
to turn
decades down
the line
the power
of its beauty
subtle and sublime
lingers there
in the memory
of the mind
that first time
TL
Full Bloom
the bulb
glowed
by her door
chandelier of yellow shade
much too small to read by
but big enough to see the print
beyond the day
she buried it
no promises of bloom
or a season chair to sit
dark it lay beneath the bed
sleeping ever sound
not even her steps would rouse
nor the vibration of her voice
calling for him
and in the daily dish
and market fare
and Sunday sermons
who, what, where
the bulb but memory
distant as a child
grown and gone
and widowed there
she waited
not for promises of bloom
or a season chair to sit
late of day, long of night
her vase already full
by the door she stood
no sound she made
yet he heard her
calling for him
TL
Graduate
her in her
red footie pajamas
stomping around
Thing 1 and Thing 2
her with the hose
watering everything but the flowers
her in the shower watching the water
f
a
l
l
her with her laughter
her with her tears
her with her arms
and she’s holding me
too tight
not tight enough
and we’re crunching Doritos
sipping ginger ale
pretending we can fly
and she’s wild
and wonderful
and way too smart
to be hanging out with me
this little girl next door
who stayed in the country
waving me down
begging me not to move to town
and I thought about this
as she sat there
tables away
brink of 18
‘bout to walk
out into the world
and I’m waving her down
but she’s already gone
and grown up
her in her heels
cap and gown
TL
James Durbin
got busy
and too sure
of TiVo
but TiVo’s
a machine
that gobbled up
another show
so didn’t know
‘til this morn
pick didn’t make it
the screamer
who could sing
the rocker
who could croon
the guy
who could cry
didn’t make it
stead he got chewed
spit out
and left
but won’t
stay there long
his wife
won’t let him
neither his songs
all those songs
inside
gotta get out
gotta go somewhere
take them there
TL
Thoughts
random really
flat tire
got fixed
two pedestrian pigeons
took their time
the hydrangea
could use a drink
Ali could use an A
Paris picture on my desk
unframed
line of weed eaters
in the ditch
all the books
someone else will read
the pasta sauce
turned out
pain in my heel
still throbs
school’s almost out
high school graduation
already
wasn’t she three
he’s home
the boy Marine
L’Oreal commercial
“am I worth it”
paw’s sitting on the swing
but not swinging
she gave me a card
that cried
dog needs a diet
boxes by the door
old song new
Rocky re-run
it’s almost 11:40
TL
Patience
there’s this guy
this morning
standing on an island
like a palm tree
and he seems in no hurry
at all
unlike the rushing waves
that surround him
on all sides
and as the boats wheel by
he finds the morning ray
and seems settled somehow
content even
like he knows
eventually
the sea will still
that boats make port
that a draw bridge will lower
in time
and he’ll walk across
be on his way
TL