clock in clock out
dive in block out
knuckle down
try not to drown
get a grip
don't slip
sane words
sane words
same words
forwards
sideways
backwards
find a way
not to say
that or that

and surely not that

jesus christ, son
take a pill. chill

did anyone ever care about my flowers?
i never watered them
as they should have been
i drew them in gentle, attentive
detail and kissed every petal and leaf
i smelled their virtue until my arms
ached with the repose of memories and triggers

i never watered them as they should have been
for that would have required
slicing them.

it isn't until the rain
hits the hardwood floor
that I remember
how rain used to be ours

I remember the mist
in the sky and our eyes
when I wore this same shirt
and we broke all the rules

I remember the puddles
that first night together
and the rain on the roof
as I tried not to sleep

I remember the reflection
of rain clouds and sunshine
when we whispered like snow
the earliest we ever awoke

the lightning flashes
and I pray you will so quickly
arrive at my door

Her most priced jewelry
           Is the glitter of the tears from her eyes.
Others say it is the sparkle of her eyes
           When she smiles --
But, only she knows
That her tears are more expensive than her smiles ...

That person who gets you, lifts you
As the stone that fits your hand does
Who loves you as the stone from your hand
Skims out across the sea, loves you so
Many times more
Than you can count
That
Person

Whose love seems older than the stone
Smoother than its perfect roundness
Whose eyes seem deeper than the sea
During the endless time your eyes
Meet. And the feeling

In your heart
Of that stone
That oldest
Perfect
Love

Skimming light, skimming fast
Skimming away
Away

As it fades
As it

Fades

huh.

i didn't know
it was cool
to joke about
children
accidentally
killing themselves
or others
with guns.

i didn't know
you were supposed
to make fun
of someone
for thinking
it might be
a good idea
to try to protect
children
from getting shot.