Love is when
Your grin is so stupid
It clenches your fists

A world of information
And I force ignorance
A wealth of answers
I skip class

This crowd of fans
I regret joining
This pile of dishes
I entertain starving
Endless color
Only one eye sees
We're certain to suffer
Ground coffee and teeth.

Current events
I should learn music
Mission critical
I can stay decent
The world stage
I hate theater
Grocery store small talk
Ask me something real.

A question of ethics
Always too easy
But every turn of a page
Still moves me 3 spaces
Leave me alone
I just need connection
But the clearest of thoughts
By ignoring my driver.

Moral panic
It happened so fast
Give to charity
All figured out.

Keep your head down
Chin lit by my phone
Mr. Good Employee
Call in late if it suits
Works well under pressure
And nowhere else
Appreciation, respect
More things to neglect.

A global economy
That troubling phrase
Where capitalism ends
Idealism fails
Save your pennies
The way out is in
Play your position
I'll quit the game
The simple life
Got confoundingly deep.

You can always tell winter from fall
In how soon
We correct the clocks.

The dashboard is wrong
For weeks
We decided we are comfortable
And so
And yet
We don't look.

Our ovens are forgotten
Maybe it's helpful, to do the dishes
And be a false hour further
From winter's silent failures

You lost
So much more than an hour.

Feet fall under
Never in front
That right knee straight
No music
Steps softly snapping
Toes stretching to grab more sock.

I pace to be reminded
Sore hips tingle for
That aging runner's personal stretch
No medal of honour
A purple heart.

Work day morning shower
Then sweat at work an hour
Daddy why is he running?
Faster than walking.
Didn't care to explain
The airy chant of
Restlessness and frustration
Exhaled with the most
Commanding push

Posture long since ruined
So tuck that tailbone
Head back
Your neck had better hurt
This is you at your best
A familial love
And the same lack of visits.

Salesmen have
That awful
Salesman laugh
Not earned
Not funny
Not buying.
Love, laughter
Life's rules
Self taught
Trust that
One breaks.

Modern life explained:
The freedom to be aware
Of microplastics

Tales strung with cobwebs
We want sparks
We try on hats
Poorly chosen

Reflective surfaces
New awareness
Poor form
Do they know
Powder room visits

Recalling lists on websites of
Foods to avoid
Habits they like
Traits you want
Times to act
Oh God
Please don't

Nothing to lose, all in
And all of that.

Head bowed
Nails dug in
Free of stealth
Spill.
And spend the night
Regretting your guts
Took so **** long.

Night's chill parried by
Tea or tobacco leaves
Slick gradient of a sky
Until housing cuts rough
Disguising true horizons
And their warmth of whatever within

Flanked by twelve houses
Built by twice the hubris
As to be within speaking distance
Of this village of backyards
Yet communicate
In the alien language
Of light switches.

Bedrooms are fireflies
In an open field of brick flora
Backdropping the safety of
All of our bad habits
Struggling as we like
We share in the disconnect of
Our wrought ice age
Marked by the jingling of keys.