When I was  
younger,
I had to learn
sit and wait to  
write.  
I  would get
impatient and force it.
If you read it,
you could tell.
Now I’m quite a bit older, and
I quit trying.
Fodder seems to be  
everywhere.
I can write about
the most mundane
things.
Today I’m at the  
library waiting for my
girlfriend to
finish up at the dentist.
She’s getting her  
teeth cleaned.
All my drinking ruined  
my teeth.
When I got them  
pulled a year ago,
there wasn’t a  
good tooth in my head.
I have dentures now, so
I don’t have to  
worry about how much I drink.
I know this isn’t a
very good poem, but
hey,
there she is
all shiny and bright…  
and sober.

Four men I don't see in the market.

We stopped just short of smiles
we were always about to begin a conversation
we told each other we had years ago
met somewhere
and we talked only with eyes.

Then on a day, for days
they weren't there anymore.

I try to imagine their age
if they were old enough to be dead.

Like a ray of hope I love to believe
they moved away elsewhere.

Four men short and it will be five.

Maybe one eye will look for me
a little sad at my missing
just another man not seen anymore..

An ordinary man, a poet at heart
who felt more than could express.

He wouldn't know.

Strange
What dream
A man tries to catch
In broad day
As the world busily
Passes by him.

A fleeting glimpse I had of him
seated on a small slab napping.

Was the night harsh on him
as he lay on the floor
stinking with his toils
with no roof overhead
looking at an absurd firmament
hazily spangled with stars.

Was he weighing his life in starlight
counting rusted coins of losses
breathing heavily through the void
as darkness weighed him down.

Was he waiting for a sleep
that would ripen his dreams deep
reaching him to the farthest galaxy
where every objects were made
only for him

objects of riches and success
and then deeper beyond..
love, peace and happiness.

Maybe the night returned him no dream
and trying to make up
he sought the refuge of day.

Was I the man in the glimpse
I thought
with nothing but dreams
as I rode away into the day
to embrace what is destined!

you, an event on my retina
an accident of time colliding with itself
my hands have pulse on your t-shirt
everything in its place like a silence
waiting to happen
the speed of smile measured in light-seconds
this body is a house of metaphors
a space for living words forgetting my name

when the night finds its resonant frequency
my heart feels like a compass I let her find the scent of your body
let's get lost my hands would say
and let no wind find us and let no why and no road find us
my face illuminated by the song of birds
your face illuminated by the laziness of a sea that only we can see
let's get lost so  we can find each other
in the archive of veins

It doesn't come with
pageantry and pomp.
Happiness comes with the
soft whirl of the
ceiling fan, while I
sit and watch the
snow fall through
the venetian blinds.

It's the end of
debauched
momentary celebrations of
scoring enough
change to get a pint of
*****, to avoid withdrawals.
Dead friends on a
street to nowhere.

Happiness comes softly in
the jingle, jangle bells on
the cat toy, as the
kittens play.
All around me, living things.
African violets and aloe vera plants.

I live for the Zen on
the banks of the pond
amidst the cattails and willows.
Bluegill and small bass
swim the shallows.

It's the end of chasing
the chaos of attaining
things that
rot and rust.
Happiness comes
quietly with a clear
conscience and some
good coffee, as I sit
on furniture that I own
and pray for my
fellow man.

It comes in the
bliss of a hot bath.
The spirit is cleansed in
love and gratitude.

𝐼 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑢𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑒
𝐼𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠,
𝐶𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑚𝑜𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠;
𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑚𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟'𝑠 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑣𝑒𝑖𝑙,
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑚 𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑡...
𝑂𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑠ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠,
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑚 𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑡...
𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒
𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑠
𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑠
𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑎
𝐽𝑎𝑠𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑟𝑢𝑏 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎 𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑒
𝐼𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑡
𝐴𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑦 𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑦𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑙 ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑
𝐺𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑛 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠...
𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠;
𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒
𝐵𝑖𝑟𝑡ℎ 𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒;
𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑏𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑛🎈
𝑇ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦 𝐿𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑠...
𝑀𝑦 𝑜𝑣𝑎𝑟𝑦 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑠
𝑆𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑛 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑎
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑛
𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑚𝑦 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑤𝑜𝑚𝑏
𝑀𝑦 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑦
𝐼𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑤𝑠...
𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝑀𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑓
𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠
𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒
𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑓
𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑒...
𝐼𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑒,
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑝𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑒
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑦𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟
𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔...
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑛,
𝑆ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒
𝑦𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑒...
𝐼'𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑡𝑜
𝑊𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢
𝑌𝑜𝑢'𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑎 𝑝𝑖𝑒𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑠𝑘𝑦
𝐵𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑒...
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑠ℎ,
𝐺𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑠ℎ,
𝐺𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠
𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠...
𝐼 𝑘𝑖𝑠𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑖𝑠ℎ
𝑜𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑠...
𝑀𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑛...!
𝑀𝑦 𝑚𝑜𝑜𝑛...!
𝑂ℎ, 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑜𝑛!
𝐼 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑡𝑦...
𝐼 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦....