If the universe paused in affection
at every blissful death
for every restless life
It would drown inside a teardrop
implode around a frown

no

when She dies
blissfully, from a restless life
and ripples of time are held suspended
along the contours of her smile
It will simply be the universe pausing

for effect.

kissed by Spring at the gentle break of dawn
suffocated by Summer in the languid afternoon
seduced by Autumn under the starry evening sky
stung by Winter in the frozen-dark night

Three hundred and sixty-five times I've thought of you today.

A baby sentence
will meet its fate

sudden death
at the hands of life

Will it reach eighteen
pass twenty ones

twenty threes
in the blink of a line
Thirty

Will it learn
to speak its name

Does it die
in its prime

Will it ever count
seven times seven

some thoughts
we think we love
were never meant
for thinking

A is for Alpha
B is for Barbie
C is for Couple
D is for Destiny
E is for Engagement
F is for Fancy
G is for Gullible
H is for Happy
I is for Illusion
J is for Jealous
K is for Kingdom
L is for Lonely
M is for Mistress
N is for Nagging
O is for Often
P is for Pregnant
Q is for Question
R is for Rejecting
S is for Suicide
T is for Traumatize
U is for Understand
V is for Vaguely
W is for Whisky
X is for Xanax
Y is for Yesterday
Z is for Zombie.

Blessed are the arrogant
for theirs is the kingdom of their own company
Blessed are the superstars
for when the magnificent send their light
we understand better our own insignificance
Blessed are the filthy rich
for you can only truly own what you give away
Blessed are the bullies
for one day they will have to stand up to themselves
Blessed are the liars
for the truth can be awkward

"Fuuuuuck!" groaned the Tortoise.
"****!" spat the Hare.

"Son of a *****!" barked the Fox.
"**** on a rooster!" cawed the Crow.

"***** of a bison!" growled the Wolf.
"***** of a llama!" brayed the ***.

"**** on a termite!" squealed the Ant.
"**** of a cricket!" grated the Grasshopper.

"THE HUMANS KNOW OUR STORIES!!"
cried the animals in unison despair.

"Yeeeees," hoot'd the Owl
with an evil-wicked grin,
"but only the ones with a moral."

there was once a zealous poet
with an endless word supply
who waged an apperception war
against his very eye

the poet sought to demonstrate
to his instrument of sight
by power of articulation
the meaning of this life

trains of thought were conjured
swarms of sense made manifest
still the poems failed to capture
the essence of the mortal quest

the poet's mind was stilled in wonder
its silence cast a knowing spell
the spoken word had lost the war
the naked eye could tell

A worm came into the open.
A bird came.

The mouth of the worm came open:
"Bird, open!" came the worm.
"Open." came the bird, mouth open.
The worm came.
"!" came the mouth of the bird.
The worm,
into the open mouth of the bird,
The bird,
mouth open,
Came the worm, came the bird,
Came the bird, came the mouth,
Open.

The mouth of the bird came open:
"Worm, open!" came the bird.
"!?" came the worm.
"Worm!" came the bird.
"Open, open!" came the worm.
"Open." came the mouth of the open.
"Open." came the worm, mouth open.
The bird,
into the open mouth of the worm,
The worm,
into the mouth of the open,
The open,
mouth open,
Came the bird, came the worm
Came the worm, came the mouth of the open,
Open.

hot
k-k-k-cold-k-cold-k-cold
hot
h-h-h-hot-cold

Sometimes
the hardest thing to do:
Lending a helping fist
to a face in need.

Could a mind be taught to stop
counting up the weary years
counting down to its great fear;
Tell the time for one last time
Leave the numbers to the numb

My birthday wish for this new year
is to forget my birth date.

"Where do you think confidence comes from?"
"I dunno. Thinking you're the best?"
"That's not real confidence. Can I tell you where I think it comes from?"
"Okay."
"I think confidence is the consolation prize to knowing that you're alive."

I saw
me, you
in a dream colored blue
making the acquaintance of a metaphor:
meta you, meta me
out of the blue, met a dream.

Despite what the priests
of philosophy say
it is possible
to hold communion with the answers
without having
to excommunicate the Questions.