the day you appeared
was like nothing else
i mean you’d been there before
we just couldn’t see you.

we called you v161 mon.
for that, i apologize
it wasn’t my choice.

we raised you
the best we knew how,
but you still swallowed
anything that got close

now i’m old
and dying
and you’ll live on
for years.

hundreds,
thousands,
millions,
billions of years

and eventually fade
but even your
death will
take centuries.

Sometimes the vast window opens
Fractured
But forgiving

Knowing everyone else does it too
Empathy for the shared shadow of all else who
Desperately fell

There is a dusty harmony
A musty and dark air
Tainted with the protruding strength of her infinite suns

And they all can hardly breathe
As her flowers suffocate them
Because they were trying for her
Not them.

She wondered whether the beginning was all a trap,
Covered in the illusion that true light was outlandish,
Leaving her in the dark.

I wish you every comfort
As you settle now to sleep
You can do it all your own way
There’s no timetable to keep
I know that you can hear me
But can’t express your need
But you don’t need to worry
Every tiny sign I’ll heed
Any possible discomfort
I will soothe away
All love respect and care
That it’s possible to pay
Is yours for now and always
As it comes upon your time
And the privilege of caring
Is forever mine

Lemon VW Beetle
Pink and green Polo shirt seatcovers
Hippie flowers and surf shop stickers
And her Confirmation Rosary
glimmering in the fading light
She waves
“Call you later.”
The sunset is beautiful

PCH is busy this time of day
Surfers, commuters, tourists
and local kids, like us,
going our own ways
The sunset is beautiful.

Sirens pierce the twilight calm

There are conflicting reports
But
All include the words
Rollover.  Ejected.  Fatality.

Through my tears
I stare at the ocean
The sunset is beautiful

Her cheeks golden apples
Voice a hushed whisper
She smells like coconut Coppertone and sunshine
Her cotton candy lipgloss is sticky on my lips
Tanned skin salty from the surf
Smooth and soft like a puppy’s belly
Blonde hair sun-streaked, warm
Stomachs flip-flopping with teen-crush happiness

Gotta go…
Why?
I know.
Hate it though.

So we linger
To watch the surf swallow the sun

𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴.
𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥.
𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘵𝘩, 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘻𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩.

𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭.
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦.
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴, 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘴.

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵.
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴,
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵.

𝘚𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯, 𝘔𝘺 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦.
𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘋𝘢𝘺.
𝘐 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶.

walking down the streets at 3 am
with my girls
complaining about how cold our legs are
but we actually know very well
that this is what we live for
screaming, laughing
as if we were alone on this planet
neither afraid of the dark
nor thinking about tomorrow
because at this moment we are free
just us and the streets
we don't sleep at night