her belly is on the concrete
the sun makes her
glow
softer than the water
she is bored
she does not acknowledge
the great gift the light has given the world
by reflecting
off her body

waking up
among the painted antelope
and the wildebeests
streaming up the hillside
and the gnarled knees
of an ostrich
and the glassy yellow eyes
of a lion
is something
we should all experience.

I can't decide
whether to
cut
the splinter out
or wait
for it to
heal over.

dung beetles
are my favorite beetle
because I feel like
giggling
when I see one.

a male lion
lay motionless
in the shade.
his fashionably disheveled mane
and swollen belly
gave me comfort
until he
opened his
eyes.

I like the
deep color
of their skin
crafted
from soil
and wind.
these people are
powerful
enough to carry
the sun
inside
their bodies.

the people here
have no illusory separation
from their land

small, bare-armed boys
pause from herding goats
to glance over

the goat was completely alive
and then it was completely lifeless
if there was an in-between
I could not tell where it ended
or began.

i give a couple hundred dollars to the orcas on charity night
which is the night that isn’t so great because I don't get anything

i go to an orphanage in Kenya
and it’s not fun

maybe because I have look them in the eyes
or maybe because it's just not fun

my brother is really involved and I am not

he makes the few small dents that he can with the insufficient chisel that he was given
he works tirelessly

and I just say “**** it”
and I throw my chisel on the ground and instead pick up my laptop and watch netflix

moroccan women line the streets with chipped teeth and black gums

some with babies
some with groceries

their backs disfigured and their skin corroded
by the weight of responsibility
and mom and I pass by them at 45 miles per hour

their stories are a blur
a mere glimpse
drowned amongst the picturesque landscapes

they are comfortably at bay
i have a satisfying distance from their days

we take the high road
across the Tichka Pass
which is surrounded by overwhelming purple mountaintops

that have the power to separate two worlds
that are indifferent to the meager tires of our jeep
that amount to more than I ever will
that I will never be able to appreciate enough

they taunt me with their greatness
they soak me in their pride

but the pass is covered in ice
so we will have to wait to go to the desert

and although I play a character that is flexible and understanding
i am a little annoyed that our precious little itinerary is ruined