The snake curled around my arm is not jewelry.
Go ahead; touch it.

Oh dear. I should have warned you
that I sometimes give terrible advice.

Never mind. Let me **** out the venom,
even if never quite enough--

and if my lips taste bitter as I kiss you, darling,
I apologize.

Please, while there's still time,
be kind
by whispering me your forgiveness--
my love so saturnine.

A Poem for Grammy's Lawn

I like to run my lawnmower
I like to mow my lawn
I want to mow it every day
But now the grass is gone

So now all I can mow is dirt
Which raises clouds of dust
You may think I mow too much
But I don't mow enough

Now that all my grass is gone
Some moss grows on the side
I'd mow that too, but it's too low
So I just let it lie

One day I fell and lost my wig
And Rickey picked it up
He said "Hey, Grammy, Here's your Hair."
I though I'd bust a gut

Now here's the reason that I mow
You'll say "For goodness sake!"
With grass so short you see the dirt
It can't hide any snakes!

Richard Thietje 2010

I loved you

And you took advantage of that.

I was the ladder you climbed

T
O

R
E
A
C
H

T
H
E

T
O
P

And when you saw the horizon

Y
O
U

T
H
R
E
W

M
E

B
A
C
K

D
O
W
N

But what you forgot was

I wouldn't be there to hold you

W
H
E
N

Y
O
U

C
A
M
E

C
R
A
S
H
I
N
G

D
O
W
N

To Earth, & me.

lock and key on my arm
plenty of snakes i have charmed
my disarming eyes
my unbridled rage
my mystery they cannot gauge

pearl on pearl too
give myself some room
grow into, trust my moves
sailing smooth

She was like you -
    Never held before.
        My nervous grip brand new

             Not nearly as scary -
           But beautiful.
         Still, I remain wary

     Exquisite beast -
         You need me.
             For now, at least

       As my eyes close -
    I feel.
Relief.