Oh man child, I see your fear
Tainted windows can suggest false stories
But poetry is not a broad brush that puts your own shame on display
Nor is such scrutiny wisely placed
---------

Reading poetry is not a place for brilliance
One needs only be a “good guy” looking for insights or meaning

Or maybe they are “Crowley”, finding their way to “Ingrid”

This reader traffic, seeking authenticity is not quite human.  More an etherial ego dancing with the words
that see you,
circle you,
whisper knowings,
welcome you,
need you.

Whimsey and song court depression
You like music, right?
It’s a drug for vulnerability
until the body is knee deep
This manipulation wears a friendly face
And angst is not a mud-worthy tool.  
Now who needs whom?

Nay - poetry literally reprograms the brainy.  
“Lean in”, it says.
“I have friends all over the world - to New Zealand and back.”

Maybe it’s true.
Just check its call logs, its campfire circles, its Facebook connections.
Poetry feeds (on?) longing.

You
Caught a flight
Jaundiced manger
Held by strangers

I
Stayed behind
Unable to follow
Feeling hollow

You
Shined with love
Radiating joy
Captivating boy

I
Worked long hours
Never with his trust
I was not enough

You
Tender heart
Gave your mom a ring
Were you hungering?

I
Told "favorites"
asked you to be tough
We did weekend stuff

You
Showing worth
Always making grades
Standing on a stage

I
Earned esteem
In traveling more
Lost track of my core

You
Sought online
Admiring voices
Offered fun choices

I
Left my work
Could finally be home
but "Leave me alone"

You
Fly solo
Try psychedelics
Parents are relics

I
"Control all"
"Could never be nice"
"Gave more bad advice"

You
Break my heart
Demand Agency
Driving on empty

We
Naming boundaries
Balance found
Wellness bound

It's no accident
You fit the profile -
Brilliant, naive... lonely
Caught in their headlights
And held fast by the adoring crowd

It's a formula race
They take you for a ride
Straight out of the book
You willingly get in the car
Even as Rebecca ****** waves the flag

A trophy girl seals the deal
Intro the Queen of Hearts
She plays you deep
Grows a taste for speed
That you sweetly lap

Getting hit by cars
Is an insurance policy
Twice bought and sold
Realigning the steering
And covering potential loss

But while many might be totaled
By ventures in the down-under
A classic Valiant
Is a humble muscle car
That finds its way home

I suppose shame did drown my
"Christian" moniker
with the "bitterness" of what was to follow

But let’s be honest, harmony was
broken before his pledge,
when he turned his back to my tears

Are we pretending, now
that avoidance means "peaceful"
Or that a "prosperous garden" grows
from the whispered hostility of isolation?

No?  Then hope remains
And candor spits and simmers
where a flame still flickers to get its breath

It's settled, then
We are playing the long game
because we are "victory people"

Putting things in jars
has long been a family practice
preserving the deliciousness of the season
by shelving the bounty of fall

The way the skin slips from the naked peach
is a seductive notion and cathartic connection
passed from one hand to another
packed tight in the kitchen
sticky with syrup

Heat and pressure mount a whistled release
for both windfall and sun kissed faces
Tomatoes, peaches, beans, and corn
offer rainbow promises from the storm
Even that one Columbus Day

But September 2020 we are shelving Manna
and sorting string beans for perfect presentation
and this ******, industrial chic, "man-canning"
looks back at me through the glass
and I am longing for something messy

iSolation
Hiding fAilure Means dEbilitation

Timely, couRageous exposUre resTores
Humanity

Always about you
Your thoughts
Your heart
Your dream

Putting them first
Their hurt
Their loneliness
Their fears

Leads to crucifixion
Labeled
Consumed
Abandoned

The End?