She had a heart like
one of those two-way
mirrors
and those around her
debated endlessly
about whether or not
you could see in
or if it was her heart looking out
and when the mirror
eventually cracked
under the constant
poking and prodding
those around her
were suddenly
a lot less
interested

Last night I dreamt
that eagles came
to bring the end of
civilization as we knew it
and with every beat of
their wings more of our
society would crumble
all the while on the ground
we argued about whether
or not this happening
was the fault
of Wolves

My father was always
a bit of a showman
but I'll never know
if he was aware of that
fact
as he would stand up a little
straighter and puff out his
chest and his slight
Ohio/Texas twang would
become a full on
Sam Elliot drawl
but three octaves lower
like he was a real life cowboy
only to be outdone
by his favorite president
Ol' Papa Reagan
and I guess I found it strange
that he could never really
get into the role
of being a caring, kind, and sweet
parent

I've walked by that
park
once in the last
four years
baseball speckled
and bloodied concrete
visible only to those
who lived it
and I can't help but
think of how the world
is awash in great strokes
from the mental paintbrushes
we all wield
in trying to make sense of
our own existences
and I won't ever see
the glory in what you see
but I won't ever try to peel
away those layers of paint either
as we need the artistry of
our nostalgia to cover all the
chips and scuffs that appear
when you're not looking

It's not that
I have troubles
with people
it's more that
I spend far too
much time
putting words
to made-up
fantastic landscapes
and scenarios
because I find
people so much
more interesting
when they're hiding
in the rain

someone once
told me
"zach, the eyes
are the windows
to the soul and
if you look hard enough
you can see what people are
truly like"
of course
this was all fueled by
drug and drink
and perhaps my
friend was just feeling
philosophical
and perhaps
I ignore that adage
because I was always
afraid to look into
your eyes
because I didn't want
to end up being
disappointed
that your soul
was nothing like I had
imagined

I appreciate the
fact that
I'm able to stand on
the corner here
and *****
and *****
and moan
and complain
and it's being
accepted as
poetry