Three out of four
ceiling fans spin high
above the café floor. This corner
table doesn’t wobble—she’s free
to write hard or lean heavy
into daydreams long buried
in a cold vault.
Grounds
Hours before sipping iced raspberry
green tea (the color
of irresistible smiles), she walked
the trail leading out
of town. Began with listening to the first
song on the first album Uncle
Tupelo recorded. Twenty
years ago today, she was still
not here. She believes
in increments. Wonders what happened
to all the percolators. In this green
café, the view of the old CC
across the street zigzags
off the map.
Didn’t Even Bite Me
It was an English sheepdog
on the island. I got tangled
in the wire—cut across
the tender part
of the ankle. Left
a scar next to the skin
I would permanently mark
later with a plastic
razor. On the same island.
And those nautical rope
bracelets with ends
fastened by fraying
and burning. I had
one of those too.
Massage Before or After Hours
She’s asking
for it. Live a life
without knives
or cars. Crossing
a street, she’s asking for it
to be safe
for this one between
day. A forgotten anniversary
smashes against one
yet to be named. The sound
it makes
soothes. She remembers
Dark Shadows.
Trailing Arbutus
Return to sender
flowers with no vase. The best
intentions need little
water to survive. A bouquet
of regrets left
on the stoop. It’s time to give
these stems away.
Havoc Untold
She watches violent,
psychologically disturbing films to calm
down. To forget
the way people unravel at their own
pace. The train rumbles
down its tracks. To speak softly might transport
her further into someone
else’s imagination than releasing another roar.
Won’t Chase Cars
On this cross-quarter day,
she walks toward the last
time you fell on concrete
and didn’t cry out. She can’t
undo what’s been done. But
she can scream the loudest
for you.
Haptic—Or Don’t Chase the Bus
When he says he wants
to take you
for granted, don’t wait
to take off.
Cinco de Mayo festivals
don’t always fall
on the 5th. When they do,
it’s time to take
our names seriously—or
at least find
an urban maypole
dance to join.
Won’t See the Great Lake Swimmers Tonight
In her red and white
checked picnic table
cloth pattern dress
and black belt
without so many adjectives, she’s not ready
to be seen
after dark. Not ready
to see a white dwarf
star or terrorist
losing control. She is
ready, however, to witness
shifts in the weather
and small adjustments
to the rock garden
behind the row house
where she used to live.
Knock Three Times
A case of grinding
teeth as if
to shout out:
“I’m still alive!”
A strained ankle
for no reason—could be
misspelled. Those whispers
could mean it’s time to play
dead or to move
farther down river
before the quiet descends again.
