Ancient Haunt

                           

Let me cook you some dinner.   

Sit down and take off your shoes   

and socks and in fact the rest   

of your clothes, have a daquiri,   

turn on some music and dance   

around the house, inside and out,   

it’s night and the neighbors   

are sleeping, those dolts, and   

the stars are shining bright,   

and I’ve got the burners lit   

for you, you hungry thing.

– Rod Padgett

How To Avoid Life

Speak to empty to space

Drive long distances

And run away once a day

Never make eye contact

Eat gourmet ice-cream

Or sleep through your alarm

Listen to techno

Your mother

And as much fox news 

As humanly possible

Don’t talk to girls

People with money

Or strangers

Avoid nice things

Drink plenty of water

And…well…

Just don’t be wack

Like me and spend

Halloween on your couch 

Eating the candy 

That you bought for kids

Who never came, but hey,

At least there’s Netflix

Midday Nightmares

First, night opened out.

Bodies took root from rotting salt

and seawater into evidence of red life.

Relentless waves pumped tidal air

into a single heartbeat.

– Leanne Howe

each new step 

is an axis

to turn the world by

windows brimming with

familiar sounds 

of the unknown

potential memories

planting butterfly kisses

down our spines

***

we’re so different

from this morning

and its stillness

yet even with our cells

rising and falling 

like Christ on fast forward 

we destroy everything

that cannot be held

between our fingers

black holes

in an endless sea

of blackness

pivoting away

from ourselves

at every chance