spring raced in with an embrace
and a hot kiss near cold puddles
on a Jasper Avenue corner
soaked by yellow cab
gasping shocked
laughing at dirty white sneakers
breathing in the warm moist
holding hands
hungry
spring raced in with an embrace
and a hot kiss near cold puddles
on a Jasper Avenue corner
soaked by yellow cab
gasping shocked
laughing at dirty white sneakers
breathing in the warm moist
holding hands
hungry
I like simple words
less words
less is more
Hemingway would say
less words have
more meaning
more feeling
and short sweet phrases
are the ones we remember
like I love you Natalie
a starburst’s the view
from a black hole
as Mama gives birth to
another little planet
(give her a mic)
I’m in a rocket to my star
(dumb)
I need this!
this is my last chance!
I have to make it—
(she’s eighteen)
they all want to be on stage
they want to be on TV
they all want to feel
the heat of the spotlight
and their star
(dumb)
sign up the next idol
sign up this seasons voice
sign up the next Erica
doesn’t have talent
Warhol rolls over
in his grave
’cause they’re all on the stage
and, you know what?
there’s no audience left
no one’s clapping in the dark
the audience went down
that black hole
as Mama gives birth to
another little planet
one scary shadow
of an itty bitty thing
the light cast just so
made it look
menacing—
like the titles of a film noir
the shadow needed a dark street or a wall
one scary shadow
nearly scared me to death
until I saw the thing
that made me lose my breath
itty bitty seemed
so frightening, quite real
until I saw the thing
that made me feel
like my heart was in my throat
one scary shadow
mixed light with the dark
a wall and a gaze
I looked down, tried to be brave—
and watched itty bitty scurry away
so it didn’t get
stepped on
I liked Bill before
the breakdown better
well, Bill can’t go back
to that Bill, ever
his therapy didn’t cure
him
but it didn’t kill him
either—
his family did
give a dog a
bone or
give two dogs two
bones
doesn’t matter
one dog wants what
the other one has
bone dog is
bone hog
the bone monopolizer—
the bully stick
dominator
the words and ghost coyote are following us—
it’s cold, kind of breezy
I’m uneasy
Jack looks over his shoulder
constantly
feeling my energy
hearing the phrases
feeling my negativity
smelling ghost coyote—
the words are mean and frightening
ghost coyote is hungry
I pretend not to focus but
high anxiety
is not just an old movie
the words and ghost coyote are following us
our steps are spent
being paranoid
Tiggy doesn’t care
he’s in the moment
his intent is scratch and sniff
is all nose
pulling us forward
the words and ghost coyote are behind us
I pretend not to hear them, see it— and
pull Jack along
shaking off the veil
good boy, I hear
myself say
blue gnome and floating Buddha
at opposite ends
watching over my rocks
watching over my deck of cards
initiating sight
liberating insight
guardians of my mindful treasures
miners of visionary ventures
mindful of my monkey mind
meditating on view
meditating on sunbeam
meditating on the new
meditating on birds, on flight
liberating insight
I’m in training—
my sensual indulgence enlightened
I take a deep breath, exhale a heavy sigh
rocks, green grass and songbirds are
daydream symphonies
golden rays seen squinting are
sunbeam philosophies
earth elemental immortal
pleasing to the nostrils
pleasing to the ear
pleasing to the eye
one eye
I’m in training—
shifting in my deck chair
adjusting my deck chair
stretching my feet
feeling the boards
blue and floating
flying in over the Leduc County farm quilt
snow lines, frozen creek bends, highway then runway
welcome to E.I.A., ground temperature minus 30
with a nice wind chill to cool your leftover margarita
cheers to E-Town!
and my tan is disappearing already—
welcome home sun dogs
zombie clones with smart phones
don’t look up to see where they’re walking
zombie clones with smart phones
are very good at texting with two thumbs
but can’t get on the bus without stumbling—
clones alone on the bus, comforted by their friendly devices
don’t look up to see where they’re going
zombie clones with smart phones
on the bus trying to get home
hashtag #missedmystop!