1
How many times
have I crossed
the lintel
of the same door
in fear of sunlight
or my home?
Never in this life
nor in the next

2
Look! my father says
slowing the station wagon
on a Hollister road
between fields
of commercial flowers.
A river of caterpillars
crossing the road.
Truck horn behind us,
my father speeds up and
we go on towards town
careful to follow the tire
paths, two muddy ribbons
of smashed bug slush.

3
I tried coconut milk
and lemon in my tea
last night and it was
so good I tried
mustard on an orange
this morning

4
tell the rooster
he can not be a rooster
let him go make the farmer
honor his hens and
he will say
it is just as I feared
world without eggs
amen amen

5
I return home
six days away
On my porch
the hibiscus blossomed
without me

6
Where pulse meets wave
I touch the ocean
the ocean touches me

7
a salted slug
will tell you
it’s gonna be hard
staying pretty now

8
mid-November
winter oranges almost ready
in the backyard
vinca marigold begonia
and portulaca blossom
birds of paradise too
strange companions for
the Christmas amaryllis

9
In the time of kudzu
The Answerer
no one asks
sleeps in a forest
of Joshua trees
At El Salar de Uyuni
a desert of salt contains
brine made of light
a lithium sea self-illuminated
electronic balm for your
sadness my love

10
Early November
a V of geese flying eastward
over the ponding basin silent
wary of house fires
and a boy with a pellet gun

11
How they melted!
those second-rate chimes
singing hell’s bells
and lies about you
leaving me

12
Bulbs in my garden sprout
Two planets
form in my kidney

 

13
With my trembling hands ‬
I try to remember
the declining day
words are memories
lunch mask laptop
CPAP audiobook 
my lungs hurt
a brick resides
inside my head
fire everywhere

14
There was an old geezer named Mark 
Whose preference for coffee was dark
On flavors he frowned
“Care for decaf?” No sound 
But his cells sloughing off, and a quark


15
In the live oak‬
‪the mockingbird calls‬
‪past midnight‬
‪Darkness and birdsong‬
‪'til morning‬


16
And a 1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4
Dump Trump
poompapoom 
poompapoom 
poompapoom
Dump Trump
poompapoom
poompapoom
poompapoom
Dump Trump 
poompapoom
poompapoom
poompapoom
Dump Trump
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