2.29.2012

On the Japanese Train

The girl with the asterisk hair arrives

as easy as the center of May. She turns

in her space, strumming her fingers out

across the edges of herself, then smiles.

The train slides in to the next town —

just another town spinning exactly back

to where it was twenty-four hours before —

and out, steady as the tide. Inside

school girls in their sailorette pleats

gaze through their bangs at the floor,

the businessmen try to climb out

of the cages of themselves to stare,

and fail, and young mothers strapped

to their children stare into the dark

of their own reflection. An empty bottle

of electric soda rolls across the floor.

This train rolls on across the world.

Suddenly — the girl with the asterisk hair

flings open a window and goes spinning

into the night, a star unto herself.

2.28.2012

Spring ...


waits
under
the
snow

you
don't
have
to do
a thing.

2.22.2012

Birth


The tremors begin, not a worry
at first, just a faint hiss between
the inspiration-expiration song
of the lungs and the heartbeat's
verdant "wish-wish, wish-wish."
But then the cataclysm.
A terrible hammering begins
and a rent forms in the world
where before there was continuity.
Brave little pioneer, sick with speed,
you are cast out into noisy dry light.
You vomit a mouthful of water,
then give yourself up to the void
of those few seconds where
your whole life will happen
before you again taste the ambrosia
of your mother and are saved.

2.20.2012

A Life

is not
what it's about
it's how
it is
about it.

2.15.2012

Scripture

Pity scripture,
never quite
actual rapture,
never  quite
so not it
doesn’t tug.

It’s not
enough.
You go rote.
Hours thin,
air stills,
ends diminish
into endings.

When that
happens,
remember
it happens,
and go perhaps
to the pond

to make
a branch 
a boat,
some leaves
the crew,
and drift
the journey.

Then make
the boat
your body,
the crew
your loves,
and the journey

the meaning
scripture
hints at: why
when we know
this day
will be
forgotten,

we still sail.

2.13.2012

Night after night,

the dog
walks the same road,
amazed.


Same with me
with you.

2.08.2012

Fizz Fizz Fizz


Fizz fizz fizz
goes the world world world
and zip zip zip
go the people.

Tap tap tap
go the hands hands hands
and buzz buzz buzz
go the voices.

Zoom zoom zoom
go the years years years
and down down down
go the nations.

Tick tick tick
goes the time time time
but still
burn
the stars.

2.06.2012

Yes, I Hear You, But

what 
are 
God's 
metrics?

2.01.2012

Something Gives

"Look, Dad, 
I'm a penguin," 
she yells as she 
skims down the 
skate park ramp's
rare skin of snow.
Down she goes
again and again. 

Something gives 
each time I 
pull her up.
What's it like 
to not worry 
about falling? 
You think back 
a long way. 

Almost as good 
as knowing 
how much falling 
hurts and playing 
anyway. You limp 
toward the edge
then faster, shouting, 
"Honey, look!"