the smell of cinnamon as I
walk into the kitchen
snickerdoodles

Oldest of fi- no, si-
     Seven.
Six point five?

on the highway
talking about nothing
glad to speak again

dark night
bright moon
peace

under the caress of
the willow's arms
cool summer shade

chicken on a raft
a drunken sailor's ode
to the world

thick sauce
thin noodles
off the fork

tye dyed tees
running in circles
on the playground

scuffed leather
torn laces
my first mitt

a blue lanyard
lays on the counter
popcorn on the floor

sun already set
I walk
on lonely streets

beer pong table
cups all set
ready for action

music plays from
a speaker
the girl taps her pen

meals with my
daughter
the smoothest pearl

empty mug sits
unused
no pencils to hold

Pink Floyd
the peace
of lunacy

trying to finish
homework in silence—
the cricket

butterflies in my stomach
she watches me
tie my tie

dress up:
new scrubs
and a stethoscope

college:
walmart trip
in our pajamas

blood red paint
stains              the
black leather jacket

Saturday night
dinner and a movie
or two

tickle in my throat
when I wake—
uh-oh

rustling in a bush
a chickadee
plays hide and seek

in a perfect world
a serene lake
legs hanging off the dock

sunlight
finds it way
through tall trees

stroll outside
for a breath of fresh air
manure

driving home
kids play
in the middle of the street

the puppy
stops to explore
all of the flowers

past midnight Tuesday morning
I take the long
     way home

ceramic curves
between my fingers
steam rising

fall storm
flashlights
laughing in the basement

petals falling one by one
she likes me
she likes me not

homeless man
shaking his cup
a trembling hand

car to car
I tune out
the catcalls

first impressions
mean everything
I shake her hand

a foreign language
I wonder if they're
making fun of me

patterns on my hand
in ink
that fades

earthworms
out of place
the wet sidewalk

hairspray
mothballs
church singers

rain falls and she stares
out a window
his retreating figure

finding your old sweatshirt
in the back
of my trunk