fall break.
re-introducing myself
to my dog

neighbor kitty cries
at the porch door
"come love me, again"

Halloween house show
we sneak Jell-o shots
from the fridge

stale orange leaf
       I step on the sidewalk crack
                  and think of mom

home . . .
couch after couch
i find places to sleep

homecoming
i hope i don't see
you

favorite wool sweater
unfolded and taken out
of its box

crew neck
worn and torn
smells like you

steak n shake
no more late night visits
to our favorite waitress

late-night diner
apple pie
like Mama used to make

early morning walk
holding hands
through the neighborhood

coughing relentlessly
the smoke follows me
around the bonfire

my head lay
in the soft crook
of mommy’s arm

sitting under the tree
the grass tickles
my leg

I stop and stare
at the dried up leaves
fallen soldiers

midnight milkshakes
we talk for hours
under dim diner light

breakdown in the bathroom
wiping my face
so she’ll never know

soft rustling
the breeze
kisses my face

feeling like I’m
lost in a corn maze—
midterms

visitor pass
I walk through the halls
of my former life

haunted corn maze
he holds
her hand

first homecoming
little sister picks out
a fancy dress

cold hallway
old fears
rushing back

winds whistle
through the gaps
in my ribcage

car ride karaoke
man at bus stop
cracks a smile

overgrown backroad
my house peacefully waits
for me to come home

highway d
too many memories
lost in the accident

drive by
the highschool stadium
friday night lights

5-hour car ride
I’m not touching you
monkey butt

I pull into the driveway
almost hit my brother
playing basketball

going home for fall break
I pack up my things
to drive across town

fall break
my neighborhood’s road
has new pavement

left turn lane
pass the town fountain
now I’m home

fall break
speeding home
for dad’s hotdish

outside
for five minutes
a bugbite

he apologizes
with PBR
and a t-shirt

fresh sheets
on my childhood bed
welcome home

Skyline Chili billboard
a sign
I am almost home

puzzle pieces
my head
your shoulder

           child-
hood    home.   may-
   be              some
   day                I’ll
   go               back
   a    g    a    i    n.

KROGER IS CLOSING
freshmen and the homeless
out of opportunities

autumn breeze
chills the air
and your words

spooky season
there's a ghost
in my room

dad’s home
from rehab
i missed that smile

tachycardic
then flatlined
she’s gone home

golden corn fields
down in the holler
nothing on but the radio

cobblestone porch
the dream
we used to have

a soft breeze
brushing my baby curls
tickling my neck

the only friends who’ll listen . . .
crickets
and the moon

mom and me
drinking on the porch . . .
we do that now?

after several years,
i found my home
in you

Memphis bridge
lit up
home

boys in blue
my dad
is the "bad guy"

lapping waves
the lake
calls my name

homecoming weekend
i watch the festivities
on snapchat

funeral day
coffee and crumbs
at the bottom of my cup

a soldier laid to rest
surrounded by
family and friends

lying still
your hands
really are cold now

trick or treat
my brother
is “too old” now

father pulling a calf
a little cowboy hat peaks
over the stable

rolling green fields
the combine goes
another round

chili with a hint of cinnamon
over a bed of spaghetti
an acquired taste

castles
for corporate princes
steel capturing the sun

corn cob water tower
a lone Canadian Goose
flies southward

a large truck
with a loud megaphone
silly boys

reflections of glimmering towers
in a polluted river
Cincinnati skyline

night out at Billy’s Tavern
hoping to catch the ghost
of a saloon girl

little sister
tied to a backyard tree
with glittery jump rope

high school mirror
did I really look
like that . . . ?

the girl spends hours
putting on a new face
boy ready in 5 minutes

I can't resist
            crunching
                    every dry leaf

October night
chills down her spine
the haunted house

walking down my street
it’s greener than
I left it

end of the semester
returning home
with half of myself

stupid song stuck in my head
pushed aside again
I want to leave

new mirror
highlighting
the blemishes

thunder overhead
oh no
it was just O'hare

no clouds
from train's bridge
we see the skyline

tumbleweeds
the wind carries
them away