Dad's old guitar
patiently waiting in the corner
for a warm summer night

Spring sneaks in
through the cracked window
I continue working

the gentle stream
runs its course
silence

open door creeks
sways side to side
not a soul

the bull horns
buck his trousers
he runs off

Saturday night
mine ending
as theirs begin

autumn leaves
my head on his shoulder
the bronze man

grass in between my toes
worm guts under my nails
fishing with dad

take a slice
share one
now we're friends

sneeze after sneeze
cough after cough
March madness

I see the love
in her eyes
the dessert menu

twice in one week
asked to dinner
haha

tea
a drink with jam and bread
a struggling friend

the furnace
his face
so close to mine

snow drifts
a child lives
in the moment

small girl in a purple dress
giggles in her mother's lap
a mime waves wildly

gusty night
young lovers embrace
in the back of a convertible

dancing spanish guitar
a tender white shell
flood of beans and rice

I tried
to stay away
vegetarian for a day

summer night
hot dogs roast
on an open flame

talking future
he holds my waist
the wildflower tucked behind my ear

Cheez-its
I'm staying in
again

barefoot girl
on the hood of a Dodge
warm beer

two parents
fight for custody
of the dog

throat scratches
the cat wants
in again

squish     squelch     crunch
sloshing through
wicked witch's kryptonite

grizzly bear hibernates
with a box
of tissues

surprise casseroles
payment
for unyielding small talk

a new tattoo
sinking in—
redefining you

Ben & Jerry
my favorite
therapists

patiently watching
she slides the golden ring on her
finger for the first time

always the one to
fall behind in step
ohana

giggles
the smiling girl
with a strawberry shake mustache

the little girl
gazes at the night sky
"the stars go on forever"

family journey
no sight as beautiful
the Wyoming night sky

filled with confusion
fog in her head
fog in her heart

laying down in snowy silence
thump            giggles
a snowball to her window

undiscovered utopia
the spiderlings emerge
from their leafy cave

mudpuddle shenanigans
accepting her fate
she joins the pups

sitting on the toilet
I hear oncoming footsteps
shit

ink stone
ancient petroglyph
names of the dead

waves of jelly
in the museum
box of lizards

through the light
Mom smiles
make her proud

longboarding across the quad
can he see
me too?

the thumb dance
words fail to arrive
once again

dirt road
deep within the trees
arms reach out

patience is the key
to fishing
you never know

november
enough sunlight to fish
on the ridge

full moon
she smiles
up the stairs

morning sun
heating my shoulders
where he draws circles

she plays her favorite
song on repeat
to cry

songbirds don't
outdo one another
they just sing

dawn breaks
not meant to fit in the crowd
      gingerbread cookies

arms waving wildly
windshield wipers
to the haiku underneath

she kicks the tree
bouncing off like languid hail
Parkour

the wind is
blustering about his
job again

giggle sister departing
soon I will forget
to laugh

red carpet walkers
beautiful gowns and fame
in my sweatpants

dress and heels
he never saw her
like this

Sunday after the funeral
on either side of the altar
matching bouquets

he cooks steak
flowers
he starts what I don't want to hear

pants gone
shirt gone
shower steam between us

remake the bed
trying to forget
the night before

his hand on my waist
our eyes meet
across the room

fireplace glow—
curled in its warmth
my guardian angel

camouflage and combat boots
the picture I cling to
is not enough

limited minutes
she calls
just for fun

leather bound book
protects memories
I return it        to his dresser

a book unfinished
collects dust
second semester

acting like children
in a game of no words
the charade is over

a fallen log
the turtle pokes out
a leaf hovers

vines over stone
the sign eaten away
toadstools return

his kiss
by habit
has no meaning

I can only feel
the memory
fireworks

she visits
for the first time
wearing the same outfit

off the path
she saves
a single        picture

lucky bamboo
stretching tall
I spill the water

stack of cards
         never sent
fall to the floor

soft music plays
as we cruise
an old country road

friday night
the fish unlimited
as the potato pancakes

sticking her head
out of the sunroof
finally free

love turns to like
turns to friends
burning in my bed all alone

crossing things off my infinite list
two more years
then what?

what to say
what to draw
what to show

footprints crack
the ice
snowy silence

popcorn disappears
down my shirt
kids on the slip'n'slide

scattered thoughts
click
the magnets connect

another day passes by
white snow
across the golf course

tingling in my nose
in the middle of an exam
cannot control this one

I look into her
light brown eyes
it is all a lie

a boyish knight
shields himself
from a cloud of germs

petri dish for
virus
college dorms

water bottle
half empty
sunflower seeds

walking on beat
to his favorite song
to the next seminar

fall break
long trek home
I can hear them barking

crisp autumn night
sniffing around
under the stars

backwards hat
a tuft of
blonde hair

pyramid of empty
beer cans
adult Lincoln logs

waited
until the last minute
energy drinks

ketchup and mayo
swirl into tangy paradise
Dad's secret recipe

crunchy sweet kale
mingles with the sting of garlic
family relationships

fishing for
the right words
     the salmon arc upstream

hoping the caf
serves spaghetti
chicken drumstick

tacos lined up
one for each
of the hungry tikes

freshly mowed lawn
over a short fence
the smug Dingleberg brag

corn fields fill the horizon
windows down
Tom Petty guides us

we jump on
the old trampoline
brings us back

the best cure
for tears
daddy's warm embrace

little tacos
lined up
like children

charred salmon
sharp white cheddar
creamy avocado
the sandwich king

gown after gown
like walking visions
the red carpet

hair up
lipstick on
good at pretending

typing
typing
typing
words I don't mean

shoes
a girl's best
friend

phone
depicting me
inside and out

your smile
the only thing I need
on a rainy day

hearing the dog
worry
almost as much as you

tail wagging
fur clouding the air
home is where the dog is

feet: noun
the prisoners
of our shoes

pat pat patting
with every pat,
thinking of you

a winter wonderland now a slushy wasteland

my nose starts working overtime
mom's cooking

he looks up at a heron
on one knee
it's all charades

he bends down
pretending to drive Hot Wheels
like he did as a boy

last night
muddy shoes
forgotten earrings

the vigilante creeps
through the gloomy street
not a stir

family reunion
first comes love
then comes dessert

wahpooh
an elephant
ehtsoup
a mouse

blowing snow passes by me
without knowledge of my existence
just as she does

cold feet
I approach her
after walking in the snow

we miss him everyday
hoping he comes back
knowing he never will

disheveled beard
blackened hands and face
he leans over the hood

moose on the road
somewhere
being missed

one bun, two bun,
three bun
four?

kissing goodbye
slobber
on my nose

forgotten
buried in the sand
her favorite doll

bread crumbs falling
never hitting the floor

on the screen
chatting with my brother
face to face

expansion
lungs desperate for air
the final 'A'

driving alone
holding a conversation with
the One who listens

watching the sunrise
drawing on my cigarette
smoke straight up

her eyes shining
glowing and hot
from the campfire

a night at home
remembering why you
are who you are

looking out the window
at the mush pile
our dead snowman

down on his knees
doing his best
to be a cat

the little girl points
in the fresh snow
bunny footprints

I keep saying no
but I want to say yes
girl scout cookies

the last time
holding hands
they no longer fit

three empty chairs
accompany me as I eat
alone again

thin mints and bad bowling
is this how
it begins?

girls' night in
wine box and candy wrappers
new gossip

my sister flops on my bed
still pretending
she didn't miss me

silent
but for the crashing
           ave
of the w    s

hot lake
my paddle
sink
     ing
         d
           o
            w
             n

alone on the deck
trees
storm
stars

he looks up to me
as I look
down at myself

slide on the slide
swing on the swing
merry-on-the-go-round

hands fixing
things fixing
me

struggling with the pole
the kid reels in
a chunk of seaweed

mom calls us for dinner
six seconds pass
mom calls us for dinner

the second hand
fails to reach
the next minute

under my blazer
America
always

sitting on our porch
overlooking our world
the crickets

on all fours
he commits fully
to winning the game

walking in the park
we laugh at the future
sweat trickles down my back

sun warms her chest
exposed       bare
lonely

broken fourth wall
on the stage
real life

coloring book
he waits for his mother
the doctor enters

cellar door
the English language
hides her beauty

old rollercoaster
first time going down
a loose bolt in sight

walking through the forest
alone together
the crunch of leaves

the beating of thunder
and the rhythm of rain
Earth sings its song

mother's touch
to help you back into bed
no more nightmares

two cardinals
footprints unmask
dirt in the snow

four pounds
of pink ground beef
next to ice cream

peaceful lake
the canoe bobs
rings from a line

after the breakup
a pink phone case
over it

first time sick
away from home
                missing mom

that one aunt
who always brings the cake
I forget her name

playground romance
bingo
was his name-o

mystery novel
left at the scene
novel mystery

taxes filed
we stop for hot fudge
sundaes

far-off dreams
she holds them
between her ribs     tight

commentator
the question
turns into a monologue

dinner party
perfect strangers
leave as friends

spider's lair
a cricket awaits its fate
the dark blue eyes

bathed in red
alien sounds
the drums speak

oyster farmer
he hangs up his coat
for a homecooked meal

scrambling for every spare penny
              girl scout cookie season

windows down
oldies blaring
they don't know me

standing at the front
of the boat
testing inertia

a loving kiss
she's sick
then he's sick

drunk        magical snow globe
next day
sober        slipping, falling

she sneezes
three times in a row
God bless

standing on top of a Jeep
two young girls
able to see the world

he rubs her back
if only he were the one
she loves

continual sighs
from the other side of the room
I don't ask why

pebbles tossed
into the lake
she says yes, no, maybe

clomping boots
and a hunting jacket
dad's duckling

             sitting
again                    around
home                    the
         table dinner

third grade class
forms their crooked line
whispering and waiting

little cousins
unwrapping Christmas candies
Grandpa tells his stories

November wind
empty cans blow past
the smashed jack o lantern

disgusting turkey rolls
me and dad
missing mom

just mom and me
snuggled on the couch
movie marathon

corn fields
one after another
after another