roaring
          the waterfall
drowns our quarrel

petrified wood
the look in her eyes
feels the same

I see my notes
hanging on her wall
well loved

sea glass
sitting in a cup
a pen standing up

waking up
can’t remember putting on
(t)his shirt

reminiscing the spring dew
all the lies
were told here

baguette falls
into a puddle
they'll always have Paris

different             tongues
friendship found
through the language of d                      e
                                         a           c
                                                n

billions of light years away
the stars
and you

runningtobeatthetrainlateforclass

hawk changes course
to snag a starling's neck
. . . friends no more

hungover
I tell my parents
I have the flu

she puts on her
tie-dye shirt
to display her personality

illegible tombstone
fresh flowers
someone remembers

resting on his shoulder
won't this moment
last forever?

yellow duckling—
I want to be
standing by your side

one paddle
holds all the memories
we will make

sea dragon
the sand castle topples
he starts another

glancing at my watch
still a bit of time
for procrastination

little artist
drawing in the dust
a home run missed

crab fisherman
watches his life
go under

brothers gather
around a large
wobbly table

three grown men
uncomfortably squashed
a small back seat

my cup of coffee
and I
both Irish

spring breeze—
walking along the quiet creek
she remembers

bedtime kisses
dad tells me
what to dream

Christmas lights line
the backyard
he cooks his wife a meal

he drowns
the bland sandwich
in ranch dressing

car races by
loud bass
N-bomb dropped

annoying fly
I swat it
another whizzes by

Alice in Wonderland
she cries through the
mirror

we pass by
the Mississippi river
down below

xylophones
the bass drum
the whole band in front of me

castle in front of me
ears perched on my head
home

feet
tripping over each other
just keep smiling

chrome rims
LED lights
showtime

I stand motionless
my dream car
passes by

sun flower seeds
all over the floor
strike three!

steady cool stream—
they find themselves
falling into place

riviera night
light springs from the water
to your eyes

cherry berry
study break
man begs for a dollar

an awkward conversation
to break the silence
I didn't know was there

ditched—
for the chance of a date
with his dream girl

hula hoop contest
free throw competition
driveway covered in chalk

sticking to your side
I blame it on the
scary movie

no thigh gap
one-inch closer
to being part of their world

back
to the way things were
is this what I wanted?

one bite penetrates
   | the juicy fruit |
        (mango)

the best
free medicine
haiku

 
Mirror | forever displeased | rorriM

road blocks
the entire neighborhood
lawnmower races

kids trying
trampoline dismounts
one biffs it

sharing the sink
talking through the mirror
foamy toothpaste grin

the granddaughter
whispers
her last goodbyes

laying in bed
no more small talk
I love you

with much love
mom does the dishes
again.

imprint on my arm
feeling the sting
of the soccer ball

by herself on a tire swing
mom's car stops
"get in"

her ratty stuffed animal
finally
one that cuddles back

bottom of the sixth
fenced inside the field
sore feet

sitting in the shade
best friends shit talk
old best friends

pushing the baby swing
trying to see the world
like he does

sipping her water
the mare
stares at herself

doing my laundry
yet another
awkward encounter

the ocean
a warm breeze
keeping my heart warm

Sunday morning rain
red solo cup floats alone
U-Dog's parking lot

mud on my thigh
sitting criss cross applesauce
after the rain

catch in the park
a new friend
feels old

girls bathroom
she carefully creates
a perfect careless bun

two sidewalks
one in the sun
I take a longer walk

dodgeball tournament
trying his hardest
to be invisible

cigarette burns
a drunken reminder
to stop smoking

skinny white boy
crooning Louis Armstrong
uncomfortable silence

spring cleaning
in the attic sun
tap shoes gather dust

everything I know pours out
the last dribble
from the vodka bottle

sunrise
we strip down
splash into the lake

smile nice
Mom said
don't say anything

all together
then
one single drop

first car out of the cemetery
speeding past
loved ones

baby shower
I realize
the clock is ticking

another bend
now      at last     the moon
and all the stars

all that is left
is your ghost
sleeping in my bed

slowly caressing
each little rock
the smooth creek

crescent moon
her words linger
on my cracked lips

smokers cough
heart attack
on my wedding day

dreaming . . .
dust
on the window

painted wood ponies
rear their heads
and gallop off into the night

soft clucking
hens dream of keeping
their eggs safe

one part sand
one part sea
worries drift away

beer foam
lonely eyes
across the bar

blue eyes peeking out
          from under his ball cap
hitching my breath

squealing in delight
spaghetti face
tiny handprints

a forgotten glass
filled to the brim
stars and moonshine

black roses
all over
her body

two hearts on the wall
a loving couple
making their mark

bamboo hut
the hermit brews
hot tea

spoon party
the little boy hides
a dusty closet

empty koi pond
somebody's daughter
left alone

new house
new furniture
old ghosts

sex jokes on the screen
mom freezes
I melt into the couch

refusing to be forgotten
faint moon
in the sun's sky