her prom dress
h a n g s
near her coffin

their laughter
their jokes
my scars

I see them
crashing against concrete
rain drops pour

lightning strikes
flooding
the spider from her home

final PERFORMANCE
played on a practice field
with lost friends

he wins our
word game with
silence

the stars tonight
Einstein's theory of relativity
coming back to me

sadness
I see his picture
in all the photo albums

Classic games and
Viking Metal
homework due in an hour

my closest friends
surround me
crushed by their weight

a phone call—
futile attempt
to recapture the past

after dinner fortune cookies
one short
how unfortunate

boiling ball
in the sky
his ice cream melts

musty apartment
smell of cologne and dust
. . . reminds me of you

under the pavilion
watching the rain—
the barbecue is over

sheets of rain
smell of wet cement
refresh me

two weeks past
still
no victory

a sterile room
undressing quickly
caked in delousing powder

Meditation
during
PoPro

 
my father broke                   his fishing rod

evening stroll
feeling winter's first chill
in my fingertips

JNCO jeans and pink thread
pulled by a short needle
the picture of masculinity

hidden sunlight
underneath a thick blanket
of fluff

homework to do,
dishes need washing—
        just a short nap . . .

wandering mind
terrible thoughts
of homework

Who am I
I am lost
I decide that I’m found

Independence Day:
his own
apartment

the hallway:
voices console
teacher's tears

he
lies in hesitation
the I no longer exist

plump lips parting
to touch
Another’s

sunlight and dust
dancing
on the cat's sleek fur

the distant rumble
shakes the fence
near the tracks

cool chocolate drizzling
splotches of brown
on our chins

flying overhead

win ngs of b l u e and y e l l o w
angels on Earth.

dead of night—
struggling to stay awake
on one hour of sleep

stars shining
I find comfort
. . . at last

our song playing
lingering thoughts
but you're gone

moon rising
above the plains
illuminates the scarecrow

my own silverware
for each meal.
Maybe I AM OCD . . .

Friday morning—
I reach for my eyes
to close them again

slight screeching
carried by the wind
hayrack ride

lean in the doorway
the train glides by . . .
morning cigarette

surrounded by fallen leaves
just me and
a caterpillar

on that step
an ant
never truly alone

alone on the haystack
illuminated
by the moon

fall afternoon
the basketball game
put on hold by the leaves

dusty sweatshirt
whistles and cheers
on an autumn night

library
4th floor
world by myself

children lean over the edge
of an old wooden bridge
empty creekbed

an orange leaf
falling
landing at my feet

apple cider and quiet
dream prayers
sleep for hard work

in the lobby
reading a book
getting hooked

labor day:
he moved my hair
our first kiss

Alone
hot chocolate, TV, and new Vogue
good night

wrapped in skin
unseeing eyes
Couch Potato

hayride crawling
cold chill
I pull the blanket tighter

water ripples
under the Brooklyn Bridge
it dawns on me

I sit quietly
somewhere in the distance
burning leaves

golden path . . .
the sun
follows

after the funeral
grandma’s Jesus picture
still hanging by the door

apple pie
scents the house
early dessert

tall and green
apricot breeze
through my garden

alone on the bleachers
watching a game
played in my head

alone in the field I turn
the scarecrow
g l a r i n g

roommate—
whistling a tune
I don’t recognize

clock ticking
the land between
darkness and dreams

crunching leaves
raked away
revealing a grave

looking out
during class—
winter will soon be here

homecoming dance:
i was a freshman
afraid of holding tight

neighbor’s kid
raking my yard
leaves a bit to be desired

fallin leaves . . .
a stretch
and the day begins