some things
will never be the same
you changed me
forever
for the better

checked out
lounging out in the sun
pulled like taffy
alternating rows of red and white
interest long gone

the tick and the tock
of the grandfather clock
in the corner of
my grandmother's home
whispers of lost futures

elm leaves swirl
across blinking street lights
and i can't decide
if i wish i'd never met you
or met you sooner.

alone for the holidays
she is miles away
using the thumb kiss app
on our phones
smiles every time

Just because
you move faster
than grandma
that doesn't make you
the Roadrunner

texting our friends
and talking about boys,
we've come a long way
from making mud pies
in grandma's sandbox

she draws flowers
with a pencil
delicate as a newborn baby
swaddled in cotton
she dreams of flying away

high-beams cutting through
the black stillness
another winter night
spent in the cab
a sleepless night ahead

mornings
waking up with sun
in my eyes, and
you under the same sheets,
pure happiness

families gather
on the table
a feast
again for me
a single turkey pot pie

Sing, choir of angels!
many notes sung
one lands flat
Start again
     Here we go

a quick glance
a gentle smirk
and a shrug
is all i need
to understand my father

how can
other person
complete me when
i am already
whole

i always wish
that i knew you
better than i do,
i drive down your block
just in case

a dandelion
behind her ear
so many dreams
to share
with me

quiet night
after the birthday party
she whispers
over the pillow
I miss Mom

an univited fairy
curses Sleeping Beauty
what will it take
to mend the wound
in the family?

Beneath
the owl's eyes
are my Nana's
and mine
a shared love

Thanksgiving
Another chance
to beat Cousin Erma
in
a turkey-stuffing contest

Tell
that story again, Dad
You know,
the one about
Nana's coffee lasagna

red lips
hair flips a plenty
word vomiting
scatterbrained
blah, blah, blah

body count high
good paté
you're beautiful
flowing blonde locks
she's a mythic bitch

mist over the water
the sun awaking
on the horizon
on the day for turkey
I hunt for duck

tiny Asian beetle
scurries across the table
myself — playing God
letting him live
watching his journey continue

it’s the little victories
in life, like owning a pair
of jeans without
a Copenhagen ring in
the back left pocket

Football
Ugh, now?!
You just got here
can you please
just see me?

piercing eyes
pursed lips
holding in a fart
a very high horse
check and mate

can you believe
the sweetest touch
burned such a cold
memory into
my skin?

i never thought
i'd find myself
confused,
waking up
in my own bed