1

alone time
recharging
at an open window

2

stomach misfortunes
we laugh
and blame the dog

3

prayer filled breaths
the night
you decided to stay

4

flame society
somehow we smile
in a world of ash

5

Beach Boys sing
favorite vegetables
I eat the celery.

6

music in my mind
I keep my feet in check
(slow down)

7

windows open 
eyes closed 
I am fine 

8

upstream
i long to return
i can't

9

waiting for sunrise
though—
it's never been late

10

concrete spires
a machine invisible
from the inside

11

therapy 
I express my fears 
to a bar of soap

12

long drive 
I sing the song 
my father sang 

13

cancer diagnosis
the first time
I am angry at God

14

clutching my rosary
I beg
for his life

15

sun setting
I wonder how much
time he has

16

her legs are
s h a k i n g
good class

17

bee stuck
in her hair
           she runs faster

18

reach toward the
sky — praising
the sun

19

the piano man
if only he could
sing us a song tonight

20

public aid phone call
we regret to inform you
he's no longer alive

21

making the playlist
for grandma's wake
add more Beatles

22

woodpecker on the shaded
side of the tree, tap tap
tap dancing

23

end of the day: sun's retreat
this bitch empty . . .
yeet

24

picnic by myself
turkey sandwich, cold
happy birthday

25

diet
no this, no that
what can I eat?

26

he sprints across
to greet me—
cat's paw

27

blanket fort
stay until
fully charged.

28

breathe in
a book and
tea

29

the man watches
as she slowly turns away
sunken ship

30

high school gym
first practice
untapped potential

31

i walk
eight miles
my hands still      shake

32

i fall in a pit of blood
nightmares
dad

33

it's okay
to say
"i'm not okay"

34

four a.m.
two benadryl, one nyquil deep
alone, awake

35

"Serve and Protect"
they say
then curbstomp

36

more water
a bit less food
baby steps

37

Friday night turn up
ain't no laws when drinking claws
oh, shit here comes 12

38

four loko
my brain go loko
four da boys

39

get up
first task
done

40

muscle stretch
vinyasa kisses
pleasant burn

41

i Do thInGs aLl
oN My oWn
fReE WilL

42

you need to
just stop
and ~vibe~

43

the passing of a Tzadik
may her memory be
a revolution

44

her soul departs
what remains—
a sacred vessel

45

fresh soil
watered by my tears
I bury papa

46

rising up
back on the street
I pretend to be Rocky

47

daisy blooms
on her t-shirt
hair as golden as the sun

48

moonlit sky
flurry of untamed thoughts
run wild as a werewolf

49

post-workout
he sits too long
on the bathroom floor

50

elastigirl and stickman
unlike my mother
i am stiff

51

I feel diStressed
   the pillOw was the one who
       reSponded to my call

52

life revolves
around me
Karen

53

a reason?
I didn't think
you were trash

54

been six hours
since lunch
did i lose weight yet?

55

foggy room
a creature in the broken mirror
             sedis htob no ylgu m'I

56

a hole in my sock
the fattest of the goblins
back at it again

57

thin glass door
isolates the air
tornado

58

head laid down
dolled up
to rest

59

hand in hand
walk down the aisle
viewing

60

". . . ok boomer"
Rome falls
at my command

61

corpse pose
lying on my back
I fall asleep

62

from the depths of hell
her misery
now contagious

63

mom told me
nothing tastes as good
as losing weight

64

in for four          hold for four

out for four        repeat

65

stick
bucket
bucket
bucket
a castle!

66

c h a s s é
step    step
      step—balance
    again

67

candlelight illuminates
the words
she never wrote

68

shutting the book
why do I feel
so empty?

69

just drink some water
they say . . .
it never helps

70

"reconnecting" with
the estranged
at the procession

71

dark and cold
2 AM
I warm myself with my breath

72

unknown feelings
woven between lines
of the eulogy

73

ick
          red skin
          scrub away the feelings

74

"I'm fifteen"
he grabs my thigh
anyways

75

killers freed from
her name
BRIONNA TAYLOR

76

mom flies to California
her daughters jealous
a goodbye they can never say

77

favoritelinenpantshugmythighs
I skip
breakfast

78

crow circles
pastel sky
broad brush strokes

79

magicians
my friend
fits in a small box

80

after the funeral
her aunt's old ring
what a shitty trade

81

he might be your dad
or it might be him
the bottle took them both

82

cremation
just one way
to get a smoking bod

83

in church pews
contemplating
the better place

84

newlywed faces
pause at the intersection
funeral procession

85

friends . . .
tree of shells for
the Christmas ornament

86

he imagines
a pyre,
there is no flame

87

garden walk
my parents tell me
something's wrong

88

nine lives
a lot for an animal
that only naps

89

red bike
I spoke and it
appeared

90

sign on the door
don't look back
you don't live there anymore

91

letters sprawled
writing on the ground
i l g b e
l e i l

92

the windows creep
lower
and lower
sunset

93

my birthday
he forgets

second time

94

finally I confess
he says,
K.

95

kindergarten graduation
dancing
on mom's feet

96

funeral chatter
she asks me
"where did grandma go?"