1

retire early or rise late
exhaustion seeps in
either way dark circles
frame my eyes
I control nothing

2

up and down
the brick street hills
of Athens, Ohio
my wife imagines
bike rides to school

3

in the end
I’ve always gotten what I wanted
but to celebrate my wins
is to ignore the losses of others.
I’ll stay quiet.

4

chittering ducks
and chirping crickets
moonlit symphony
tuning
the night

5

War in the east
a repeated genocide
miles away from home;
My country offers aid
to the terrorists

6

the old
friend walking across
the rainbow bridge
the comfort of
one day

xxxxx

walking across
the rainbow bridge
the comfort
of one day
and an old friend

7

a friend’s mom’s goddaughter
toddles over to me.
my dislike for children
melts away with each
rest of her head on my shoulder

xxxxx

a goddaughter
toddles over to me
my dislike melts away
with each rest of
her head on my shoulder

8

everything kind and good
must come to an end,
even the earth
kills herself
to be renewed again

9

moving to a new city
every two years
growing up
I remember parks
and librarians