A Nice Crisp Solitude

por viento on the wind
be always ready to begin
gather up tacks and thorns and teeth
arrange them neatly underneath
and when they step upon and wail
hold your laughter and don't turn tail:
face your torments even those
you strew below your other's toes



way up north where the skies are grey
and the rain don't stop not once til May
the earth's rich brown and trees are green
duff and moss up to your knees
way out by the Salish Sea
if I were there I'd rather be
a Spirit Bear, not a damn Mountie



Deep predator's eyes
amber flecked
— wild
gazing bloody
at paradise



each new work is a new bud
an emergent potential sure enough
if you could predict what lay within
your work would likely be paper-thin
true art is in the dance and song
intemperate and brief, not long
inspiration comes at a cost
your very mind is completely lost!



this orbiting body is a good friend to keep
one as massive as she can change gravity
while driving along she'll stave off the sleep
and keep you from running into a tree



they see the rose they yearn to taste it
but the thorns defeat all tongues
she enjoys her thorny bramble empty
not a single suitor won
alone at last, left unpestered
she blossoms for the moon
sings her songs of night's dark whispers
hush and you can hear her soothing croon



big crimes don't measure
in an ever-escalating game
a mass shooting every day
becomes monotonous and plain
on a cloud of overstimulation
one can barely feel the pain
honestly nothing won't feel better
so they might as well be the same



she looks at her across the room
she's got her black hat on
she wants her more than ever now
but she's running a marathon
finally her face has cracked
she's bowed under the strain
she grins a predatory smile
her lust begins with pain