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SELVES
Selves
Lonelyhaiku
Still Home?
CRASH—
and my hand’s
broken in the sand
But I stand
up and extend
my eyes to
The horizon
and watch the crows
explode
One hundred and
nine degrees…
Such abrupt a turn
In this reverse
I fail to see
the benefit
And though I may
walk in circles
I know this much at least:
You cannot
suppress
a notion
You cannot
oppress
an ocean
And you cannot
repress
me
Polyrhythmic crickets went silent when I passed by
so I’ll mind my step
Unaccustomed to the sound of quiet since you passed on
You left your step
I can’t find your step
But are you still home?
I thought I saw purple glints in your hair that weren’t there
But how could I know?
I’d just like to see if it’s time for your petals to unfold
Looking through some photographs you left behind
I have tried to find the rest
Polyrhythmic crickets await your sound
if you’re found
Just mind your step, just mind your step
But now that I’m home I couldn’t leave if I tried
‘Cause I’m still home, I’ll wait awhile
till it’s time to tell what’s been untold:
When I was with you I glowed like the
dark air just before the headlights crest
Sun Scream
June Apathy
I took a walk along the power lines
slicked with sunshine
and watched the kids gape at
their screaming suns
for they couldn’t wait till dark
to start the sparks
but neither can you
And you’ve got pocketfuls of particles
but I’ve got none
so rest your head on someone else’s knee
and do it quickly
‘cause I’m not ready for you
I can’t be ready for you
and you’re not ready for me
Your son is screaming in the living room
Won’t you tend to him?
Don’t pretend you don’t hear him call
Hear him crying from behind these paper walls
I know it’s hard
I know it’s so hard
I know you’ve been barred
and that I’ve scarred you
Don’t let go
Don’t let go of me
I will try to release you
Which leaves me:
the longest light who teases
the shortest night it precedes
And you: the butterfly between
sole and sun-soaked concrete
​
On the steel and in the stones
brushing fingers ‘gainst your wrist
Swinging legs and thick shadows
your choreographies condense
And your forehead’s numbing
from the fracture of a thought
as the transatlantic
bridges cool and fall apart
You don’t know how this all came to be
but it feels so far from ordinary
‘Cause you are not immune to an apathetic June
And while it’s not opportune it’s an apathetic June
‘Cause you are not immune to this apathetic June
So few of us are immune to an apathetic June
Pencils snap and ivories
cut my fingers as they perch
The paper’s blank, a lack of ink
won’t let a melody emerge
The sun is hidden while our faces lose their glow
And the notes will fade in approaching monochrome
And how did all of this even come to be?
‘cause it feels so far from ordinary
But I am not immune to an apathetic June
Few of us are immune to an apathetic June
Yeah we are not immune to this apathetic June
So we will wait and see if July brings something new
Monday Storms
Don't Let Your Gaze Leave Mine
The chokecherry keeps reminding me
that we’re nearing the end of this season
And you may trim the violet clean
but August simply cannot be outrun
Mahogany blushes as it’s soaked with rain
A deepening stain
The house, encased, surveys the afternoon
In exile, I found fields were best viewed from
the fraying edges of the setting sun
The driftwood there, atop the stool—
it found its place, no need to resume
floating in the sea
Soon we will anchor just the same
We’ll wash ashore
as ancient remains of coastal trees
​
Monday storms wet our eyes
but fail to wear down tangible time
Monday storms compromise
but who would let them break our ties?
You or I?
​
Don’t let your eyes leave mine, dear
Don’t let your gaze leave mine, dear
Don’t let your hands leave mine, dear
Don’t let your grip leave mine, dear
Don’t let your heart leave mine, dear
Don’t let your love leave mine, dear
Voice / Breaths
Your voice is not how I expected, how I expected
But until now, I hadn’t heard it, I’d never heard it
So I will listen, I will notice how we become
accustomed to each other’s timbre
​
While you fumble off, you fumble off the field
​
Your voice is not how I expected, not how I’d left it
You tell me that you haven’t chosen, you didn’t decide yet
But if you’d calm down, we could make waves
Yeah if you’d just come ‘round, I could take you to a new place
​
But you crumple up, you crumple up in fear
But you crumble in, you crumble in your fear
So I stumble out, I stumble out of here
Yeah I stumble out, I stumble out of here
and I let you breathe in and out
Till you turn to me, and swallow up your fear
and we tumble off, we tumble off the pier
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