T h e L oo k e r
S e e s s o m e t h I n g s
s o m e w h a t a c c u r a t e l y
s o m e o f t h e t I m e.
H I s e y e s c a m e r a – s h u t t e r
b l I n k s
I n t o c u r s o r y f r a m e.
T h e y s I d e – g l a n c e a t w a r n I n g s
b e t w e e n s e e – n o – e v I l f I n g e r s.
T h e y s t a r e a t n u d e s t a t u e s,
a t c r a c k e d n I p p l e s, a n d w e a t h e r e d,
s h r u n k e n p e n I s e s o f a n c I e n t p o l y m a t h s,
k n o w I n g t h e w o r l d.
T h e f I x e d g a z e o n n e o n y e l l o w
s t r o b e s f l a r I n g a b o v e s t r e e t
c o u r t e s a n s a n d t h e I r m a n y a r t s.
A n u p – a n d – d o w n o n s o m e
b o d I l y p o r t r a y a l o f t h e f u t u r e – s h e.
E p h e m e r a l v I e w s o f h I g h l I g h t
t h r o u g h s q u I n t I n g c y a n I r I s.
A s u r r e a l I t y of h I m – I s m s;
b a r e – b r e a s t m e r m a I d s a n d a r I a s I r e n s,
d I s t a n t b u t I n s I g h t.
A n e w l o o k a b o u t h I s
f a c e a s o n e a p p r o a c h e s,
b l I n k I n g:
a m I s e e I n g t h I s
Guesswork
I believe firmly in:
what will be words
of Post- H. Sapiens,
whatever replaces
telescopes,
bookaholics
perusing under
foregone trees.
Less so, but still:
in figures withheld by corner
-eye, there, gone; certain of it.
That some clowns step
backwards into forests
with shushed index finger.
How tarot-seers claim us bird,
then we feel and know
this sudden beak.
With weak inkling:
in an Ensō stroked over,
oft over, by the towering
brush making many-handed
flecks. Instruments these,
and utensils made shrines
for curated, cannoned lists.
If nothing else:
in the flowered Calyx of Held
where all things at one moment
inter-are, inter-be, then expand utterly
to the far reaches of mind, beyond, the next.
Dear Self
unlit room, glasses frame with left
lens popped out, swig of 1/10th the bottle,
that’s that, hard-on for a married,
such want, such yester-decade,
library of pipe dream blueprint,
backpack with limbs and bookends
of better men, parrot of therapist says,
documentary of fell off, ink smear
of a half-filled moleskin, scribblings
of a once upon, a tick sheet of trying,
glassed gaze at a hurt, vintage veined
with an upped dose, egg-shells of doctor
talk, you, upturns & downswings, you,
each come around the chances of scratch
-off, utterer of good-things-do, bent knee
with crossed fingers, this burnt throat,
bloated lies & a little fib, I say I said
I didn’t and don’t, blackout text exes
and lets white-out weeks at a stretch,
ever the cat flash eyed and vanished,
broke-wing bird squawk at a feeder,
unfixed dog foaming at mouth,
what teeth, what wary, alert gums,
what time is it, the moxie of fuck clocks,
blank on the in-between of safe space and help,
the village stoning of call me, please
OR
or.
Should I just skip to the good parts?
Sincerely,
Yours Truly
S e e s s o m e t h I n g s
s o m e w h a t a c c u r a t e l y
s o m e o f t h e t I m e.
H I s e y e s c a m e r a – s h u t t e r
b l I n k s
I n t o c u r s o r y f r a m e.
T h e y s I d e – g l a n c e a t w a r n I n g s
b e t w e e n s e e – n o – e v I l f I n g e r s.
T h e y s t a r e a t n u d e s t a t u e s,
a t c r a c k e d n I p p l e s, a n d w e a t h e r e d,
s h r u n k e n p e n I s e s o f a n c I e n t p o l y m a t h s,
k n o w I n g t h e w o r l d.
T h e f I x e d g a z e o n n e o n y e l l o w
s t r o b e s f l a r I n g a b o v e s t r e e t
c o u r t e s a n s a n d t h e I r m a n y a r t s.
A n u p – a n d – d o w n o n s o m e
b o d I l y p o r t r a y a l o f t h e f u t u r e – s h e.
E p h e m e r a l v I e w s o f h I g h l I g h t
t h r o u g h s q u I n t I n g c y a n I r I s.
A s u r r e a l I t y of h I m – I s m s;
b a r e – b r e a s t m e r m a I d s a n d a r I a s I r e n s,
d I s t a n t b u t I n s I g h t.
A n e w l o o k a b o u t h I s
f a c e a s o n e a p p r o a c h e s,
b l I n k I n g:
a m I s e e I n g t h I s
Guesswork
I believe firmly in:
what will be words
of Post- H. Sapiens,
whatever replaces
telescopes,
bookaholics
perusing under
foregone trees.
Less so, but still:
in figures withheld by corner
-eye, there, gone; certain of it.
That some clowns step
backwards into forests
with shushed index finger.
How tarot-seers claim us bird,
then we feel and know
this sudden beak.
With weak inkling:
in an Ensō stroked over,
oft over, by the towering
brush making many-handed
flecks. Instruments these,
and utensils made shrines
for curated, cannoned lists.
If nothing else:
in the flowered Calyx of Held
where all things at one moment
inter-are, inter-be, then expand utterly
to the far reaches of mind, beyond, the next.
Dear Self
unlit room, glasses frame with left
lens popped out, swig of 1/10th the bottle,
that’s that, hard-on for a married,
such want, such yester-decade,
library of pipe dream blueprint,
backpack with limbs and bookends
of better men, parrot of therapist says,
documentary of fell off, ink smear
of a half-filled moleskin, scribblings
of a once upon, a tick sheet of trying,
glassed gaze at a hurt, vintage veined
with an upped dose, egg-shells of doctor
talk, you, upturns & downswings, you,
each come around the chances of scratch
-off, utterer of good-things-do, bent knee
with crossed fingers, this burnt throat,
bloated lies & a little fib, I say I said
I didn’t and don’t, blackout text exes
and lets white-out weeks at a stretch,
ever the cat flash eyed and vanished,
broke-wing bird squawk at a feeder,
unfixed dog foaming at mouth,
what teeth, what wary, alert gums,
what time is it, the moxie of fuck clocks,
blank on the in-between of safe space and help,
the village stoning of call me, please
OR
or.
Should I just skip to the good parts?
Sincerely,
Yours Truly
