tongue and tooth

As I age, I've begun
to do some things automatically. Every
time I drink something cold, I find
my tongue,

without being told,

rolls left to lie
upon the facings and cusps
of the first three molars
in the upper left

of my mouth.
So they don't chill and ache, which
they never used to do.

I remember some years back I was drinking
something cold, when
that unaccustomed ache began.

I couldn't account for it.
I always drink something
cold, I love drinking something
cold; it's never been a
problem. Anyway

the problem just went away
mysteriously, shortly after.

I just realized now, it was my tongue.

Rolling
over, without being told,

sensing on its own
what comfort needs

like a faithful dog

barefoot vigilante

passing birds drop cockle-burrs
at least, I can only assume that's how
they get back there. In my back yard,
there aren't any growing. So with gentle,
barefoot pace I'll walk in thoughtful
rows, make my rounds and keep
my vigil, as religiously
as I can manage when I step
on one. Wow, they hurt

As you stand, balanced
on one foot with the injured
one held up, leg crooked
across the knee for stability,
like a Yoga master with epilepsy,
and seize and try to pull it out
in one go, without counting
or anything.

It's a price to pay,
this vigilance, to prevent

bad things

from getting in

all innocently as if

There are things I don't know how to do.

And things I do anyway.

And things I do not do - they didn't
occur to me.

There are no other things,
except those three,

on any given day.

Except, of course
where you're concerned. Your path

being strewn with exception petals,

I've learned the easy and painful way,

one has to buck up and take the broken,
sprained and dislocated rules

you leave behind as you sashay

apprenticing

You stand by the fence,
with fingers of one hand
through. And up
to the masters in canopies,
listening, you sing out
with whistling lips,

as clear as bells, as clear
as you can - and
doing it wrong. So

one by one, and tentative
(as if wondering oh,
what do we do with this
one?) each begins

trying

- gently, with patient repetition
and insistence, singing back to you -

to teach you its song.

A beginner's
symphony begins,
each master weaving
its perfect and simple song
in and around
and over each other,

with you

adding always your guileless
part, so perfectly artless
and wrong, the coaching

and correction of which

is the object of art.

"Windshield note"

live your life outside
the lines. Refuse to fit in.
Stick out, undefined.

comprehensive

It's ok to joke, sometimes

it's just,
most of the time it's just funnier
not to.

Some of the things we say,
I wish
I could share with the world
like now, right then
in that moment, with everything in it
they'd need

to understand - but

even we don't have all of that.
Even we don't have all of that,

and we understand. Or, unspoken,
we sense we do, or

at least, no one's questioning it

and we both seem pretty smug. You know?
I think we do. Understand,

It's quite lovely and magical
to go around understanding
something that doesn't

actually make sense.
And we do,

so deep it hurts,
and we laugh

at consequence.

azimuth

it depends which way you face
the world, and how high up you aim,
or low, but by degrees you find
you've seen

so much less than it all. Or else
it's all too much to bear, too much
the same, like you've been there

it's almost enough to make you wish
for other worlds, to come and take
you away from this. But

you're not done with this one, no
you're not done with this one yet

you're ready to set your face and go

you're ready to set your face and go

so many directions, angles to plot
by degrees and courses to set and
scheme,

you're not done yet with this one, no
not by a long long way to go

there's so much out there you haven't
seen

make a disappear

Nudity is a kind of
magic trick, that people do

using their clothes. Clothes
are essential. The stage
must be set and dressed.
A flourish, a sleeve
- to show nothing's up -
then presto, wah-lah,
magic words aren't really
necessary, you know.
It isn't clear how
they pull it off,
but suddenly - TA DA

The magician, clearly, needs
no assistant, but often
they let you help. A misdirection,
no doubt. You
look here, but there
- you have done
the same trick, yourself!

How is this?

A pledge, a turn - the prestige
of it. You want to stand up
and clap! Maybe whistle, or
yell - but in such intimate shows
as these, what the etiquette is
can be hard to tell. You feel

like a dupe, or a plant. A willing
stooge, to be so taken in,

and you want to see them do it again.
To catch in the act, perhaps, or just
to be caught, and exposed - a gull

in the hands of a charlatan.

a word for that

n. the amount of life you give up in trade
as you fondle and dote on the choice you made.

slip to the side

My ego's role
is typically to observe, detached
and critique the fantastic job

my id
does, running things
however its fine and implacable
urge sees, feels, senses and
makes fit. As only it
can, apparently.

My superego

meanwhile, is off to the side.
Well to the side, with my ego
and id

laughing

at it.

holiday scene

deflated santa, waiting
face-down for days, for
whatever key piece
of resuscitation equipment
has been misplaced. While

all around him, methodically
assembling, a Christmas
Village lit up like a crime
scene

investigates

exponentially recipiential

I will
take
take
take

what
ever you give, you know
I won't even ask, I'll just wait

for the gift, and I'll take
take
take

what
ever you give, you know
I can't get enough, but
I can kinda
try to
live

without.
At need, or in
doubt of whatever
you don't
happen, think
or care
to give, offer,
or volunteer
so far, or
at least,
just yet, I

will bite
my lip, knowing
all that you give, feeling grateful
for it -

it's the last thing I want to do,
to ask,
Especially when I do, all too often

it's yes

To a delightful week-end

let's get drunk
on large ciders
and come up smiling
in a couple days,
like a derelict couple
of reprobates, out for
a hike, chased all the way
back by the lowering sky -
there's a cottage half-lost
on the way through pitch-black
rains and wanting

something's flesh.

Go in, go in! Let's

a daring leap

Time has come, I feel, to take
a daring, death-defying leap. Unfortunately,

I find myself upon a vast and level ground
of grass and dirt. Pretty soft, even if I
took a running start to build up speed
and tripped and sprawled, there's not
much chance of hurt beyond raw scraped
palms, an elbow, hip, or bursting ache
of lungs from wind knocked out. Or if
I didn't trip, I'd only

safely land. A distance I could have just
walked.

There are no ditches, cliffs or even trees
to climb, which would anyway look dumb. Climb
a tree to daringly jump out of it? Landing
where I was. No, the sort of daring leap

I feel the need to make

is one that will land me
where I couldn't possibly get,
except by dint of great risk
and heart-in-throat vertigo,
seeing where I need to go,

imagining myself across
already landed, soft
and solidly

before I hit the air.

I guess I'll take
a death-defying walk or something, daring
the landscape

to jut
or loom
or yawn

in present
obstacle to

somewhere

I couldn't have
gone.

The pause before

The pause before
you answer me

- some question I
should not have asked,
unless you answer, hovers

in suspended time

as moments pass, oh
really, only one moment.

But it contains such different
things. How easy it would be

for you, to pull me up short,
wondering, and leave me there

trying to make a new arrangement
with my mind, at peace with rights

I do not have. All right with peace
I'll never find.

last ball of autumn

Individual leaves are dancing
on a carpet of others
lying still.

I wonder if
they take turns

or if the dancers
and the carpet just

both love what they're
doing? I wouldn't mind

being danced upon
by those twirling
sylphlike shapes,

which then fall back
like crowdsurfers
into a multitude's embrace, but

I'd kind of love

to see everyone get up
at once, go nuts, really rock
this place

in wild melee
of colors flying,
twirling, giving everything
they've got to give,
and living
every motion and
emotion they can make,
every moment they can take,

before I've got to rake.

Home sick

Came home last night. With a cold,
apparently - woke up with it. Not
too bad. It only hurts

when I cough, which is mostly
when I lie down, which is what
I'd prefer to be doing, big
baby. Anyway,

my voice is pretty deep and sexy,
and it's a dear, drear gray day
outside, with sandhill cranes
cluck-honking and Christmas lights
coming out. In all,
not much

to feel too bad about. And I
don't. Except

this meaningless shock of
anger and despair, that tears
my fucking heart apart and
fills my eyes with tears,
tiny spittle flies through
clenched teeth, head shaking
in a transparent attempt
to add drama to this
poem.

things of ours

It's not entirely certain how certain things
became things of ours. Like love hearts
and bears, which surely belonged

to the world, before. Or birds
and bees, and other things
I can't see, or even have occur
to mind without thinking of you,
too. Which I find
revolutionary.

But as to how it comes around, that
someone could steal in and stake
such claims on random and lovely
things lying about to say "Hey!"
with their presence,
perpetually

in your face,
any time when you least
suspect - I look round and find

the world is ours.

It's mysterious, since,
before - I don't even think
it was mine,

and it certainly never stretched
so far.

with Josey

But that was the way it was
with Josey. You never wanted
to disappoint him, because
he only saw the good in you. What
would you even be, then? Not

invisible. He'd keep looking right
at you. He wouldn't pretend not
to see, but you could see the hurt
there, too. Self-recrimination.
His fault for not seeing you,
for what you were. No shred of blame
left over for you, for your part.
"What you done." And he'd go right on
treating you right. In memory of who

he thought you were, maybe. Who
was just the neatest and coolest
person.

We all went through it,
with Josey. It kind of made you want
to hurt him.

attentions paid

I don't anything
why
do you ask? I mean

you didn't but

you could have. The answer
would have been

well, possibly different.

A lot depends on
the question who's asking
and

you didn't.

Did you?

Sometimes I can't
tell between the lines, and

points
you've been making.

I think you have made
several of these.

Very well,
But see,

what you don't
always notice

I always listen, so clearly

I want to.

It matters to me,
what you

mean

or did you?

I hope to
know

someday

what we're
up to

or anyway,
into,

or even
begin to

falling shy

In the hammock out back, under white skies
veined with mostly-naked limbs and branches reaching up

into the still-cold air, despite
the sun's up there somewhere. Each burst of breeze

disturbs the stillness, sends the tips of branches
reeling, swaying, lifts a ghostly rustle through
the few leaves still remaining, clinging
to what's left of autumn, wondering
what fall is for. Another breeze
comes by, and they decide: another
tiny squad of leaves, bails out
in unison, on signal Go

the target's
coming up below! but off
they wheel, so graceful, whirled
in pirouettes

like asymmetric pinwheel heads

to fall so slow, they spin
so fast, they almost blur

as down they come,
and here they come

off-target, just a bit to left
and overhead, and
further off

toward no one

descending, fanning out
from so far up above. You'd think that

one, at least
of these last leaves
could land on me,

to bring dry, whispery love.
There aren't very many chances
left, and I am not quite yet

happy enough.

Newly Irish Blessing

May the Isle rise to meet you,
as the wind bears you in
to your harbor.
And may sun warm your shoulders,
as you wend you homewards,
to find yourselves wishing no farther.

all the way to here

follow, follow, oh
I will follow you

If you stand right there, feet planted
going nowhere

I will follow, oh I'll
follow anywhere you stay

If you'd only stay, you'd never see
the sight of me
going away

Welcome you, I welcome you
to other parts of this same
place we've always been,

it's like a different world awaits
if you would only stay to see

and if you chose to stay,
with me - you know I'll be
a-following with every step,
I'll keep right up, just stand
right here, right by your side
I'm ready, set.

To follow, oh I'll follow you,
and welcome, oh I'll welcome you,
I'll welcome you,

and all you need to do is lead
me, anywhere right here is good,
and follow, I will follow you

all the way to where we'll still
belong, you know - like I'll belong
to you, and you'll belong to me,
because we'll know full well
we should. It's set in fate
like paving-stones, that lead
us onward, down paths known
I'll follow you oh, if you lead

where life is leading us to be.
You know where this is leading to,
you lead me on, I'll follow you

piling up

My headache hasn't started yet. It's in the mail
with reality checks I'll never cash. I let them pile
up in stacks, against the rainy day
I know is coming.

Meanwhile I'm keeping off the street, in public bars
they try to keep me there as long as they can
get, to settle bets and charm the snakes
with artistry and cunning.

While outside in the pouring rain, for hours
waiting idly, a taxi stands to take me
home, if we can find the way.
The meter's running

bless with ashes

I mostly smoke
religiously

most everywhere I go,
I bless
a curb or post,
or cold flagstone.

I stub out butts
in signs of cross:

a little gesture
of a prayer, for all the life

I could be giving up

Take in
this deep sweet breath,

and blow some smoke
up angel's butt

times come round

I'd rather it almost be anything else
but you

would prefer another chance. Which you
deserve. I have to concede.

For all of the time you've been waiting
for me
to tell you that I
was waiting for you.
Except that I couldn't

until it was through. Once I
was done waiting, I told

you so. You said great! We've been
waiting enough. Let's go!

forget to look up

It's one of those things
I forget to look up
for years. When it comes up

now and again, I remember and say

"I don't know what that is! I must
look it up when I can."

Mental notes, once made,
don't exist. In anyplace you
can refer to them. Until

those specific conditions obtain,
and they will pop up

Again, and again.

I have an egg tree

I've got an egg tree, in the garden growing

I go out mornings, picking fresh eggs
and I put them in

to the water boiling

for a perfect two minutes,
as the toast gets ready

for the butter,

and it's all for you, breakfast in bed,
I got this leggy tray

from the homemaker store

and I'll take it up to you,
with a cup of black steam,

you can send me back

for more. Some sugar and cream,
and for anything else

that you or we
don't normally try,
but decide we

might need. I'm sorry

the eggs taste a little
like leaves

suspiciously haiku

So v. beautiful
What kind of blossoms are those?
Your way home is strewn

"Give Up Hard"

The path of my life
is littered with
lessons I refuse to give
a second thought, or let sink in

if I make it all the way to the end,
I win

I won't
give up
too easy

all of my life I give up
hard
always give up
too hard
all my commitments
I'm all in
completely

can't count the loss,
just give all
at all costs
blame it on our
lost cause,

I give up hard

I don't think you can count
time,
money,
effort,
energy spent
the cause was good for as long as you meant
I don't really think you can beat yourself up
for trying too hard
when you think
it's love

I won't
give up
too easy

all of my life I give up
hard
always give up
too hard
all my convictions
charge me
I'm guilty

I won't even plea, just throw
away the key,
heart body and soul
it's all me

I give up hard

I guess I can admit,
retrospect
is always a bitch, but guess what?
what's next?
do you really want a future protecting yourself
by killing what you could be to anyone else?

'cause I don't

give up
too easy

all of my life I give up
hard
always give up
too hard
all my commitments
I'm all in
completely

can't count the loss,
just give all
at all costs
blame it on our
lost cause,

I give up hard

hear the fool

Once was
golden sunrise, shining too bright
to see

faithful,
every morning, bringing the dawn in
there,

you'd be

why are people all so temporary?
why were you the one to leave me here?

the
fool

Now hope springs eternal
everything else has died

you told me it's over
easy for you to say

that
lie

when you leave my life, you leave a wasteland
barren, all the works of your hand, with

no
you.

Hear me, all the anger
none of it aimed at you

Finding any reason why
I should seek out some

one
new

Hope you never see me crying
even if it changed your mind

hear

the
fool

your experimental life

I want to fit in
to your experimental life,
even if I'm sure

that would throw off the
results. But still, there'd be
suddenly so many more

you could run! An extra pair of
hands wherever you want? Or

folded, observing. Taking notes,
if you wish,
looking on in
expectant bliss

at whatever the next experiment is
to be.

Even though,
really you don't
need me.

trifle and fuss

like someone you love
might fuss with your
hair. It's a trifle,
I know, but it doesn't
seem so. Even if
it doesn't seem much,
I love
how trifle and fuss
take care
over every stray
feather of thought,
tucked in and groomed
with doting touch.
I could fuss
by the light of the moon,
if given a chance
for a full fifteen minutes, or
considerately more
on you, in minute
significant ways.
It would be a swoon

Let's go where we have no choice

I'm sick of conditions and options and
consequences. Let's go where we have no choice

Then everything will be just as it has to. And we
will run amok through it like a pair of

automata. I can't picture fate
more terrible

than choices that lead us away
from us. Rather than that,

some other thing. Let's go

wherever we have to,
do whatever we have to,
everything it takes

to find our place
together, wherever

we must, and by that point

probably,

take it on trust?

the truth is guessable

"How did you know?" I never
understand how to answer
that question. How do I ever
know?

I dispute that one can know

the things I guess.
I have a crack talent to guess
the truth, and it comes out right
as a matter of fact
more often than people

would care to prove.

the boring bit

The boring part of a drill is the bit.

It depends, of course
on whether you are the boring one,

or the one being bored.

Either way, you
can make it fit.

Fit is when you are healthy and whole,

and you have yourself

a seizure grand mal,

(a "big bad" seizure, the French
might say).

How easy it is to fit
in your day

222.2

This morning I weigh
222.2 lbs

that's with wallet and jeans,
and Chucks and socks
and a t-shirt
and drawers

and a hoodie on
from my morning smoke,
plus the lighter and pack.

But with all of that,
plus my morning b.m.

subtracted, I hope
and suspect I will find,

I weigh quite incalculably

less than that.

Unfortunately, it's
a thought experiment only, because

I have not time to poop, what with
breakfast at table, and me

eating it. That's going to throw off

the scales a bit. Who has time

to poop before it's really time?

There's always something. We must live
and explore!

We'll poop when we're dead

Or

a little before. And who cares

what I weigh?

About 224.

damnation myth

many Jews today claim there is no God
BECAUSE of the holocaust.

Because WHAT GOD? would allow THAT
(he was napping apparently
during the prior Albanian
genocide). So.

in that, they are playing
right into Hitler's hands and plans.

His hope all along
was to strip this sweet people
of the simple and great faith their fathers
passed down (matrilineally)

it was, (additionally)
a spiritual holocaust
he wished to make. He hated
even the Jews who were outside
his physical reach. (Say what you like
about Hitler, he

was one hell of an artist

) but this was a fit, a pique
of his. He needn't have bothered

There wasn't a God.

As Hitler knew well, but in this,
he would be proved
wrong.

Evil, even, but wrong
nonetheless,

For a majority (two out of three from
the sample size polled) of atheists

concede, Hitler's in hell himself!

And so he is.

For God,

so blearily, rudely
awoken from nothingness, labored

three parts of a Sunday creating
a vast and a horrible
Hell,
for Hitler to wade in, and also
a Devil - as all Hells need,

with a sales pitch as black as pitch
and a pitchfork,
the better the damned to convince.

And the Devil

has been with us ever since.

this time,

I woke up at seven
and it was too early. Then
I woke up at noon, and it

was too late.

this time,

I will set the alarm,
to be certain. And lie back,
closing my eyes

to await

Not her

She flew in to town, and jumped -
me walking by, outside the glass
- right out her chair! and flew
To arms! To arms, and knew

I'd grab that ass

No - Not her.

She doesn't presume.
Besides, at that time, I had a girl
friend.

so the rest of this poem takes place
in an alternate universe, where
that wasn't the case, back then.

You can just imagine. Hell,

fill in the blanks!

It would all have gone just the same.
A perfect first date that went on for days, except

- me and her?

We'd have been amazed.