TreeFull

"Them That Reap" read it here

2009-01-20T09:08:00.002-05:00

Read "Them That Reap" in the winter issue of Strange Machines Poetry Journal.

2008-09-15T14:35:00.000-04:00

Now on elimae !

personal history

2008-08-08T17:46:00.001-04:00

a progression of brainstorms

What is Iceland about?

2008-06-30T12:15:00.003-04:00

Didn't know about the autosummarize feature until I read about it at the newer metaphysicals.

My longest work, Iceland, run at 1% reduces to this:

monday
homework
sandwich
built
folds
story
Are poems democratic?
leafs
a pile of words[NEW POEM]

machines

Suduko #8 (birds)

2008-02-21T20:05:00.002-05:00

season three, episode fifteen: face-off

2008-02-08T09:29:00.000-05:00

a goalkeeper can protect from
long winded. Though
compressing information for
buttons or speech is part of
the game.

comparisons. across time.

to hold memories. creating a construction
for the loss.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa “cannot say dime bag onTV”

spoiled & edited language.
a freeze. to mine for information.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa “commanding all his time.”

a natural gift for subterfuge. a preference for
muffins. where you pull the meaning from. a setup for Koreans.
Questions. scale drawings. dissent. Freak appearances. conversation

/ gaps. Ostentatiously high flowers--reaching & breaking
narration--indoor sunflowers, eyes of fire with

tendencies repeated.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa “Oh, my.”

what are you doing here. I’m hockey. a fifteen minute
break. or missing. & running. a zamboni clean of jealousy.
quote the beach boys. on timing.

"Sports = eating.”

& moving on. the treatment of a number one girl. beyond
pining.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa “An intelligence gap of monumental proportions.”

not so veiled relations. or
a new daddy instead of elegy.
Purple is the man’s colour.

to be above plastic
vision. not so iced tea.

frame a flicker (a person
a moment, love, a
memory) in concrete:

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa “Add a library. Or a solarium.”

it would make a great Christmas story. or Thanksgiving. or
people coming together. much like a play by Moliere.

leftovers. some variation of
the truth. & another pensive fadeout.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa “Two words: jogging suit.”

as if days can be contained in the lines of a calendar.

2008-02-02T10:31:00.000-05:00

a structure that can
hold weather

in order,

a system that can
order weather

in structure,

leaving.
or left.

Response to October

2007-11-04T12:01:00.000-05:00

silence,

is a

poem.

moveable parts

2007-09-17T20:00:00.000-04:00

outsourced:

2007-09-13T14:51:00.002-04:00

living by watching
glowing television screens during dinner,
conversation cooked by writers in tanks,
& an affinity for sighing

at the perfect sentimental moment:

snowfall, flakes caught in a wool sweater
& music swelling to soundtrack
the scene of a thousand glistening
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasmiles

usage:

Emotion seized in a container
to evoke a pure silence; water holding memories,
small shining stones, a paper degree proclaiming:
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabecause reader’s eyes tire
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaquicker than attention spans
the transportation of bodiesaaaaamovement must be made
through seasons/states aaaaaaaanew links & methods
change in crossed borderlinesaaaaimprints of new reading styles
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahyper-explication
stealing formulas

or proving time can be
condensed, a ring in my pocket.

tanks:

2007-09-13T14:45:00.002-04:00

containers for dreams, small snacks in zip-locked packages, or
a couplet collection of assorted pocket change

held in a model home
in the heat of summer

without conditioned air
as recorded on post it notes

following a specific blueprint aaaaaaaaaaa(dual stacked stanzas)
for love, silence, or success

a travel soundtrack documented on souvenir cups--
each time water poured a memory:

late night coffee at Luke’s dinner,
degrees of universal experience

outsourced on airwaves, familiar pattersn
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa(smile kiss repeat)

connections spanning multiple pages,
television seasons, memory drinks, post cards

to be sent (relived)
after burial.

alternative usage:

Vehicles for war
deployed

just because.

change:

2007-09-13T14:41:00.002-04:00

payment for movement on the highway, through tunnels &
toll booths,
children in the backseat snacking on sliced apple smiles

dreaming in colour because of Abbey Road

a method of mood shedding not
to be confused with outsourcing, as
change is far more drastic & far more

likely to fail in job hunting
aaaaaaa(even with the presence of a college degree).

usage:

Once a boy found a bag of his Nana’s
pocket collections; old coins &
miniature notes written in sprawling
curved cursive weather soundtracks . They recorded leafs
falling, the crinkling crunch of snow beneath feet,
sitting on a couch covered in a
brown & orange crochet network, & summer tanks

all signed with an,

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaXOXO

smiles:

2007-09-13T14:34:00.002-04:00

sticky with spring
an energy linking soundtracks
& television programs in
a formula to ensure
the boy understands emotional gravity.

Also expressed in excursions
(outsourced adventures for a
sphere of privacy), sunsets,
daily cups of tea, satellite imagery
mapping the perfect proposal point:
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabounced signals off space debris
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaspy down to detect traffic pattersn,
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaapersonal change,the construction of
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaemotion holding tanks,intersection points,
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa& directions.

usage:

As recorded in the town charter
the movement must measure 35 º to be considered
truly happy.

soundtrack:

2007-09-13T14:27:00.002-04:00

mostly Beatles mix tapes
composed by my father
magnetic vignettes rolling on plastic spools
tracing the route to Nana’s house
to a degree
aaaaaaaaaa frozen & held;
a polyphonic photograph chronicling
snow fall,aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaa, a kiss,
(whiteness to be read as “a blank space between two commas”)
an epiphany, a proposal, a change, or visits to Niagara, Newport, Monticello.

Yet somehow, one part always is less interesting;
the middle sibling holding their
tiny juice tank of behavior flavor
they will never learn,

reading only read in heads
the action of eyes outsourcing
mouth movements so the words will never
smile upon the exit of a car
with a self-chiropractic pop.

usage:

When a poet is a composer, sometimes
aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa silence
(an anthem for Silentists).

degree:

2007-09-12T21:06:00.002-04:00

the amount of time a single daydream can sustain
aaaaaaaaaaaaaa outside an academic vacuum

aaaaaaaaa, or the ride on 24
to Levittown

where the kids sat in the other room
during meal times outsourced
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa silent.
(still, soundtracks of late 60’s change played in the boys head)

A measure of time tanks passing
in research papers & poems.

The action of burying old papers, post cards, self-help guides
in bottom desk drawers, the soil scented with old spice
& copper. After time, something new.

usage:

In every photograph
my face a slanted Charlie Brown smile (30º)
muscular movements instead internalized
to a collection of road trips, season finales,
evening walks, breakfast & the Times
in an old tea tin
state quarters shining
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (Connecticut my favorite
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa the charter oak
hiding history in aaaaaaaaaaaaaaopen limbs cradling
a parchment document aaaaaaaaspring leaves on the coin’s face,
timelines for futures aaaaaaaaaasprawling silver intricacies,
spent on employment,aaaaaaaa branches cut into metal
rings, laundry, travelaaaaaaaaa centered in Stars Hollow with
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa plenty of small town charm)
to pass us into tomorrow.

the poetry cube

2007-09-07T01:04:00.000-04:00

side 6

2007-09-07T00:58:00.000-04:00

structures rooted in ground; folded memories steep between clouds

side 5

2007-09-06T10:30:00.001-04:00

eye contact under sky pens photos blurred vanilla smiles

side 4

2007-09-05T08:03:00.000-04:00

bridges solved cold weather patterns with cross town links

side 3

2007-09-04T08:38:00.000-04:00

defined history, hands holding. direction following red brick road

side 2

2007-09-03T13:21:00.000-04:00

sign’s words worn thin; incorrect metro stop stuck suburban

side 1

2007-09-02T11:39:00.000-04:00

pigeons are gray doves adoring statues, sidewalks, steam vents

a quote

2007-08-31T11:59:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I feel ashamed that I've written so few poems on political themes, on the causes that agitate me. But then I remind myself that to choose to live as a poet in the modern superstate is in itself a political action.

~Stanley Kunitz

2007-08-27T14:56:00.000-04:00

Remote control smile (batteries not included)

2007-08-15T06:56:00.000-04:00

pen pal seasons (winter)

2007-08-08T16:28:00.000-04:00

Not a painter, but a poet.

2007-08-07T09:10:00.000-04:00

working with abstractions

2007-08-06T08:36:00.000-04:00

big
plans bound in
words
tied in time
seem to
fade faster, melt
mean
& stick inside
more
deeper, into tuesdays
than
outlines of
first
ideas, a drive, a walk, a place
impressions
where weathered boards were bent, wood
soft
under flip flop foot
sounds
sand, a pretzel
&
an ice cream cone
small
melting in summer heat
smiles

Steps (8-2-2007)

2007-08-03T08:43:00.000-04:00

For Kenneth Goldsmith

10 steps from top bunk to floor 6:39 a.m.
5 steps from floor to dresser 6:40 a.m.
32 steps from dresser to kettle 6:42 a.m.
2 steps from kettle to kitchen sink 6:43 a.m.
2 steps from kitchen sink to stove (electric) 6:43 a.m.
4 steps from stove (electric) to cupboard 6:46 a.m.
5 steps from cupboard to counter 6:47 a.m.
21 steps from counter to basement computer with internet 6:48 a.m.
14 steps from basement computer with internet to train room/closet
aaaaaaaa 6:50 a.m.
12 steps from train room/closet to basement computer with internet
aaaaaaaa 6:51 a.m.
15 steps from basement computer with internet to stove (electric)
aaaaaaaa 6:53 a.m.
16 steps from stove (electric) to basement computer with internet
aaaaaaaa 6:54 a.m.
20 steps from basement computer with internet to kitchen sink
aaaaaaaa 6:59 a.m.
3 steps from kitchen sink to refrigerator 7:00 a.m.
4 steps from refrigerator to cupboard 7:01 a.m.
3 steps from cupboard to drawer 7:01 a.m.
4 steps from drawer to counter 7:02 a.m.
2 steps from counter to refrigerator 7:04 a.m.
2 steps from refrigerator to counter 7:04 a.m.
2 steps from counter to refrigerator 7:04 a.m.
2 steps from refrigerator to counter 7:05 a.m.
9 steps from counter to table 7:05 a.m.
5 steps from table to refrigerator 7:10 a.m.
4 steps from refrigerator to counter 7:11 a.m.
3 steps from counter to drawer 7:12 a.m.
9 steps from drawer to table 7:13 a.m.
6 steps from table to toaster 7:14 a.m.
4 steps from toaster to refrigerator 7:16 a.m.
3 steps from refrigerator to table 7:16 a.m.
3 steps from table to refrigerator 7:17 a.m.
3 steps from refrigerator to table 7:17 a.m.
6 steps from table to kettle 7:23 a.m.
6 steps from kettle to table 7:24 a.m.
4 steps from table to refrigerator 7:24 a.m.
3 steps from refrigerator to table 7:24 a.m.
6 steps from table to kitchen sink 7:26 a.m.
2 steps from kitchen sink to kettle 7:26 a.m.
5 steps from kettle to trashcan 7:27 a.m.
4 steps from trashcan to cupboard 7:27 a.m.
3 steps from cupboard to kettle 7:27 a.m.
3 steps from kettle to refrigerator 7:28 a.m.
43 steps from refrigerator to Greg’s room computer alcove
aaaaaaaa 7:29 a.m.
1 step recorded while sitting at Greg’s room computer alcove
aaaaaaaa 8:22 a.m.
9 steps from Greg’s room computer alcove to open door 8:22 a.m.
10 steps from closed door to Greg’s room computer alcove 8:28 a.m.
3 steps recorded while sitting at Greg’s room computer alcove
aaaaaaaa 9:15 a.m.
25 steps from Greg’s room computer alcove to upstairs bathroom
aaaaaaaa (sitting) 9:15 a.m.
14 steps from upstairs toilet (sitting) to upstairs bathroom sink
aaaaaaaa 9:17 a.m.
15 steps from upstairs bathroom sink to Greg’s room computer
aaaaaaaa alcove 9:17 a.m.
54 steps from Greg’s room computer alcove to basement computer
aaaaaaaa with internet 9:48 a.m.
24 steps from basement computer with internet to downstairs
aaaaaaaa bathroom (standing) 10:12 a.m.
2 steps from downstairs bathroom toilet (standing) to downstairs
aaaaaaaa bathroom sink 10:12 a.m.
22 steps from downstairs bathroom sink to basement computer with
aaaaaaaa internet 10:13 a.m.
20 steps from basement computer with internet to kitchen cordless
aaaaaaaa telephone 10:37 a.m.
15 steps from kitchen cordless telephone to basement computer with
aaaaaaaa internet 10:37 a.m.
2 steps from basement computer with internet to next to basement
aaaaaaaa computer with internet 10:51 a.m.
23 steps from next to basement computer with internet to front door
aaaaaaaa 11:00 a.m.
29 steps from front door to next to basement computer with internet
aaaaaaaa 11:04 a.m.
18 steps from next to computer with internet to kitchen drawer
aaaaaaaa 11:05 a.m.
24 steps from kitchen drawer to upstairs bathroom toilet (standing)
aaaaaaaa 11:07 a.m.
4 steps from upstairs bathroom toilet (standing) to shower
aaaaaaaa 11:08 a.m.
49 steps from shower to upstairs bathroom towel rack 11:17 a.m.
12 steps from upstairs bathroom towel rack to dresser 11:18 a.m.
13 steps from dresser to right closet 11:19 a.m.
5 steps from right closet to shoes 11:20 a.m.
24 steps from shoes to upstairs bathroom towel rack 11:24 a.m.
5 steps from upstairs bathroom towel rack to Greg’s bedroom door
aaaaaaaa 11:25 a.m.
34 steps from Greg’s bedroom door to downstairs computer with
aaaaaaaa internet 11:26 a.m.
58 steps from downstairs computer with internet to Greg's room
aaaaaaaa computer alcove 11:42 a.m.
18 steps from Greg’s room computer alcove to Cherylin’s room
aaaaaaaa 11:43 a.m.
95 steps from Cherylin’s room to Subaru Outback Sport (stick shift)
aaaaaaaa 11:45 a.m.
21 steps from Subaru Outback Sport (stick shift) to garage door
aaaaaaaa (automatic opening) 11:46 a.m.
10 steps from garage door (automatic opening) to garage
aaaaaaaa refrigerator 11:46 a.m.
29 steps from garage refrigerator to Subaru Outback Sport
aaaaaaaa (stick shift) 11:47 a.m.
39 steps from Subaru Outback Sport (stick shift) to Hollywood Video
aaaaaaaa movie drop box 11:59 a.m.
36 steps from Hollywood Video movie drop box to Subaru Outback
aaaaaaaa Sport (stick shift) 12:00 p.m.
23 steps from Subaru Outback Sport (stick shift) to Wendy’s door
aaaaaaaa 12:52 p.m.
7 steps from Wendy’s door to living room armchair 12:53 a.m.
59 steps from living room armchair to Subaru Outback Sport
aaaaaaaa (stick shift) 12:58 p.m.
400 steps from Subaru Outback Sport (stick shift) to Writer’s Corner
aaaaaaa back room couch 1:09 p.m.
2 steps from Writer’s Corner back room couch to filing cabinet
aaaaaaa 1:10 p.m.
2 steps from filing cabinet to Writer’s Corner back room couch
aaaaaaa 1:10 p.m.
5 steps from Writer’s Corner back room couch to medium pine desk
aaaaaaa 1:12 p.m.
7 steps from medium pine desk to Writer’s Corner back room couch
aaaaaaa 1:13 p.m.
4 steps from Writer’s Corner back room couch to medium pine desk
aaaaaaa 1:13 p.m.
2 steps from medium pine desk to next to medium pine desk
aaaaaaa 2:01 p.m.
2 steps from next to medium pine desk to medium pine desk
aaaaaaa 2:01 p.m.
14 steps from medium pine desk to bathroom toilet (standing)
aaaaaaa 2:10 p.m.
3 steps from toilet (standing) to sink 2:11 p.m.
14 steps from sink to rocking chair 2:12 p.m.
24 steps from rocking chair to Brian’s office 3:12 p.m.
384 steps from Brian’s office to Subaru Outback Sport (stick shift)
aaaaaaa 3:18 p.m.
61 steps from Subaru Outback Sport (stick shift) to Jenny’s broken
aaaaaaa back door 4:08 p.m.
14 steps from Jenny’s broken back door to bathroom toilet (standing)
aaaaaaa 4:09 p.m.
2 steps from bathroom toilet (standing) to bathroom sink 4:10 p.m.
20 steps from bathroom sink to wood picnic table 4:11 p.m.
55 steps from wood picnic table to stick pile 4:13 p.m.
27 steps from stick pile to deck 4:14 p.m.
29 steps from deck to kitchen sink 4:17 p.m.
2 steps from kitchen sink to stove (gas) 4:18 p.m.
3 steps from stove (gas) to wall-mounted telephone 4:18 p.m.
5 steps from wall-mounted telephone to refrigerator 4:22 p.m.
4 steps from refrigerator to cupboard 4:23 p.m.
2 steps from cupboard to kitchen sink 4:25 p.m.
9 steps from kitchen sink to refrigerator 4:25 p.m.
5 steps from refrigerator to kitchen sink 4:25 p.m.
27 steps from kitchen sink to wooden picnic table 4:26 p.m.

*all steps were recorded with a free pedometer found in a Frosted Flakes box. The device was worn on my left side.

37 steps from wooden picnic table to Jenny’s red Honda Accord
aaaaaaaa (automatic) 4:27 p.m.
68 steps from Jenny’s red Honda Accord (automatic) to Jenny’s room
aaaaaaaa 4:28 p.m.
28 steps from Jenny’s room to wooden picnic table 4:30 p.m.
40 steps from wooden picnic table to Jenny’s red Honda Accord
aaaaaaaa (automatic)4:32 p.m.
60 steps from Jenny’s red Honda Accord (automatic) to Act II Salon
aaaaaaaa 4:51 p.m.
62 steps from Act II Salon to Jenny’s red Honda Accord 5:25 p.m.
28 steps from Jenny’s red Honda Accord (automatic) to pizzeria
aaaaaaaa (beverage case 5:26 p.m.
18 steps from pizzeria beverage case to pizzeria beverage case two
aaaaaaaa 5:27 p.m.
20 steps from pizzeria beverage case two to pizzeria beverage case
aaaaaaaa 5:28 p.m.
8 steps from pizzeria beverage case to pizzeria counter 5:28 p.m.
26 steps from pizzeria counter to Jenny’s red Honda Accord
aaaaaaaa (automatic)5:30 p.m.
41 steps from Jenny’s red Honda Accord (automatic) to Jenny’s room
aaaaaaaa 5:47 p.m.
12 steps from Jenny’s room to refrigerator 5:49 p.m.
20 steps from refrigerator to basement freezer 5:50 p.m.
27 steps from basement freezer to stove (gas) 5:52 p.m.
24 steps from stove(gas) to basement freezer 5:53 p.m.
5 steps from basement freezer to metal pantry rack 5:54 p.m.
22 steps from metal pantry rack to refrigerator 5:55 p.m.
21 steps from refrigerator to basement freezer 5:56 p.m.
38 steps from basement freezer to white enamel top kitchen table
aaaaaaaa 5:58 p.m.
4 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to refrigerator
aaaaaaaa 5:58 p.m.
4 steps from refrigerator to white enamel top kitchen table
aaaaaaaa 5:59 p.m.
49 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to outdoor trash
aaaaaaaa container 6:00 p.m.
50 steps from outdoor trash container to white enamel top
aaaaaaaa kitchen table 6:00 p.m.
11 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to refrigerator
aaaaaaaa 6:01 p.m.
77 steps from refrigerator to garden green bean patch 6:02 p.m.
17 steps from garden green bean patch to wicker basket 6:06 p.m.
18 steps from wicker basket to garden cherry tomato patch
aaaaaaaa 6:07 p.m.
70 steps from garden cherry tomato patch to counter 6:08 p.m.
15 steps from counter to hutch 6:10 p.m.
81 steps from hutch to garden blueberry patch 6:11 p.m.
23 steps from garden blueberry patch to garden raspberry
aaaaaaaa patch 6:13 p.m.
20 steps from garden raspberry patch to garden green bean patch
aaaaaaaa 6:15 p.m.
127 steps from garden green bean patch to white enamel top
aaaaaaaa kitchen table 6:22 p.m.
2 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to kitchen sink
aaaaaaaa 6:24 p.m.
3 steps from kitchen sink to cutting board 6:25 p.m.
4 steps from cutting board to kitchen sink 6:25 p.m.
26 steps from kitchen sink to metal pantry rack 6:29 p.m.
26 steps from metal pantry rack to white enamel top kitchen
aaaaaaaa table 6:30 p.m.
7 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to stove (gas) 6:32 p.m.
3 steps from stove (gas) to refrigerator 6:32 p.m.
8 steps from refrigerator to white enamel top kitchen table
aaaaaaaa 6:33 p.m.
5 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to refrigerator
aaaaaaaa 6:33 p.m.
4 steps from refrigerator to white enamel top kitchen table
aaaaaaaa 6:34 p.m.
21 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to computer in
aaaaaaaa master bedroom 6:41 p.m.
24 steps from computer in master bedroom to stove (gas) 6:41 p.m.
13 steps from stove (gas) to refrigerator 6:45 p.m.
5 steps from refrigerator to stove (gas) 6:46 p.m.
22 steps from stove (gas) to refrigerator 6:49 p.m.
5 steps from refrigerator to stove (gas) 6:49 p.m.
10 steps from refrigerator to garbage 6:51 p.m.
8 steps from garbage to stove (gas) 6:52 p.m.
6 steps from stove (gas) to small wooden chair 6:54 p.m.
5 steps from small wooden chair to white enamel top kitchen
aaaaaaaa table 6:54 p.m.
2 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to highchair 6:54 p.m.
3 steps from highchair to white enamel top kitchen table 6:55 p.m.
8 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to stove (gas)
aaaaaaaa 6:55 p.m.
6 steps from stove (gas) to kitchen window 6:57 p.m.
2 steps from kitchen window to stove 6:57 p.m.
2 steps from stove to white enamel top kitchen table 6:58 p.m.
3 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to stove (gas)
aaaaaaaa 6:58 p.m.
3 steps from stove (gas) to white enamel top kitchen table
aaaaaaaa 6:58 p.m.
3 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to stove (gas)
aaaaaaaa 6:59 p.m.
40 steps from stove (gas) to deck 7:02 p.m.
20 steps from deck to white enamel top kitchen table 7:04 p.m.
6 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to stove (gas)
aaaaaaaa 7:04 p.m.
6 steps from stove (gas) to kitchen sink 7:08 p.m.
14 steps from kitchen sink to white enamel top kitchen table
aaaaaaaa 7:09 p.m.
26 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to Jenny’s room
aaaaaaaa 7:12 p.m.
22 steps from Jenny’s room to white enamel top kitchen table
aaaaaaaa 7:13 p.m.
7 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to garbage 7:29 p.m.
5 steps from garbage to kitchen sink 7:29 p.m.
5 steps from kitchen sink to white enamel top kitchen table
aaaaaaaa 7:31 p.m.
17 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to refrigerator
aaaaaaaa 7:37 p.m.
6 steps from refrigerator to counter 7:37 p.m.
15 steps from counter to dishwashing machine 7:42 p.m.
17 steps from dishwashing machine to counter 7:42 p.m.
37 steps from counter to living room stationary floral armchair
aaaaaaaa 7:44 p.m.
18 steps from living room stationary floral armchair to center
aaaaaaaa of carpet 8:04 p.m.
15 steps from center of carpet to living room stationary floral
aaaaaaaa armchair 8:06 p.m.
46 steps from living room stationary floral armchair to computer
aaaaaaaa in master bedroom 8:08 p.m.
7 steps from computer in master bedroom to next to computer
aaaaaaaa in master bedroom 8:11 p.m.
29 steps from next to computer in master bedroom to Jenny’s iMac
aaaaaaaa 8:29 p.m.
15 steps from Jenny’s iMac to refrigerator 8:52 p.m.
8 steps from refrigerator to counter 8:55 p.m.
7 steps from counter to refrigerator 8:59 p.m.
6 steps from refrigerator to white enamel top kitchen table
aaaaaaaa 8:59 p.m.
7 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to fruit basket
aaaaaaaa 9:01 p.m.
7 steps from fruit basket to counter 9:02 p.m.
7 from counter to refrigerator 9:03 p.m.
3 steps from refrigerator to microwave 9:04 p.m.
2 steps from microwave to white enamel top kitchen table
aaaaaaaa 9:05 p.m.
5 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to counter 9:05 p.m.
3 steps from counter to white enamel top kitchen table 9:08 p.m.
5 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to refrigerator
aaaaaaaa 9:08 p.m.
9 steps from refrigerator to white enamel top kitchen table
aaaaaaaa 9:09 p.m.
4 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to refrigerator
aaaaaaaa 9:10 p.m.
9 steps from refrigerator to counter 9:10 p.m.
12 steps from refrigerator to white enamel top kitchen table
aaaaaaaa 9:11 p.m.
2 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to microwave
aaaaaaaa 9:22 p.m.
7 steps from microwave to kitchen sink 9:23 p.m.
7 steps from kitchen sink to white enamel top kitchen table
aaaaaaaa 9:24 p.m.
20 steps from white enamel top kitchen table to Jenny’s room
aaaaaaaa 9:37 p.m.
110 steps from Jenny’s room to Jenny’s red Honda Accord
aaaaaaaa (automatic)9:40 p.m.
59 steps from Jenny’s red Honda Accord (automatic) to Jenny’s
aaaaaaaa room 9:41 p.m.
45 steps from Jenny’s room to kitchen sink 9:48 p.m.
33 steps from kitchen sink to Jenny’s bedroom 9:49 p.m.
29 steps from Jenny’s bedroom to bathroom toilet (standing)
aaaaaaaa 10:17 p.m.
4 steps from toilet (standing) to bathroom sink 10:18 p.m.
42 steps from bathroom sink to Jenny’s bedroom 10:20 p.m.
116 steps from Jenny’s bedroom to Subaru Outback Sport
aaaaaaaa (stick shift)11:05 p.m.
122 steps from Subaru Outback Sport (stick shift) to Greg’s room
aaaaaaaa computer alcove 11:23 p.m.
23 steps from Greg’s room computer alcove to Cherylin’s room
aaaaaaaa 11:25 p.m.
12 steps from Cherylin’s room to bathroom sink 11:26 p.m.
20 steps from bathroom sink to Greg’s room computer alcove
aaaaaaaa 11:29 p.m.
30 steps from Greg’s room computer alcove to top bunk 12:28 a.m.

4853 steps total

22 Years in 132 Words

2007-07-30T09:15:00.001-04:00

Life Story XXI

2007-07-28T13:57:00.000-04:00

A waiting period, a transition, steeping.

Life Story XIX

2007-07-27T08:35:00.000-04:00

Pen pal letter lines saving time.

Life Story XVIII

2007-07-27T08:34:00.000-04:00

Inside-joke car ride sing-alongs.

lunch break warning

2007-07-26T16:04:00.001-04:00

Life Story XVII

2007-07-26T08:23:00.000-04:00

A typewriter heartbeat gifted to me.

Life Story XVI

2007-07-26T08:21:00.000-04:00

Mountain top macaroni & cheese escape.

Life Story XV

2007-07-25T10:35:00.000-04:00

Rock Island binding two into one.

Life Story XIV

2007-07-25T10:33:00.000-04:00

February, a new winter, slow motion lapse.

Life Story XIII

2007-07-24T12:42:00.000-04:00

Not a painter, but a poet.

Life Story XII

2007-07-24T12:41:00.000-04:00

Graduated college. Now what to do?

Life Story XI

2007-07-24T12:38:00.000-04:00

Trains in looping circles, hands held.

LifeStory X

2007-07-19T11:08:00.000-04:00

Affinity for modernism & vanilla coke.

Alfredo Impersonator

2007-07-17T12:44:00.000-04:00

According to the local paper
the tides should have been high
& the sun should have been up &
I should have made contact
with those who make changes.

instead

it was the evening of the day
we went to her favorite
restaurant from last year &
their menu had completely changed;
once a seafood place
with a view,
now an almost Italian bistro
with marble & mirrors.

She had read that
persistence will bring rewards
& a stranger’s compassionate remark
would stimulate her sympathy for an underdog.

instead

we stormed out,
& ate a picnic
of peanut butter & jelly
on the beach
while waiting for our
horoscopes to come true.

Life Story VII

2007-07-16T13:25:00.000-04:00

A daisy, a trail, something repeating.

Life Story V

2007-07-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

Affinity for up past bed times.

Life Story IV

2007-07-12T12:44:00.000-04:00

A matchstick, a strawberry, something circling.

Life Story III

2007-07-12T10:47:00.000-04:00

Noun & verb collector & organizer.

Life Story II

2007-07-12T10:16:00.000-04:00

Remote control smile (batteries not included).

200th post extravaganza

2007-07-10T15:48:00.000-04:00

Remember when ?

Or when?

Or even that time when.

Yes, it has really been 200 posts.

Six-Word Memoir

2007-07-10T15:32:00.000-04:00

Found this site. Then I submitted.

Summer Oven Letter

2007-07-10T08:49:00.001-04:00

Dear Nana,

The weather here, hot. Slow burning heat your
toaster oven door left open & set to full
blackness burning bagels, bread, tiny
imitation pizzas into dessicated cardboard
landscapes pockmarked & cratered, no hours of
clear water revival can revert post mark lost
stamp torn off, a pile of paper in your foyer
& puzzles tied with a twine string, just, stillness.
vacuumed silence aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa sliced & served
with a small plastic cup revealing your voyages to
Colonial Williamsburg, Bermuda, or Disneyland time-traveling
mementos documenting weather patterns in letters
How many squirrels did you see today?
Certainly more than me. I have 73 channels to
flip through compared to your fuzzy five
so time exploring the yard, the garage,
the basement, memories, weather, took precedent to
TV dinners fishamajigs & a sinking slow heat
seeping through storm doors vacuum packages &
your places for hiding money--plastic children's cups
I think--palmed bills warm from your hands,
I know you saw squirrels today.
........................................................ XOXO Chris

i did not see jenny

2007-07-09T11:37:00.000-04:00

i saw a man
cleaning out

the pond

brushing
the water

pure

dropping
the everyday
slop

a cigarette butt
a fast-food cup

to find
fish &
turtles

ecosystem eyes

honey suckle
vines

french toast
flowers
enveloping

a tree

drawing from
her water.

W.E.B. Du Bois can you really stack books that high?

2007-07-03T11:50:00.000-04:00

aaaa I am afraid of your elevator
with dings metering a breaking
building's heartbeat

its windows popping in pressure
its roots sinking in a
design that did not account

for the weight of words

squeezing bricks
from the tower walls

in an
architecture of tears

When a weatherman speaks

2007-06-29T15:53:00.000-04:00

people sometimes listen. At the church

turned concert hall the sign said
no flash photography, no recording devices

but she snuck in a microphone for Jenny anyway,
that distinct possibility of rain

not even an option in her eyes
blue with wisps of cloud grey,

today could be perfect.

juice box, discovery!

2007-06-28T11:48:00.000-04:00

a recyclable
cardboard carton,
corners bent
vein lines indents

gold, yellow, sweet

absorbing the spill
a history book
my parents would
have to pay for

after running bases
brick schoolyard bully
stepped on my lunch

pasteurized, concentrated

the catalogue
of knowledge
now an
autumn breeze
from Vermont.

50 Titles (of poems I would not write)

2007-06-26T10:09:00.000-04:00

protein pills
other natural flavors
not really a doctor
whale watching in the rain
vintage contemporaries
do not install backwards
handbook of knee surgery
rejected thank you notes
a fruit with no name
eaten straight from the box
dishes done
this bag is not a toy
bound by the conditions
nexus point reentry
a tape, not an apple
the end of aquifers
operating manual for a segue
mr. clean goes to france
i've got pop-tarts
Oh, Auden said everything
sponge identity
antisocial radar
fight night at the Lenig's
a man with a glass eye
the house that was not level
a beach with mosquitos
bedpan technician
closed doors mean secret meetings
talking behind your back
hard, modern edges
new dirt
the importance of flossing
sex, interrupted
a fruit much like a beer can
complimentary copy
there are no self-serve gas stations in New Jersey.
a day at the craft fair
LOWERCASE
income tax evasion
a conversation on speakerphone with grandma
peeling second-degree sunburn
a trail of carbon footprints
on conserving electricity
that's just too bad.
the moon in full sunlight
a can opener for poetry soup
conditioned air
landfill at noon
licking letters
not valid with any other offers

delayed breakup poem

2007-06-18T23:03:00.000-04:00

[feeling a loss of control, I
fall back on my mother’s tendency
to clean and make lists]
..........................spending June on the west coast
..........................escaping you, I replay Honey and the Moon
..........................and remember how you never called me honey
[my mother knows diligence
and anorexia, but I
lack her self-control]
.......................... spending June up north, spinning like snow
.......................... memory on repeat of you brushing your teeth
.......................... never calling me honey
[my mother teaches me
insomnia and to hold on
for the sun]
.......................... spending June in darkness, time moves
.......................... like muted moons, eclipsing me with
.......................... your silence
[one day I find
flowers, my mother’s
favorite medicine]
.......................... leaving for green orange groves down south,
.......................... I forget you and the moon
.......................... and spend June in the sun

A Language of Afternoon

2007-06-07T15:29:00.000-04:00

You're lying on my back, crushing the cigarettes in my shirt pocket.
A classmate sweeps across the grass
at the bottom of a hill, where puddles like to collect.
The sun has made you close your eyes
and listen to something more audible, non-visual,
and you tell me again that my work sounds like a language of afternoon.
And by the time I get up,
roll you off of me,
there's a puddle surrounding my sneakers
and this knoll is in the shade.

Warm December

2007-06-03T16:34:00.000-04:00

Sunlight flowers in winter:
one morning you brought them to me
so I could breathe
forsythia.

Yellow salve in the sky
on Christmas Eve. (The next day gray,
we suffocated in its
congested color,

longed for yesterday.)
As if sun tea on the deck,
clear cold steeps ripe red
and yesterdays become

wept pools of snow
feeding the early forsythia.

ghostblogger

2007-06-03T16:05:00.000-04:00

blogger forgot about me
as if i were winter
and he'd already moved
on though spring and into
the sweat of summer

in my search for self
i found three other blogs
i'd never created, but all
set to my own email address:
unwritten identities

mylashes.blogspot.com,
379.blogspot.com, and
pbandme.blogspot.com,
all with empty archives and
a total of 15 profile views

in a past life i was a
ghostblogger

Competent

2007-06-02T22:13:00.000-04:00

One White Filter

2007-05-29T17:11:00.000-04:00

After she leaves, there’s always one white filter in the ashtray.
Mostly buried before the next evening,
My filters are brown.

Always résumés and cover letters
And untold quantities of brown cigarette butts.
Waiting for the evening again.

I’m in the business of searching for work.
I’m in the business of waiting for her to make time.
I’m in the business of tobacco disposal.

Once graduation feasts and workweek famines
Replace a nightly routine,
Have to empty that ashtray eventually.

A pearl in a bed of cinders.
A black oyster ashtray turned ash gray.
One green-banded white paper girlfriend filter shows.

An Atlantic Engagement

2007-05-28T11:01:00.000-04:00

The tide coming into shore slowly.

A rocky beach, for looking not swimming.

Careful steps onto outcroppings into the sound.

The sun a soup of reds & yellows.

Just enough light to reflect off of eyes &
a stone setting two lives to one.

multiple arrests

2007-04-28T23:28:00.000-04:00

(as it is at the moment, this is the last poem in my race riot collection)

Because this is what we do when news is unreliable.
And this is how we know our language has evolved.
But that was when the papers reported for the cities.
So the next time there’s something happening, you’ll
have to ask the postman for the unbiased “scoop.”

The scars on the firehouse brickface can’t lie.
And the bulletholes in every other streetlamp
will be there another forty years from now.
And in 2047, someone else will lay siege to
some other public building.

Maybe a monument.
Maybe the library
Maybe the hospital.
But probably the public
High School.
And probably over drug territory.

And the best thing the police can
do is to let the mob run out into
the streets and watch the damned thing flower.

an excuse

2007-04-19T01:32:00.000-04:00

the macaroni stuck
to the red rust
black bottom
new release boilerplate
left handed, hates snow
tried to grow a moustache
& spots showed in the
stubble in the conversation
a pause, a dent, an aluminum scrape
heating away the hydrogen
perfect penne in 11-12
silent staring at the floor
at the coil of red metal
should be doing
without a timer
leftover
in the sink
two weeks later.

all those black & white photos you take

2007-04-03T09:52:00.000-04:00

A close-up of a single
flower in a field

stems & specks of
white in the back

& an abandoned
crumbling stone house

blurry. Just the daisy
confident, certain of the sun

in love.

Shower Gifts

2007-04-02T00:53:00.001-04:00

There was a shower of begonia leaves from a window
box when conception came in the afternoon.
The wind ripped the petals from their sockets
and dropped them on a hammock.
Scents move errant through canals.

There was a shower of onezies, booties, and non-alcoholic
mojitos when she took her leave.
Called all her friends and mother over
to be showered with gifts and pats on the belly.
The living room was packed to the windows with boxes.

There was a shower of carnation pollen to combat that
hospital smell.
Before the carnation haze lifted, before the begonias landed,
a series of classified ads were taken out, beginning:
“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

2007-04-01T16:12:00.000-04:00

Jenny + Chris

2007-03-31T19:57:00.000-04:00

Asteroids

2007-03-30T00:51:00.000-04:00

Word Find 3

2007-03-29T12:37:00.000-04:00

Jenny

2007-03-27T11:29:00.000-04:00

A wordmonster by Jenny: Chris

2007-03-26T10:17:00.000-04:00

Jen's Bio Paper

2007-03-23T00:45:00.000-04:00

Aquifer awareness is
not a priority
in the realm of
conservation consciousness

pocket compost (poetry fusion with Erin & Emily)

2007-03-22T12:48:00.000-04:00

snow melting, a grayscale
reduction to green, a drip
drop a stream sputtering a (seasonal)
war’s last bombshells.

ice shattering like teacups
against a wall, she picked
up a fragment to remember
where winter is real a

long, fat torpedo of ice
put in her pocket.
She came home to me melting,
the middle of school longing to

be mine & slipping love notes
into her pockets without eye contact
the folded sailboats float,
skimming over the ice

my latest invasion of space, the sailboats paper bouquets
slowly unzipping, memories
discharged; you brushing your teeth,
orange slice shadows—the half moons

glowing peeled &
I threw them away before you were
ready, so now you collect
a stream in your pocket, as not to forget

winter, oranges, & the moon.

WAL-MART REX, a word monster by Jenny

2007-03-21T09:17:00.000-04:00

finger food

2007-03-20T11:42:00.000-04:00

my fingers picked up
lunch from
the doorknob--double
bacon cheeseburger grease &
fries with mayo-- for
half price

bedtime

2007-03-18T13:54:00.000-04:00

spring [fixer]

2007-03-15T08:54:00.000-04:00

push through papers
white winter in reams
& listen

a shuffle a sorting
an arrangement made
to

put away the old
cold papers blanketing
the garden

no they aren't fertilizer
but a type of
scythe

to cut & paste a
way the waste
& peel

& bloom & whisper
the slow sound
of growing aaaaa .

2007-03-15T08:51:00.000-04:00

spring [throwback SPINBALL FIGHT]

2007-03-15T01:45:00.000-04:00

cultural currency update
while white computer screens
load
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa a walk in
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa crunching snow
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa white indents
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa foot prints
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa perfect for
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa packing
instant access
rolling down scrolling snowballing
screen
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa collecting
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa in drifts
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa each unique
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa crystal
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa blends to
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa pure vanilla
(democratic) society is
based on consensus, a
percentage of agreeability
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa the tighter
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa I pack flakes
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa between red
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa mittens the
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa more time she
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa has to throw
just two sides shaping
policy & echo chambers
reinforcing ideas
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa I am intentionally
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa missing her; snow
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa over shoulder
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa just
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa the sound
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa slipping by
influencing events
through the exclusion
of information
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa she knows
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa I am missing
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa & when I
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa hit her in
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa the back a
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa puff of snow
spin a ball of flattery
a snow job to
crystallize public opinion
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa leaning low
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa as she aims
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa for my head,
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa waiting for
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa an icy
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa blast
a two-way flow
of snow
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa warm breath
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa from my mouth
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa to hers
or nothing at all.

spring [opening]

2007-03-15T01:37:00.000-04:00

when the trees
wake up &
the grass smells
& the leaves
smell & the small
birds sing, sing &
feed their young
& sing & rain is warm
it smells & sings as it
drizzles in the sun
drops on the leaves
catches on blades
collecting in drops
it all sings

spring .

why Jenny doesn't go in the water

2007-03-13T00:09:00.000-04:00

something at the seashore a stick
or a lost plastic toy shovel something at the
shore nipping the back of her leg a
bag swinging from her back swishing as
she walks something forgot a snack a carryall something
tapping her heal in uncomfort for a moment
when eyes close the flash image that remains
the unknown a clump in the sand unconscious connecting
cheap rubber plastic sandal while walking
splinters stuck in sand a stick for the umbrella
poking objects just below the surf & her
father pulling a three foot sandshark out
angles in the wake a pull sand over toes
on his fishing line just beyond where we swim
sure she will carry the brown bag & keep the sand out
we swim where we dodge a wave or put up a screen
a scream against the washing away the fading a
way something at the sore sun burnt shoulders toes
always burnt where the sandal slips between the
big toe & that unnamed next toe a space for skin
to peel a grape a juice box a novel something sticking
in the sand a stick or a lost toy shovel made of
yellow plastic where is the missing bucket buried
beneath lurking in the darkness the sand below the water
shed the moist brownie inside just below the surface
keep the sand out collecting in the bag bottom
flushed away washed away torn out a subscription
the hook remained in the spotted shark’s skin a
hermit crab carryall a grape peeled sun burnt skin
the castle that we built washed away the next morning with
the tide carrying bags a snack chairs water wears glass
dull a grape without the skin blushing nipping
fingertips while swimming putting up a screen
invisible line between hook and hand
a juice box a sandal slipping from aloevera
between the toes the ground looks brown behind
glasses dropped in surf scuttle like a crab
white on top pulled reeled like a plastic toy
a stick a shovel a castle made of sand white
underneath cloths shorelines in skin never
on a boat without a life preserver a stick
plastic probably a safety whistle to call
for help an invisible line snagged in surf footprints
one missing a sandal plastic slipping away
half a print overexposed toe red severe sun burnt purple
grape great gatsby on the beach read something
sappy something juicy candy a stick of gum with
a whistle plastic inside that you dropped in the
sand put at the top as a flag foot for the castle
a slip up a tide shift the music of a vendor in
a refrigerated truck novelty dug deep brownie
coloured to protect the eyes reuses the grains
a little cake made with the hands a foundation
glass with edges worn dull pulling the pop
dug deep from the leaking steaming cold
spritz splash the noise of a wave crash lurking refrigerated
juice box a stick with chocolate frozen to it
a drop clumped in the sand snagged the hook sunk
a bucket looks lost without a plastic shovel a toy
a tradition a snapping a roar as the shark breaks free
as the beach renews with tide tables a white shoreline
brownies near the surf near the wake a fading footprint
a scuttle a skirmish running away from a stick, a shovel
or a shark.

greg on the typewriter

2007-03-12T17:42:00.000-04:00

so small
his fingers
could not
put enough
pressure
on the keys
to form
language.

Word Find Fun #1

2007-03-10T10:37:00.000-05:00

The refrigerator is empty

2007-03-09T13:23:00.000-05:00

& I stand
frozen &

waiting with
the little bulb

reflecting off
the blank

white corners
groceryless.

Class Notes: Rule #35

2007-03-08T09:54:00.000-05:00

RT476

2007-03-07T09:36:00.000-05:00

on my lap
over yesterday's Times
I pour,
from a silver
magic thermos
bullet container,
tea.

eighty
miles-per-hour
forty
sips-per-minute
photosynthesized &
dried leaves delivering
a fix.

two hours in a
car, the bead seat
cover becomes you,
& I forget where
I am going
if the audio book
is good.

all driving
distances
should be diluted--
a scoop of sugar
& stirred with
crème--a voice
reading to me

old bedtime stories,
a tale of a whale
the highway washing
headlights & redlights
as landfalls
in crystal blue
eyes.

Class Notes: A Communication Model

2007-03-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

the goose at 589

2007-03-05T13:10:00.000-05:00

Canada has covered the field
with a gaggle of goose, not geese.
Passports not valid,
vacation in the states.

Citizenship shifting,
a honking sound
traffic on 84 North shifting
to 15 North honking at the border,

What is the purpose of your visit?
What are you here to see?
Travel is more instinct, seasons change
& people must move.

the birds at 586

2007-03-05T11:24:00.000-05:00

the lawn is covered with birds
black-feathered birds, not blackbirds.
not in this state,
not on this vacation.

the lawn is covered with seeds
bird-attracting grass seeds
they must have been planted on the roof
because that is where the birds congregate.

the birds have hollow bones
that people hardly think about.
keeps them afloat,
makes their voices higher.

How I passed the Comprehensive: Lights out at 7:30, a poem.

2007-03-05T09:54:00.000-05:00

Top drawers no longer
mine filled with

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa socks too small
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa for my feet.

he is growing up
He is growing out
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa His space extends
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa beyond bunk beds.

The bookshelves are packed
stacked with old volumes

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Sherlock Holmes handed down
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa & blocked out by a plastic fire truck.

“I lost my first tooth today”
pressed under a pillow

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa that smells of apple juice
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa not sweat.

a first grader who wants
to be a fireman (not a writer)

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa HE is growing up
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa HIS brother is growing out.

2007-03-04T18:01:00.001-05:00

Ring around
the rim
a tea-stained
history

2007-03-04T15:51:00.000-05:00

waking up & putting the
water on to boil

2007-03-01T10:04:00.001-05:00

a new day viewed on old computers

2007-02-28T10:21:00.000-05:00

coffee instead of tea

finding an escape from lines of houses

going to sleep past your bedtime

2007-02-27T22:38:00.000-05:00

no, it was just an ordinary day
no idea of suburban choke
no way out of a street named after a
president whose name sounds
like a candy.

no, it was building in routine
the time it takes to travel to from a lab &
back & to sweep the floor of a church
for an extra hundred dollars a week.

no, it was growing up, or growing out
remodeling a railway that died in the
sixties, keeping track of hockey players stats
cards that consoled when lined up

and never running away from shadows

2007-02-27T21:24:00.002-05:00

It might have been the carpet in the funeral parlour that
flashed and made you hesitate and remember. That design
you haven’t seen since seventh grade and never before.

Or the darker shade of brown
they dyed your father’s hair,
it annoyed you just enough to form a memory.

But I remember that was in the time when Dunkin’ Donuts
had a brown tile floor and a countertop with stools
like some kind of donut saloon,

which made it easier to remember, harder to forget, because
the place had the smells, sounds, and carpets of a funeral
parlour, but the windows and light fixtures of a dive bar.

2007-02-27T21:24:00.000-05:00

the track shifted &
connected to a refinery, a plant
to process the sweet particles
for children's confections

2007-02-27T10:36:00.000-05:00

a before & after image