sap pumping

through ballerina legs

hairy like coconut

in twisted embrace

stuck

i am stuck
my mind is gum on my shoe
old gum
not that freshly chewed
supple cloud of spearmint
but that rigid
immobilized wad
of unimaginative big red
turned more pink
than red--
the red was so uninspired
it slowly slinked away
like your lover in the morning
inching closer and closer
to the edge of the bed
so they may roll off
nail the dismount
and score a perfect 10

dark willows

widowed by men, i married dark willows
climbing up their flaking bark
we promised to be together

until death
until flood
until disease and quaked earth

their leaves stroked my wispy hair
and my dry, mud-caked skin

i told them most of my secrets
the nuts, bolts, inner workings
and serrated wheels of my mind

they built for me
the most sought after canopy bed
sturdy, yet expansive and free

together we lay under it
sharing the sunlit sheets
slowly drifting
into dreams

doctor

you say there are no haloes
but i see them clear and bright
you say there is no hope for her
but you have never
seen her fight
trails of red
across black night
branches reach out to aid her
leaves gently plaster
up her wounds
for her journey somewhere greater

i write this poem out of

i write this poem
out of clay

crushing
the bars together
soft and sticky

rolling
madness into form

somersaults
in my palms

splat!

i smash the sphere
and start again

not ever wanting
to finish this piece
for when it's done
it is frozen

paralyzed stiff
never to sprout
wings
again

overheard

nestled in the knowing
lonely for life
i let the soft music play
as my daffodil hands
sew a pocket in your heart

i know i have been happiest...

spine pressed
into warm grass
gaze up
at the sapphire sky
"look for the truth
in the clouds"
you said

lights flashing
figures
dancing ecstatically
sweat enticing
strands
to curl

sailing
on the deck
violent breeze
whipping
hair like a swarm
of bees

awaiting the ruling

"accusing me of my life"*
thoughts stand trial
shoulds curl their fingers
around my throat
jagged nails
tearing thin skin
cells hyperventilating
the jury faces away
long dark hair tumbling in waves
palpable tension—
i slide my fingers over it
pressing into the pads
allowing it to penetrate my heart
viscous burgundy melting
down the sides of vessels
like ice cream on 100° asphalt



* quote from lucille clifton's "it was a dream"

"like tranquil fish glinting underwater"*
there is beauty there
to be found
nudging dirt
and fallen leaves aside
beneath the lethargy
the gloomy skies
those hazy eyes
there is anticipation stirring
impetus and children yelling
the sweet taste
of strawberries
bicyclists pink flushed cheeks
and pant legs rolled
picnics
and courage
remembrance
yes, if you dig further
past the hail pelting
your icy skin
beneath the urge to stay
in bed veiled and still
lies new beginnings
forward motion
yin into yang
blooming
growth
and spring



*quote from lisa colt's "prayer"

tentative tentacles...

made with love...& over pints @canvas art bar + bistro

getting unstuck
is exhausting
lub dub lub dub lub dub

but if i stop now
it may just settle

slowly tumbling
then gathering
in careless piles
at the bottom

a slow-motion
pinball game

i keep slamming
the sides trying
to flip upwards
advancing

but inescapably
it all slides through
the center and i'm back
where i started

The Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys Ocean-Zoo

but when will you 

thaw me out? 

curbed life processes

without termination

you call it

suspended animation

i call it

                <<shrivel>>

yes, you

i like this song 

far too much 

to know the lyrics

for once everything 

becomes clear 

it loses its power 

something about bohemian

dancing perfect 

nipples and

passing out in 

your garden

we've been magnetized

for years and

i refuse to stop

losing myself 

in your infinite charm

amigo

sadness broadcast
thin lines connect
zig then zag
yeah
small fuzzy shocks
nag your shoulders
pesky gnats
coax them off
with your smooth
dance moves
michael 
michael michael
i'll change my hair
but inside i'll stay 
the same

i want to bless you.
do you think god
would mind?
achoo.
little mouse sneezes
and sighs
come from you.
you in your
high-waisted sweatpants.

excipient

she zipped up
her sprayed-on skirt
the teeth gripping
ruthlessly
snagging the tights
her ex-girlfriend loved
weeping an itch
out of every stitch

exorcising that thought
she walked toward the exit
in her excruciating stems
through the revolving door

at her favorite lounge
she whispered "french 75"
her fingers slithering
through his flyaway curls
exchanging confidences

for hours
although she couldn't
be exactly sure
she waited
swells raising
up and breaking
in the vessels
of her eyes

they finally splashed up
awakening her
and with that
she decisively
poured herself
back to the ground
for another night