Mermaid Email

Do you know how many times I’d fall in love with you?

Your ocean sinking, weight unknown

I’ll step aside, wait it out

This sea again

Will change

Before, sketch

You rarely get the opportunity
to say goodbye to someone
for the last time
and know it.
A terrible girlfriend, maybe.
But not on a sunny day
Not when they smile back
Not in agreement
Not today.

It's Late

Here’s where those inventories

Make themselves known

Deep debt on the fence

Waiting for the night call

Whome

This is the wrong house

You brought me to the wrong house

Didn’t you know

Where you were going

I thought you knew

where you were going

You always told me

You had this part covered

I was supposed to cover

Another part

What was that part?

Listen, this place will be fine

Fine enough

Tell everyone goodnight

I am going to bed

The bed I thought was another bed

I thought it was another bed

I thought this was another house

I thought this was another place

I thought you had this part covered

I have been walking

Through the same land

In the same boots

I am what kind of fool
Thinking I

Would be

In another place

Bullshit Anniversaries

When a whale
washes dead
on your bathroom floor
let me tell you
you're going to need help
Think about who you call
carefully
You only have a minute
Then the windows
blow wide open
A march of investigation
People with jobs
you've only heard about
in your driveway
in your hall
up and down
notepads and stares
All night long
while you hide on the floor
in the farthest room
hurdled against
everything

This spring sure beats last spring

I am nowhere
going nowhere
this machine
obeys to none
Its tendency
is toward water
where it washes
what I won

I am tired
growing tired
radish black
bitter thin
I want you warm
inside my hand
you grow away
clean and dim

Three sketches from a short flight

1 Hajj

This last flight
of the last pilgrim
delayed
An unexpected rain
the first desert's
skin felt
a dry century of visitors
a welcome wash
for almost all of us


2 Nests

Inside this envelope
is another envelope
The one I meant you to open
Also, ignore the envelope
inside that first envelope
It's meant
for someone else


3 Overheard

My wife is an artist
she's completely feng shui
So amazing what's bought
a market of
decisions delegations
this plane of promises
tuck your head between your knees
tell her goodbye
we will be landing soon
one way
or another