A Plane Curve Everywhere Equidistant from a Fixed Point

I have found

This round

An armament against

The cleft between

The temporal length of existence

And the inherent pledge to carry on

I've been the hopeful one

Guarding gratitude 

Like the last house

In line of wildfire

There is surety

In our elliptical birr

Just as the force

Of a strong wind

Removes the moment

Before it and redeems us

A forceful catch of breath 

Fruit Stripe

I remember every yellow light

I stopped for

Returned the pack of gum I stole

It was colorful and sweet

But my dad marched me back

And when I apologized 

The cashier seemed sad

She thought this was only the start

My life of crime fated maybe

Or else the exchange of the quarter

From my dad’s hand to mine to hers

Stirred in her a memory

Of parent or child

She was both then

As was Dad

Watching me sign the social contract

I will never take again without giving first

A pause, at least

To promise I'm listening

A beat

A breath

A particular series of words

“Please”

The ice cream softened in the back of the Nissan

Even with the windows down

The summer boiled

Some things we can't control

But for surrender

Verses Inspired By Things Seen at the Science Center

At the park outside

The frisbee-playing longboarders

Perform at 7

$10 only

Dr. Horrible’s Sing A-Long Blog

Enough said

Don't get fat

If you do

You will get sleep apnea

Nevermind your skinny uncle’s

Unsplinted mouth

Snoring

Nevermind the ways you're fine

At the planetarium

I'm falling forward without moving

One

With entire galaxies

With the probable core of Jupiter

Until the child beside me slams

Her rainbow boot into my hip

Molerats make poor pets

They breathe best asleep

In a pile

In their nakedness

The soldier molerat stands guard forever

Without a tunneler to defend

Or a queen to come home to

Apology to Freddie

For the days you stayed by the door

          I was in California

Mom and Dad left

           Both of them

And he returned

            Late

Changed out the clothes and books in his bag

And left again

Behind

           A hint

           A hit of

Antiseptics

The Marvel of Sight Becomes More Wonderful Than Whatever is Seen

1. The thirst

I need

I am

Without it

A child’s thickened frontopolar cortex

A screen flicker

A shrunken plant cell

Yet

When the truck plays

Pop! Goes the Weasel

I submit my thirst to be

Overwritten

2. When you change plans

I am seven again

Dragging art books along the concrete

When my ride never shows

I want to tell you you are a broken phone tree

But I wait

Truth is

I’m grateful for your self

Awareness

3. You can fall asleep during meditation

There is no timeline for when the thoughts

Arise

Will no longer

Drain you

But one day

Tiredness

Will be another state of energy

4. I think the thought,

“I am not thinking anything”

It is the closest I have been

To still water

I pace between a hospice bedside

And the neighbor’s casserole

Tomorrow

I find out the knot in my lungs

Is a bouncy ball

And I jump around

5. I fear there’s no point to

Any of this

No bounds leapt

Worth

Leaving the dishes in the sink

Acceptance is stasis

Right

Except now

I did not notice the dishwater gray

Nor the wafting tulip breeze of an

Open

Kitchen window

I did not see you come in or leave

The room

I will keep

Looking