Writing
Lantern
color the small one
light the light when I don’t need you
bring a fever
why is this racehorse the only thing in my head
why is this governing bringing me back to life
I learned how to hold a light in my eyes
I learned how to battle lightning without storms
I learned how to smoke out my fire & still burn
so, this lantern in hand,
I will step into the world with an elephant’s footing
waltz into each room
bring two-stepping back from the dead
put your voice in my palm
tell me on each finger that you want to suffer my idealism
I learned that stanza is Italian for room
so enter all these worlds with me
build us a tower &
lunge above our heads with me
I will know my life through the scribblings
maybe a year, a shuffle forward
the glow of alive awake
here
world full of words
good news everyone
I have not lost all of my words
I’m just scattering them over the cosmos
and I keep forgetting to visit those planets
you know the ones
they’re not my favorite
but they’re not the places I go to cry
push my head into the navy blue sand
sand that feels like dried saltwater
tastes like her disappointment
there’s not much life
but you know
the moons are stunning sometimes
the ones I have quite often
forgotten about
pass them on my way to work
all the mediocre everyday syllables
only when I walk these asteroid belts
next to your new open eyes
the ones that hold all the starlight
all the wonder
crawling into your skin
seeing it through your mesmerize
your midnight opera
your flying triple double dutch
your twisted knees and failing balance
lilting attention and perfect rhythm
now
oh, now
I pick up my best basket
with fumbling fingers
crossing them into scribbles
I can hold once more
come with me,
roadmap of yesterday
semblance of tomorrow
bring me all this curiosity
mix me all this together