Poem

Inventory

It’s funny, not “ha ha,” but you know — 
even years later, I know where you are.
Have neither of us changed that much?
I’ve traveled a…

Being Counted

“How many of you have friends
that are Protestant?”
It was the ’60s and Vatican II
had the Catholics extending an olive branch.
The…

Penance

The evening sky is cobalt and cloudless,
smooth as a porcelain bowl.
I still need to make myself remember
the blue of your eyes,
need to make…

The New Normal

From the other room, you should hear a foot fall,
the clack of the keyboard,
or just…

How Words Taste

Sometimes the slant of a word,
the way it leans in my mouth,
makes it heavier than expected.

I’ll Never Know Everything About You

No matter how many hours
I’ve watched you –
talking, driving, clacking a keyboard, sleeping –…

Confessions of an Amnesiac

I’ve forgotten — 
not a thing, not a place,
a person.
I can’t recall.
I almost catch it in my dreams,
almost…

Signs of the Apocalypse

Last night, everyone on the planet
had a good night’s sleep.
This morning, everyone used their turn signals
and were…

Voice of a Fallen Tree

You, visitor in my woods,
see me laying on my Mother,
roots to the sky,
and think “dead tree”
or “so sad.”
Let me tell…