band

open a bottle of wine,

listen to Over the Rhine
we’re going to pull through,

Karen tells me

we’re going to pull through

let the melancholy meld to beautiful

let the song sink down in

let the possible stay possible,

unburdened by the probable

juxtapose your ordinary self

with your extraordinary soul

feel the tension humming on the wire

feel the piano play

we’re all late bloomers

when it comes to love

upon others

hindsight
should be used
with great care
with great mercy
and
as sparingly
as possible

instead
stick with
rocket pops
on especially hot days
and
still-warm cookies
otherwise

four fours make sixteen

you are not
precious
to me
behold

my great
smallness
my small
amazingness

general pathfinder
rock-skipper
poet of the next
tomorrow

pierce my
pounding heart
one-handed
the other tied to

the right words

pick up a
pen
     pour
out my heart
and then and
     then
it will all
make
     sense
all make
and
     once
it's all out
the pieces surely
     will
fall
together
     together
and this
ache will be
     done
done in
by
the right
     words

just now

this muffling quiet of softly
falling snow
all around lazy white
flakes, plump and solemn, steady
and unhurried, untroubled
by wind
untrammeled by unthinking
boots, cars, snowmobiles...
anything
except, perhaps, the tiny, delicate
steps of birds
saucy cardinal or little tufted titmouse
or bright-eyed chickadee

gone the robin, gone
the red-winged blackbird, gone
the noisy squawk of summer
winter comes soft
and quiet
and chill

dim interlude

haunted by memories
     ghost touches
your hand
     on my shoulder
your breath
     against my cheek
memories, only

only memories
     without substance
without shape
     without warmth
cold, alone
     I shiver
    
call for an exorcism
     bright sunlight
and fresh breeze
     and soft, soaking rain
banish these ghosts
     again again again

snooze

I kissed you last night
in my dream.
You were strong, and sweet,
and loved me like fire loves flame.
I felt the pieces come together—a new whole
from our whole halves
an interlocking
mind, soul, flesh
together
ignited with just a kiss.

And then somehow I was careening down a zip line toward a giant pile of sheep and the new girl from my department was there and we were singing Christmas carols and there were Nazis, somehow, and that hot guy from Band of Brothers though I could have sworn we were in Canada and then my alarm was going off and I
woke up.