I used to have guts
Guts that were scraped
Scraped until all the good parts
Parts that held seeds were gone
Gone and replaced by artificial light
Light that illuminated my smile
Smile carved deep into my skin
Skin that was starting to harden
Harden around my wounds
Wounds that were sealed by the cold
Cold wouldn’t let me go
Go back into the dirt
Dirt was better than the porch
Porch meant pe...
“There’s dirt on your boots.”
His eyes hardened, brows furrowed.
“The guys aren’t even wearing suits.”
I poked at rage already burrowed.
“I go out however I want.”
That much was true.
Every denied request was a taunt.
Another way to say fuck you.
“Please. It’s respectful.”
He jammed a ratty cap on his head.
I thought he was accidentally neglectful.
Marry him or leave him for dead?
“Your ...
Two fat bumblebees collided
We watched through the glass
They made another pass
Despite flying lopsided
Corn stalks broke the sod.
Defying the searing heat.
We accepted seasonal defeat.
Protected by AC while we jawed
Hazy blue sky smeared with clouds
The muggy air was still.
The hills blocked any breeze.
Lullabies of lawn mower sounds.
Freshly cut grass meant Advil.
But in that moment, I w...
“This is you.”
Untethered, almost alive.
A brain floating in a jar
Preserved in formaldehyde.
“This is what you are.”
Every triumph, every issue
The human experience distilled
To a lump of gray tissue
“Who you are…”
A homeless soul
Human dignity stripped for parts
Body rots in a hole
“And all you’ll be.”
Truly unmatched dedication
Displayed over and over
For higher education
Profe...
My friends say I could do a lot better than you
I wish I’d met you after I was 22
Nothing’s sadder than the unlived life
It’s a shame I’ve already met my wife
Why did you say that to me?
If you’re unsure, you should leave
I’ve always been sure about you.
Love doesn’t wear off because the relationship stops being new.
I’m sorry your insecurity makes you upset.
If you lost weight, you’d feel b...
Sometimes
we fall in love with ideas
Not people
we wrap ourselves in the magic of
Isms
Conservatism
imposing the past on the future
Progressivism
slaying the past to save us in the
Future
Nihilism
nothing matters; meaning is chosen
Spiritualism
we are all connected by various
Energies
Socialism
everyone shares to stay fed
Capitalism
everyone should be rich or simply
Dead
Com...
My daughter has eyes like mine-big and brown with a tiny ring of green around the pupil. She has my nose. I’m glad. My husband’s nose would be too big for her little face. Her full lips and darker complexion come from her dad. She watches me, and smiles. Dimples puncture her round cheeks. “I love you.” I tell her, and kiss her golden brown curls. She giggles. I smell baby shampoo. I open my eyes. ...