Friday, December 30, 2011

neighbor





mister wagner
in his buttoned sweater
at dusk
watering the lawn

i remember he had
a little mustache
and a receding hairline
but he probably didn't

he was old and strange
and could have been any age
between twenty-five
and eighty-five

i watched him
unsuspected
from my own shadows

and his wife
came out on the porch
herself a shadow
in the twilight

and said
hurry up
it's almost time for star trek



Sunday, January 30, 2011

variations



for nooshin azadi




three leaned over the rail
two fell in
one drowned

one ran for help
one was arrested
one washed ashore

one swam
two sank
three walked away

one leaned over the rail
two fell in
three drowned

three laughed
three cheered
three swam away

one ran for help
two reported her
three arrested her

three judges
two jurors
one jailer

one sky
one sun
one cloud




one river
one boat
three leaned over the rail


Monday, January 10, 2011

do






i'm sorry, ms sinclair
there's no need to apologize, joey

i was just doing what i do
i understand

it's what i do
yes

i have no choice
of course

i do what i do
the doingness of the done

the thing itself
to do the thing

that is imperative
the imperative itself

i told you
i understand



have you called the police?
of course

why else
would i have handcuffed you?

well
to keep me from doing what i do

no
i called the police

i had no choice
i understand

but you understand in turn
the imperative doingness of what i do

the done thing itself
yes

i think i hear
the police outside now