Something or Nothing (after Dara Weir)

Your presence may cause me to kill someone,

or something, or nothing.

It’s not that I don’t desire you,

I just don’t want to be near you.

Your absence – if you’ll consider it – would be kind.

But if you need to kill someone,

It might be kinder still to kill someone like me, 

or something, or nothing.

Tunnel Vision

He wanted me to take his picture, for

The world to see him as I saw him.

He liked my eyes, he said.  

But what did I see? A man 

trapped in his past.  So focused

On the injustices done to him that he couldn’t see

Beyond the reflection of himself he saw

In my eyes.  

He didn’t see me.

One Day

A single rose was all I had
to give you. I thought
about tearing off the petals,
leaving a trace like Hansel
and Gretel, but you are so
comfortable - lying there -
and I didn't want to be
a bother; no one should.
Sanity. It's overrated.
So, I just left,
one day.

But when I come back
to see what bloomed,
to see if the decomposing parts
of your body were enough to
fertilize, to see if it withered,
to see if it died without my tears -
like you did,
like we did,
like everything does,
eventually,
I'll remember nothing lasts forever;
You told me that,
one day.

And, maybe this thorn will
become something beautiful -
one day.

Normal

When my mother was young she wore pantyhose
on airplanes, and fancy hats to church, with white
gloves and white shoes, but only after Easter.


Sandals were plastic and for the shower or,
if woven, were for vacation. Husbands were 
to be tolerated, and kept forever - regardless.
Babies were only born to couples married
by a priest. 


I went to the airport today without my pantyhose;
I was wearing plastic sandals. My husband dropped
me off.  He does more than just tolerate me;
he listens and hears. I may not keep him
forever, but I will forever keep his friendship.


And my baby - who is no longer a child - will wear his
sandals to church.  It isn't how
my mother would do it, but this is
normal for me.

The Train to Saint Petersburg

Somewhere between here and yesterday I changed
my mind about taking the train. I'm not standing
still any longer.  I'm running as fast as I can
as the raindrops pelt my face like bullets
and leave their tracks on my cheeks.

I can see her ahead of me,
running ahead of me,
jumping ahead of me
in line.  Her raindrops explode
like stars and she beckons
me - Come. Jump. Feel
the wind whoosh across
your face as its joints squeal
together. It takes
away your tears.

And, this is how I know I'm still
alive. I finally feel something here
at the train station.