The Equitable Teeter-Totter Man

the rulebook in many languages does not
            define joie de vivre
the appliance guide does not say how long
            to leave the buns in the oven
your grandmother’s illegibly scrawled recipe card
            uses words like peck, bushel, and handful
the syllabus does not teach foreign students
            how to think

dolphins are born tail first
            the females push it to the surface
gladiolus bulbs remain viable
            if kept in a cool, dry garden shed
a train station clock remains poised
             a wag places a mask over its face
my ticket allows me passage between
            confused writing and tangible results

[RK, 1/8/2021]

House On Fire

that forty-two-year-old blackberry pie
smolders, chars the poor oven
smoke leaches from the kitchen

that memory foam mattress
melts, sparks erupt like
bottle rockets

that fawn you fattened with apples
flees to the island’s far side
threads connect earth and sky

you smell the fire
you toast marshmallows
you solstice cha-cha

you have the fire department
            on speed dial
            but

the flames are seductive
and your hand-puppet shadows
provide decent entertainment

[RK, 1/8/2021]