Prologue to a Northwest Summer

The cold rain

washing the sky, 

the sky pressing 

against the door,

the door knob

clicking its tongue 

while I sharpen 

all my pencils 

to dust.

[LSS, 6/18/22]

Autobiography of This Project

I’m looking for the one true skeleton 

that lies within these diagonal lines, 

but every time I get to what smells 

like marrow, a different series 

of lines appears, and I have to start 

over at the origin to attempt to create 

an entirely new creation myth. 

[LSS, 6/18/22] 

Interrogation

How would you describe 

the complex patterns 

you draw on the ceiling 

when you’re not awake?

Have you finished 

writing the dictionary 

of your new language? 

Where will the route 

through decades of fog 

and forgetfulness 

reappear?

If your shoes are emblems 

of enlightenment, 

how do you know when 

to buy a new pair? 

[LSS, 6/17/22]

The Good Questions

never have answers.

[LSS, 6/17/22]

Battle Position

Patiently killing plans 

and their many guises

standing before us now,

pantomiming the many ways 

through bitterness and grief.

[LSS, 6/12/22]

Don’t Worry

We are still reading 

our mail and tying 

our shoes and eating

sardines and crackers 

while we wait 

for the extra space

to store the missed 

moments to arrive.

[LSS, 6/12/22]

Making Plans Without Thinking Things Through

we're sunflower seeds in a desert
broken bottles, brittle in spirit
dandelion seeds drifting on a summer breeze

unable to connect except with words
when you are busy with customers

plans are made and then retracted

apologies go out like expensive
sympathy cards
$8.95 to say what sounds false
when spoken


Unwanted Guest

emotional disturbance
loops in the ether, and yes
that sounds new age
it’s supposed to

patiently waiting
killing death in its many forms
end of day
like a summons that I’ll wake again
one more one more

you need not remind me of death
and/or dying
I’m on the email list
deleting without opening

[RK, 6/12/22]

Would

an alphabetical arrangement of hours

help you get through a day

of confusing numbers 

with the actual meaning

of how much time remains?

[LSS, 6/10/22]

Homecoming

It will be different now

that we are back 

home and all the things 

we thought were so important 

before we left have gathered 

in the gutters waiting 

for the next rain 

to wash us all 

away again.

[LSS, 6/9/22]