Just some stuff. Val and I are working on a couple projects together right now and I'm excited about them. These poems are kind of a departure from what I'm usually writing but some of them might make the cut. I'm still collecting poems for my first book and I haven't really figured out all what the parameters of this book will be. Especially as I write new stuff and hate old stuff. That's why I have to collect it soon before I hate everything.
Contingency #7: Vanishment
If things begin to disappear,
if you’re sitting and the pepper goes while you’re salting,
then you’re up getting the phone
and you notice the cord is missing
and so is the typewriter and the pushmower
is not rusting in its place against the fence
and beyond the fence a neighbor smiles from a new face.
So you’ve lost the comfort of your favorite chair,
the world is splashed in unfamiliar shadows,
the places you used to go are switched
with places others will someday used to.
And a voice is gone,
even the pain of that is being sifted out
as your vision everyday needs stronger correction
to keep the world from jumping ahead,
spinning into something you can’t even dream.
Handicap #1: Finger
If I lost my finger,
I could finally replace it with something better.
Like a mini flashlight,
or a backscratcher or an unloseable pen
or a gum or candy dispenser,
or healthier, like a daily replaceable carrot.
If I lost two fingers,
I’d have room to attach my cellphone.
If I lost three fingers,
I would always hang loose.
If I lost four fingers,
I would never talk,
only approve or disapprove
like a Roman Emperor.
If I lost five fingers,
I would only be sad during shadow puppets,
when I could shape only a tree,
to give shade to the dogs and birds and gators.
Favorite line: "the pepper goes while you're salting." I'm fan of turning nouns into verbs, otherwise known as a gerund.
ReplyDelete"if you’re sitting and the pepper goes while you’re salting". I like this. and I like valerie. and the jury is still out on you. but I do like salt.
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