1.
Wisps
like smoke from a cigarette tip
his hand on the bar
ice settles in the glass
he coughs
clears his throat
and starts to speak
2.
my clichés clot
across the veins
of my life
my clichés clot
like spilled blood
in the snow
my clichés clot
my speech
with a swollen tongue
my clichés clot
all with whom I interact
everyday every day
my clichés clot
until my heart
thickens in disgust
3. Just Saying
Not that what I have to say is urgent,
or even all that amusing;
but it is what I have to say,
and that becomes my reason to speak,
and that becomes my urgency:
for what I long to say to you
is, amusing enough, all that I can
do to show how much I love you.
(May 2012, work in progress)