a turn away
from pursuit
from a life
from himself
an escape
from others
from definition
from self-immolation
a denial
of projection
of supposition
of expectation
a purge
of arrogance
of shame
of the soul’s anger
a belief
in the present
in hope
in simplicity
a meaning
in the chaos
in the day
in himself
a direction
toward difference
toward laughter
toward each other
a movement
toward trust
toward friends
toward love
(December 9, 2025)
always somewhere else
in a foreign language
an ocean away
another part of town
the neighbor’s house
never near you
in the same room
your blood on the floor
your muffled cries heard
down the well-lit streets
always safe behind screens
with coifed stern faces
stating facts about others
numbers abstract and soft
pushing their deaths away
never the mangled bodies
splattered brains on the wall
never at fault
never complicit
always another lie
(November 17, 2024)
after Fanny Howe
Lisa’s voice and laughter
Lisa singing by herself
The dogs sleeping nearby
Music playing while I cook
Food with friends’ conversation
Wine whiskey and poetry
Reading and writing
Books where sentences shimmer
Fields of flowers
A single rose in a vase
My children grown into their lives
Autumn and Spring blue skies
Slow walks in art museums
My grandchildren’s laughter
(May 9, 2024)
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