who lightens the load placed
on the other leg’s shoulder
discovers together how fast
further you’ll far

no penalties for false starts

no flags, no arbitration

run when ready

■

finally back in a form to remember
to yank these earbuds from their nests
lest the rain outside these too-
thick walls pass in whispers
unheard by these hungry ears
hoping, these days, hoping for a taste
of an ancient loved-one on my tongue
twirling face-up to the cycling sky

■

sharing my spirit with an army of ants
worms, beetles, frogs, mosses, mites, moles, and mongeese
and ohhhhh, how i long once more to be a forest
but reincarnation's a dart-hurling drunk, so here i sit before you
the child of a family that ate and burned the orchard of me

these days it's a podcast
i buried the book i'd made for her
a season of preparing unplentiful papyrus
three moons tanning Schnuff's hide post-jackal
let go that past life
joined them both in the ripening soil to bide my time

the rain out the glassless gap in stacked-branch walls
my hand-made hut alive with the ocean's blood
sifted clean through cloud kidneys
crashing into consciousness
aaaaaahhhhhh

peaceful, that hard scrap

hard scrap of a life to be sure
but remember popping back to reality
Daisy's paintings fading in your hands
dog and girl still clutched to my chest
still petting that sleek-furred schnuffler's pelt
as it surrounds the fade of my baby girl's dreams

to Veronica who, today, does not want to talk to me…

…i love you, my friend

stitched back, alive, or segments on the floor
i’ve left instructions for the dismemb’ring door
that—though i’m hopeless
when it comes to keep friends
intact—for you, she always swing wide open

oh, drat!
the hell hound's caught your sent

'twas never ever my intent
to see your limbs so widely rent
but may you find contentment in
one final sentiment:

well do come back
i love you so
i hope you find what makes you
whole
please know the blade-clawed bear
will have no supper in his lair
as punishment for what he’s done
(a real hard bear to raise, that one)

i’ll be right back with the first aid kit
please know i aaaaaam so sorry
alright, here’s lavender to take the sting
a tea tree tea to tackle toxins
massage to move the chi
oh, that just spread the poison?
gee…

how can i help? let’s seeeee
will you come into the study
while i search for supplies
here there are no spiders
they don’t like to share this space
with the centipedes

would you like to try this?
no? glad to hear it
“thanks for taking care of yourself!”
i like to say…oh shoot
sorry!
i try to keep it friendly
but that includes the spiders

you’re allergic?
oh dear