Phases

I go through phases of voracious interest,
Consuming news articles like barroom peanuts;
The bland, crusted shells crushed and pulled apart,
discarded on the floor in the search for the fruit.
Words of experts and personalities,
Partisan philosophers,
Ideologues,
demagogues,
charlatans,
They all have their say, clouding and muddying
The same story. I’m left with shadows,
A light bulb burning out, a moth fluttering
Against a glass shell, seeking the spastic filament inside.

dream girl

dream girl

'when the sun comes up in the morning
(I sleep on my belly so it's always from my left)
I awaken to
that lovely golden light
and
I'm usually alone
and I sometimes (but not always) wonder why the most
beautiful woman in the world is not sleeping there next to
me?
I deserve her, I think, I deserve
her.

then I get up
go to the bathroom
splash water on my face

look into the
mirror

shudder a bit
in
disbelief

then

go sit down on
the ivory
stool

let it all
go
except for the reality

which

no amount
of
efficient
modern
plumbing
can

whirl
away.'