I’ve never been to Mary Oliver’s woods. The woods that wrapped her in words that she spelled out in spilled ink so that we might read, and, in a sense, walk with her and her dogs, loving and leading the way in a place that…

I climb the wall Not of my own house But one I used to know You left your keys And I can fit through Your bedroom window It’s a tight fit And naturally I’m Nervous So I keep my eyes on the carpet Of the…

Cards from people that I know Pieces of clothing that you used to own A watch you never used to tell the time necklaces that I’ll never wear Pennies we collected that I won’t use to pay for anything pictures of you that make my…

Quiet feet pad through tall grass Claws, teeth, tails Ears, eyes, nose on alert A breeze ruffles the leaves Fur, feathers, scales Growl, squeak, howl A branch snaps A door slams Lights, curtains, quiet.

It’s fun to imagine having sequins for my eyes, but Not without purple glitter in my hair, Like a demented puppeteer.   I’m considering holographic shoes with roller blades, and Some jellybeans for my shades,  Sort of colorful cascades Of rainbow Monsters. 

They want peace They call it peace As if peace is justice With a fancy wig And flashy jewelry As if calm streets And pretty murals Will bring them back They call it peace When they mean suppression When they mean conformity When they mean…

Losing it all Never knowing what they had It wouldn’t be the first time Something awful had been done In the name of love Finally we see what two people do When trapped with no way out A lifetime had gone by Without really knowing…

If you want to be rich Don’t gamble If that is your wish Don’t grumble   You may win a hand Once in a while It is not a rule But you may try   The other day The other man won a lottery His…

We sat on the front porch and waited for the cars to drive by From the left were hers From the right were mine a poor children’s game She got the first a banana yellow sports car always she got the flash The second was…

I don’t owe you reparations or a doorway to freedom. Taking down a flag, mascot, or statue only penetrates my hatred for you deeper. You want a new system then go back to Africa, but don’t dare create your own. I don’t need you to…