No hour 25
Accidentally baked it
Into the bite of life
Forgot that eating makes it
Hard to stay alive
In the sense I’m tired
Barely made it through
No hour 25 this year
No just a victory for me and you
8 AM – Jericho
Response to Jericho by Iniko
Don’t get high, but I’ll ride it out with you.
I might be from earth, but I don’t discriminate.
I’m closin’ in, feel your distance.
I’m your ride or die
Take your hand, and brave the waves.
If it meant I’d be with you I’d fly all times,
Am I included in your vision or on sidelines?
AI could never replace you, you’re so divine
Long as we’re together we’ll document timelines.
Nothing’s missing as long as you’re here,
beauty in all you do, not an intrusion
I swim, go with the flow
won’t bring you down, I’m momentum push you forward
When you move, watch my whole world, shuffle
I’ll be there to catch you on the double
If I could be so noble.
We’ll break down the walls like Jericho, rubble
Always aim up high, this girl is on fire
Easy mode, never need to retire
Starblood, whatever she desires
She will have it, that’s for sure
Feel it coming in, feel it in our bones
Heavenly protected, guard your soul
Tapped in, we’re connected to the unknown
Span ish (23rd Hour)
Trees, leaves, bees
Breathe.
Avocado Green.
I dream
In spanish.
Agüacate.
Cacahuate
Tomatillo
o
jitomate.
Choco
Loco
Choco-latte
I am maize
I am raiz
I am Gorky Gonzales
With 40 nopales
Dropped out of college
Start slanging tamales
In Watts or in Juarez
I’m wearing huaraches
Sombreros, zarapes.
No names, No mames.
Somos de los grandes
Los malos de antes,
Que visten en trajes
Los vagos y magos
De tragos jigantes
Encantos y platos
De patos infantes.
Fuck elefantes
me pongo Los guantes . . .
I’m really quite famished,
and dreaming in spanish.
What’s Your Topping? (Poem 22)
Cheese?
Yes!
But mozzarella only please
Tomatoes
Yes!
But cherry only please
Bell peppers?
Yes!
All and any colors please
Pepperoni?
Yes!
Heartily sprinkled please
Onions?
Um, maybe
But only fried ones
Cottage cheese?
Um, maybe?
But just a couple
Pineapple?
Ugh, No!
Brocolli?
Ugh,no!
Spinach?
Ugh, no!
And, there it is
My perfect yummilicious pizza
In response to text prompt number 22
Hour 23 “Hate And Howl…”
Hour 23
9/3/23
“Hate And Howl…”
Hate and howl …hmmmm – is that
or this –
about
now and then
…and/or…
how some hate …to howl
or how some hate?
But how about –
hating how some howl …to hate
and howl about how some howl – about hate
while they hate howls and hows?
Hmmmm…
Chris
(C) Chris Twyford 9/3/2023
Hour 24 – protect your head, a sestina
my brain sits in my skull like a scrambled egg
The Idea Center a blue screen, frozen
I wish I could get to sleep fast
I definitely rely too much on one or another bottle
whether it’s ZzzQuil or a beer, I find myself angry
I almost never stay up till 2:00 a.m. on purpose yet I’m frequently up that late
gaze at the leathery shell and hope it’s not too late
the last of these snakes will make it out of her egg
radiating off of her writhing form i feel anger
the dream leaves me frozen
i fumble for the bed side water bottle
try to tell myself I’m just thisty that’s why I’m gulping so fast
I was made to grow up so fast
I feel like I’m experiencing teenagedom late
all of the feelings I tried to bottle
now I incubate them, protecting my egg
no longer content to be frozen
in time, I’m feeling my feelings and that come with anger
its not her fault she was always so angry
my mom I mean, her temper so fast
its impressive that the circumstances didn’t leave her completely frozen
no one realizes the dangers until it’s too late
try to prepare for the science project of caging your egg
dig through the trash for toilet paper tubes and a plastic bottle
UP, down, I fidget with the bottle
how am I both slower and quicker to anger
unmasking is like peeling a very old hard boiled egg
it is the opposite of fast
i just kept telling myself id eat it later
pretty sure the yolks is somehow frozen
i stand in the kitchen frozen
what was I going to do? Water bottle
snooze my alarm every five minutes so in not late
a routine helps me I’m function. My bodyies refusal to form habits easily makes me angry
if I could just stop thinking so fast
i would actually remember to eat my egg
I make a sandwich with a fried egg hope my sausage isn’t too burnt or still frozen
i eat up fast draining my coffee bottle
some days I just wake up angry, and it’s much easier to be late
twenty-three (!): Bigfoot
Bigfoot has
never requested
your approval