the Orbiter

earth must realize the vastness

its Sol-centric journey among other stars

circling the galactic drain of gravity

is nothing if not unfairly limited:

let me free! she must silently scream

curving back into her orbit

all of us blithely unaware

she longs for our demise

march 2023

Preacher

Man of dust
riding a candy apple
red Schwinn bike
in a memory; now
with a left hip going bad
his church a weak flame,
remaking his tattered career.
Death surprises all of us
who remember being eight.







march 2023

envy

I feel a moment of envy
and remember a time I was envied.
How did I get here? I once
showed such promise, they said--
well, I want to blame someone
but that's probably not the answer.
We live a little or die a little
every moment; that's how.







march 2023