They call me
Sao Paulo
Columbus
Charlotte all
day long
old lovers and
new leave me with
a dark longing
a wet blanket
trying to warm
myself this ache
grows each call
times I’d wish
they’d not call
and this dank
fire in my belly
could be extinguished
with just one

Oh

Ones I want
don’t want me
said Romeo
sitting across from
me I nodded classic
city pigeon not hearing
definitely not listening
You’re pretty darn
positive
remembering
sentiments
I started to check-out
your blog got side-tracked
like a dog and cat I
reacted a teen-aged
girl

These new poems
are really good
I’m impressed
says Romeo

Thank you

the salutations hang
like molasses
empty nouns
gathering into
pools of verbless
storms

Re-writing is
playing cards
with old friends
edits in blood
turn fantasy to
reality my pen
a serpent ready
to strike no venom
lays dry on my
desk
is walnut
mid-century classic
lines
the altar
on which I pray
every day

It’s snowing on
my laptop wipers
cannot wipe
the screen
clean of white
exposing the
blackness of words
landmarks I’d
recognize a lamp
in a storm

the whiteout
spins me like  an
avalanche
tossing turning
upending words
pebbles stones
kicked up yet
nary a nick

Sitting in front
of a blank page
pulling sheets
overhead or drinking
cold coffee
page stares back
at you blankly
praying like
acolytes for
inspiration
dewy sprinkling
on green grass
sitting and
hoping for the
first word to
start
like watching
the sun rise