Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Estranged - by Rand

That touch
Those words
Their look
I recall when
they were all
so familiar to
the both of us

Monday, May 30, 2011

Genius - by Rand

There were a pair
of geniuses who
apparently didn't
know that the
plural of genius
is genii

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Drawers - by Rand

If I said I
possessed
the best
drawers in
the world
would you
imagine
glorious
furniture
impressive
trousers
or enslaved
artists?

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Message - by Rand

We've lost the metaphor
Can't read in semaphore
This is how I felt before
Way back when I was four
Glowing like phosphor
Stuck to me like camphor
What is all this for?

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Tumble - by Rand

Places you won't find the word tumble:
  • The title of a doctoral dissertation
  • The Gospel of Thomas
  • Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second Edition, 1998 Revision
  • New York State Driver's License (exception: your first or last name is Tumble)
  • A wadded up piece of paper in the front vest pocket of a 46-year old Peruvian dwarf
  • A spoonful of Alpha-Bits (this morning, at least)
  • Spelled out in recently trimmed facial hair in my bathroom sink
  • Cat entrails

Monday, May 23, 2011

Brave - by Rand

I learned too late
that being brave
is more about
accepting fear
than about not
having it

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Friday, May 20, 2011

Sheets - by Rand

When making
the list of what
separates us from
the other animals
I ask that you add
800-thread count
bedsheets

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Bark - by Rand

You can't tell
if their bark
is worse than
their bite
until you've been
bitten

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Grapes - by Rand

Oranges are orange
Peaches are peach
Lemons are lemon
Plums are plum
but grapes are
green or
red

Monday, May 16, 2011

Line - by Rand

In the now it feels like
endless wandering in
every possible direction
but from outside time
you can be mapped
as a single straight line

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Chill - by Rand

I remain cool
about the heat
but I'm not so hot
about this chill

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Vibrant - by Rand

I suppose most
might imagine
a bright light
or a vivid color
but the primary
image it pulls
from me is
an oscillating
vocal cord

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Wipe - by Rand

Why should we cut
or simply dissolve
when we can wipe?

Wipe - by Debbie



I've been in this line
for over an hour.

No one talks...
what's the point?

Paper rustles
as we each reread
the notices received
a month before,
with a date and time
and a warning
to not eat or drink
the morning of the Procedure.

It'll be quick, they say.
Just a tweak
of synapses,
won't hurt a bit.

And then voilà:
no more grief
no more stress
no more angsting
no more

Can't wait
but look:
it's my turn now.
Step up now,
hand over my docs.

Wet on my cheek...
where did that come from?
My hand goes up to my face
but then falls
because now I'm thinking
just maybe
it will help me remember
help me
remember

Monday, May 9, 2011

Monday - by Rand

Black coffee and dusty books
make for poor companions
following such a weekend

------------------------------

sorry for the lack of poems over the weekend. as the above indicates, i spent the long weekend engulfed in good friends and good food.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Melodrama - by Rand

This isn't
going to be
one of those
"meet cute
only to find
out that my
stepdad was
your older
sister's lover
and you were
raised by your
parents as if
you were theirs
until they both
died in a
glazing accident
leaving you to
run the shelter
for cute but
dying animals
while struggling
to overcome
dyslexia
and lupus"
stories
is it?

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Cheers - by Rand

A haughty nasal
British accent
clipped
the beginning
and flattened
the vowel
resulting in
years of my
younger brother
clinking my
juice cup
and uttering
"Jaws."

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Worm - by Rand

squirm
dirty
worm

firm
purty
germ

stern
birdy
turn

burn
sturdy
urn

learn
wordy
churn

spurn
nerdy
sperm

squirm
dirty
worm

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

"um..." - by Rand

I spent my afternoon
interviewing a series
of inarticulate Buddhas
chanting their mantra
between every phrase

Jai
Guru
Dei
Va

um...

Monday, May 2, 2011

Seethe - by Rand

Seethe
matchstick

Seethe
flashlight

Seethe
firefly

Seethe
lightswitch


Sunday, May 1, 2011

Rain - by Rand

The rain falls
like Anime tears
as I turn from
the window and
try to recall
what I was
so sad about