The Aroma of Coffee

The ideal
To, for, with which to open groggy eyes
To witness in translucent wisps
Nutty, smoky, vigor
To take it in
And be warm and lively
And recall friends and dialogue
And work and respite
It is the smell of earth and of life

Celestial Soda Pop

Coffee and smoke
Low chatter and entrancing strains
A stage flanked by cascading red velvet
Sitting and sipping
In a tired brown corduroy chair
Inhaling the rich atmosphere
Exhaling insight and acceptance
Reading the unsaid
Hearing the unwritten
Thinking in wishes
Emoting logic
Reveling in the shadows
Of dimmest amber luminescence
Happy place

Distractions

I like what you do
But I don’t wish to join you
Idling in traffic
Tapping your fingers in tune
With the beat in your head
Steering wheel
Bongo drum
And an abrasive horn solo
Coffee in hand
You bend and twist
And glance around
At lovely city horses
Bumper, meet bumper
Coffee, meet lap
Goddamn

I like what you do
But I don’t wish to join you
Feeding and grooming
Absorbing small collisions
Of raindrops with your slicker
Bridle
Manacle
And an oppressive white cart
Amongst black horses
You bend and kneel
And glance around
At fender benders
Crap meet pavement
Shoe, meet crap
Goddamn

You do what you do
I’ll do what I do
Pecking and ticking
Cooing at the passersby
That shuffle carelessly forth
Insolent
Lackadaisical
And eternally unaware
Down at ground level
I grow tired of the street
And take my flight
Across the busy avenue
Body, meet windshield
Pigeon, meet maker
Goddamn

Carmel, New York

I always like winter
best
you can drink hot cocoa
from Starbucks
and lattes
and tea
and coffee
and lots of
gingerbread
and festive cookies
by the fireplace
and listen to
holiday music
in every store
you enter
until it drives
you crazy
and go to
art exhibits with
your friends
and wear boots
and hats
and scarves
and gloves
as you try to fight
the frost
and the snow
and the sleet
and the wind
until you get
to the car
crank up
the heat
and all is well
again

Wealth

Purchase
Teeming wallet
Teeming bags
Teeming kitchen
Teeming closet
Teeming trash can

Travel
Distant island
Distant mountains
Distant coast
Distant city
Distant home

Expect
Due power
Due opulence
Due intellect
Due comfort
Due happiness

Resent
Wicked government
Wicked friends
Wicked spouse
Wicked children
Wicked reflection

Wealth is not all it’s cut out to be

Tornado

Empty space in your corroded system
All that atmosphere between you and everywhere
Hanging heavier with every breath
That dark and dubious wavelength
Ensnaring the judge of is and was

Ozone rises from the dew-stippled earth
An all-consuming energy
Racing through prudence and tenderness
Like a broadsword through your flesh
Pungently bitter

Feverishly elated is the electric doctor
Bellowing rain and fanatical wind
Ferocious, your pulse of steel
Soliciting tragedy for a faded bill
Havoc in the wake of havoc

A city darkest before its awakening
The tornado is right above you

Tethered

Sailing, drifting, wandering
Between the streetlights
Pavement cloaked in the moonlight
And my feet are bare
Mind is put out there
Singing nothing to no one
Stars don’t raise up their brows at me
Cause they don’t care
Oh no no they don’t care
Like some do

Taking a walk
April’s breath is good to me
It is good for me
Taking a walk
For the first time in a long time
I am feeling free
I am acting freely

Sailing, drifting, wandering
Through rows of buildings
Every single one built to be
A twin to mine
And that is more than fine
Counting backwards and forwards
Trees don’t know of anxiety
But I’m no tree
Oh no no I’m no tree
I’m waiting

Taking a walk
April’s breath is good to me
It is good for me
Taking a walk
For the first time in a long time
I am feeling free
I am thinking freely

Tethered to you
Tethered to them
Tethered to him and to her
Restless
Headed anywhere
At any time
For any reason
There is no more gravity
Forgive me for my apathy
You can keep your arguments
And keep your firmament
Of shouting minds
At one another
Be unkind
To one another
Who needs to unwind,
Mother?

Taking a walk
April’s breath is good to me
It is good for me
Taking a walk
For the first time in a long time
I am feeling free
But I am not quite free

Sailing, drifting, wandering
I’m tethered
Tethered
I’m tethered
Tethered
I’m tethered
Tethered