...pre-cap...

the party I am missing tonight:

the swoon the swindle the mingle the network

the piece the guitar the axe the lights in the bowl

the wine the witches the hipsters the bitches

the wine the women the men the walls

the taut pants the faux spike the red red souls

the instigators the tail chasers the requisite line

the poet the musician the singer's songwriter

the fire escape smoke room the smoke alarm

the mixing the taping the mix-taping 

the photographer the echoes in the green pale hall 

the clinking of recyclables

the hello the goodbye the hellos and goodbyes

the curator the cure the curious 

the end the ending the closure the closing

...pool hall rule...

the way word bird game

up up the upper fame of the deed

done dirt street cheap 

schlepped up up hills

and tossed down down 

societ-ill

sloped and slants

renovation and prospect

who will willingly fill the pool

so that I may swim 

swimmingly in the error

of my repetition ?

...loft...

even the greatest intention

is defeated by the longing

and despair of  being

the only one in the room

even when you are near

...forget the power...

the word I saw today too many times

power on and off on the tv   on the green

board we discussed it in class and I had

not seen the word on the tv

til afterward when I got home

the word followed me

then went into the tv before

I started to dream of the power

being yanked off by the electrician

in my nightmare   he tells me not

to go forward and not to pass the power

onto the next fortune teller

or gas god of the sulphur springs 

that re-emerge in the power sweat

dreams of mountains and hot hot

waters the way              the muscle releases

safety in that power 

we return to the core of the lecture

then the tv turns it off for all of them 

like the power cord being tripped over

and ripped out of the socket

...a loved letter...

dear valentine

______________

______________

______________

dear dearly deserted

______________

______________

______________

dear lost value

______________

______________

______________

dear dear you

______________

______________

______________

Love, as/is Always,

______________

...medium matter...

how to:

frame the words:

in the body:

of your image:

is it:

glass on mating:

on turned phrase:

on photograph:

these laws:

needn't be set:

just suggested:

black and white:

my letters:

in black:

...the height of the ceiling...

the height of the ceiling

matches the height

of the sensation 

that we are both

winding toward 

that we are both

afraid of achieving

hands in the air

the height of the ceiling

...about facing...

another intriguing reconnection

in harmony with this idea

of reconciliation and proclamation

of singleness and multi-syllabic 

conversations with the self

(remember her? remember

the library window? remember

that awful, mean town?)

In all occurrences there exists

a definitive truth of that experience

and that time does take its

toll but no more so than

the words we used to use

before we knew how to use

words properly and not

as the weapons of inarticulate

youth, swords of misuse

...knee-jerk hysterics...

its true about the ice

that you can't see how and exactly

when it becomes that slippery

slide that bumps you into the sides

of streets and students      slates between

the cities and the songs

we used to sing in crowded

arenas with hand-knit scarves

and grandma's hats, perhaps

her sunglasses, more likely

her joy in watching someone

bust ass on the slippery

ice on a northern Queens

still frozen night.

She told me she once danced

at the Roseland Ballroom

when it was still this, a ballroom.

I told her I danced there

too but not like she did

and that I was wearing

grandpa's scarf. And that

I fell and busted up my knee.

(She chuckled)

(I said that I meant to do that)

...winter's shell...

tell me

what you are

wearing

so I may 

gauge how cold 

we both are

...found phrase...

I had lost this phrase

for nearly eight years

until today's words

help guide them back

through ensuing tears:

I am American.

...44...

the history of this day

starts the realization

and activation 

that begins 

tomorrow

...rearview...

in the red mini

you took off like a laser

then slowed down 

to a smile before 

you shot off again

and out of my

field of view

the weather 

wasn't conducive 

to our conversation

nor were the traffic

lights on our side

the window

fog didn't help that 

   either

...soft focus...

in the angle 

you present  the wall

is just out

of reach

and we lean

against our new satin

finish         running

our hands over it's silken surface

the angle

I choose to present

         eyeing 

each stroke

and each extension

the corners 

you try to fill

with the metal edge

of your trowel

the curves you create

                           and I witness

...transformer...

the long pause

between each breath

is the day turning

to night and the thought

that keeps us there

...dance song...

if you fight with me

I'll tell you a story

about the last one

who fought me 

knocked me down

and come undone

...eye for a life...

you speak of the rules of engagement:

suicide bombings, IEDs, civilian casualties, etc.

What about this rule? If I throw a rock

at you, you may throw a rock back at me.

Please. I welcome it. You may get an eye

for an eye. A few teeth.  Nose broken symbolism.

But, if I throw a rock, and you launch a full

aerial assault and ground invasion,

laser guided devices and tanks

versus primitive bottle rockets and roman candles,

what is my rock to do?  What shall

I aim for? You have left me one target

and that is anything that exists on the other side

of the border, anything, that my rock may

inflict damage upon, that it may reach, blindly. 

And this is a history of violence, something learned,

this is a last ditch chance to keep my home

and my family safe. Please. Engage me. 

Talk to me. Do not simply take away

what little I have and what was once

taken from you. This must be acknowledged.

Neither of us can be victors, here.

...upper respiratory...

when the neti-pot

won't break through

you know the infection

is solidified and staying

longer than it is welcome

(get going would ya?)

...new year's girl...

first, the little bus was a hinder

then, the little boy who wouldn't dance

we both shared a few flashes

the bulbs blew brights and green

a light shared, a deep inhale

and the exhale close to the ear

speaks over the speakers

directly to the space where

one forgets to ask the right

questions and do the right

research so that the night

extends itself past what

the clock imagines for us

(where did you go, Jennifer from Dallas?)

...about face...

backwards

you unravel

may I so

reverse in

me to talk