then the seething,
uneven breathing,
empty room puddled
in pleading rocking
knuckles knocking
on the locked door
wonderin softly
what you’re
cryin for

lyin on
the floor

receiving silence
and receding
deeper since this
isolated island
sleeper invents
ways to keep his
distance: switch tense;
ditch a structured sentence
if only by inches
may I mention
I built an engine
to swim language
like a penguin
smidgen by smidgen
high mileage and fly
dignified like carrier pigeon
I don’t need assistance with livin
I WANT TO LET GO of any ego
and flow so wet it drenches fish in rivers for eagles
FO’ REAL
who else do you
know willing to throw
thoughts like water balloons
from the spilling overflow? I
brought it, buffoons mock it, but
the balloons pop and get
every girl in the spot wet
they stop and undress
dream temptress
sequence weak knee
defenseless sea of sex
shipwrecks me sleepless
sunken next to the deepest
darkest measure of forever
with one finger on the lever? never.
inside my chest there’s treasure.
never put one