Presented Without Comment...

12.16  Break

He stared at me 

from across the kitchen

startled from under my feet

and confused at my fall

at the crash

at the shards of porcelain

that spread out from

the point of impact

like some parking-lot comet

at the world’s least impressive mall

and only one person on the staff

responsible for addressing the Christmas cards

and issues of safety and cleanliness 

like this broken water dish

and the small tabby paws 

that might not wish to find

a tiny dagger of what was

lodged in his favored kneading paw.

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12.17  Lapham Service Hall

This foggy village

clogging my arteries

veins choked with pedestrians

lingers after clear day breaks

from the concrete of sky

and leaves everyone 

breathless

smiling

but between the supermarket

aisles and the library 

stacks a whole world of

mistrust and loss linger

words of hope in corners

where a rough breeze has

deposited them

no interest

no rollover

and in the town square

a squire

shouts proclamations never meant

for public consumption

though he can’t see a single soul

which belongs to the footfalls

echoing from town hall

to the trailer park

ignoring the dripping foliage

that shivers inside

this red cage.

###

12.18  Broken Habit

This discarded square

sliced from life’s grid

and tossed aside

in favor of something

with more impact

more clout

more

and glued up days later

with a wish and a wad

of spearmint gum

complete with filling

unmoored like habit

of posting

writing

sharing

and talking.

###

12.19  Don’t Say It

Your name on the lips

of other men might draw

a glance but nothing more

and yet

coming from this mouth

could start a war

no matter how mangled

the misspeech.

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12.20  Entropy

Through the broken blinds

hanging askew in this winter haze

fog fingering bare limbs

leaving the slimy trail

of intentions ill thought

and consequences parked

across the street

like a flower delivery van

that stays for days

until everything inside must be wilted

and the floor littered with petals

that drop

from he loves me not

he loves me

he loves me not

despite everything I ruin

in his name

and in the name of years

passing on this landing

of the world’s longest staircase

and where in God’s name

is the food court in this mall?

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12.21  Lament

Words

words

words

never mine

and certainly not his

are the carpet

of this cell

I have built

screwing in bars until

the complete circle

leaves nothing unbroken

by a sight of iron

which does nothing to cut

the wind that steals

every hope from my mouth.

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