03/31/21

My aunt at the Best Buy
calling asking me what she should buy
not knowing what's even wrong.
It's like she knew
I had the day off
and might actually pull off
a nap
in the middle of the day.
Can you imagine?
Sleeping soundly
in the middle of the day
while the construction people
clip and chip
at old tiles
that drag and clank.
I almost spent
the whole day in sandals.
Fuck.

03/30/21

I am a cautious person
even in videogames.
god forbid
I alert this troll
to my presence
causing him
to smash me
against the rocks
so I respawn
a five minute walk away.
I might have to put on some music
and the autorun
and find my corpse
to retrieve all my stuff. 
I mean,
I have a really good axe,
you know?

03/28/21

Sitting out front 
to the side of the garage door
with no shirt on
in the dirty yellow light
of the little lamp 
by the front door
I wonder why I thought
it was such a great idea
to whistle back and forth 
out of breath
with an eager mockingbird
I saw eating red berries
from the palms
while I moved tiles
from the garage to the addition. 


The bird is stuck
now
in the rafters 
and the internet
said the solution involves
patience
leaving the room
and illuminating the exit. 


I know how this bird
must feel
poor bastard.  

03/27/21

Another one of those Saturdays
where I do just enough
to trick other grownups
into thinking I’m not
still about 19
in the head. 


I did a couple dishes
took out the trash
gave my kid some medicine
thanked him for not having a meltdown
scratch that, CONGRATULATED
him for the feat. 


Played video games till like 2am
watched cartoons till 3
woke up around 10
had Dublin Donuts
Oh shit it’s Sunday

03/26/21

There's always
that one person
in the drive thru
on fucking social media
or with the seatbelt buckle
up their ass
who leaves a giant gap
between their car 
and the one in front
pushing half of the last car
in the line
into one of the busiest street
in the city.
We should send these people to the island.
I see he has Virginia plates
and the softy in me
thinks
maybe in Virginia
the McDonald's parking lots
are massive winding roads 
unto their own
where they give COVID vaccines
while you wait for your McMuffin.
Fucking Virginia...

3/24/21

All caught up
slipping in a couple days late
and it bothers me
I feel like a lie
and also a fool
for stressing this so much
for pushing three lines
way out
when I need to care 
more about me
and be like fuck it.
But also
tomorrow comes
and it could be death
and why leave nothing behind
or just three lines?

3/23/21

Hatching

 How could we know
 what 365 days
 8760 hours
 525600 minutes
 would bring?
 Your mom passing
 I miss her "yeah"s
 and her "hrmmm"s
 the way she rolled her eyes
 left arm across her chest
 right arm up, hand like a gun
 at the side of her face
 maybe Jack got that from her.

 Fucking cancer
 your insides burning
 while trying to sleep through
 in a dark room
 cancer frollicking 
 skipping through your insides
 have a good old time 
 with your blown gall bladder
 your skin shiny and dry
 I wish I could have taken
 some of it
 burned in your stead.
 Maybe we could have 
 bounced it back and forth
 like a game
 of hot potato. 

 COVID.
 Trying not to breathe in
 anyone's air.

 Construction.
 Trying not to breathe in
 mold or roofing paper fumes
 paint or dust.
 I barely remember
 being able to walk in the backyard barefoot
 baby Jack rolling in that green green grass.

 But.
 Look at you now.
 You talk about getting a tattoo
 on your breasts
 a phoenix breaking the gravity
 of pain
 lifting itself despite 
 the weight of dense flames.
 You do not see what I see
 the red hair taking root again
 breaking through flesh forged in fire
 streaking forward
 down every which way
 even from your womanhood.
 Your bright ocean eyes
 I drown in
 whether dry, teary, tired.
 Your smile punching through
 a blast of joy despite this year.
 You dragging yourself through the yard
 the thick barb chewing gloves
 the tools in the dirt
 shaping the world around you 
 to your will.
 You are the phoenix.

3/22/21

One of the worst things
about this pandemic
is not being able
to let your kid skip school
and take them somewhere cool.
I remember once doing this
to take my son to Toys R Us
but that's not around anymore
and Target isn't a replacement
not really.
So it's like
where does he get to 
escape to
the poor guy.