2013, England

If tomorrow is here then so be it

but don’t ask me to say amen 

because I won’t believe it I won’t 

believe it I won’t believe it

Three

The clock

            is a lie that

                        I must keep

                                    unwound

Predictability

is a lucky thing

A coin with two heads

or two tails

                        as the case may be

And yet too late

just one second too late

maybe

The joy was in

the terror of

the box

The Face in the Mirror

“I like your t-shirt,” I told her.

The girl smiled at me.  It was a relief to realize she couldn’t quite talk yet.  But when she gave me a little wave and turned to go with the dogs, I knew what she was saying.  She would be seeing me again soon.

Fire in the Hole

Hi there.  I won’t ask how you’re doing because I know, so...I guess you’re all right.  You still smile sometimes, although yesterday you were pretty angry over a dumb dominoes game.  Okay, it wasn’t the dominoes game that made you mad.  It upset you when he wouldn’t leave you alone, why won’t he leave you alone when you ask him to?  Anyway, you’re spinning and sinking again, I can tell.  You’re just sick of all this crap, you wish it could be over and you wish you could make it vanish, or at least not matter, but you can’t.  Just accept it.  Yeah, I know.  You’re getting that scared feeling in your chest again, it had left you alone for a few weeks but it’s back again, like it or not.  It's not going to disappear anytime soon.

Sorry about that.  We can't help it.  You just won't listen to us.

Locked In

Whisper it to me while no one is listening

tell me I am a fool

tell me I am not

tell me something that makes sense

and then prove it

Encroachment

“Let’s play a game,” Alturis said.

“Let’s,” Megan agreed.

“We’ll ask each other questions.”

“Great.”

“I’ll start,” Alturis told her, and leaned forward.  “So tell me, Megan Cooper.  What part of yourself would you most like to kill?”

Megan had the feeling he asked all of his victims this.  Even so, she answered honestly, “My memory.”

Alturis sat back in his chair.  “That would be too bad.  Because your memory is one of the only things in life you own.”

“I’ll sell it to you for cheap.”

“Fine.  Sell it to me.  Tell me why I would want it.”

“Because it might amuse you in between murders?”

“But surely I must have a sample first, correct?” Alturis said comfortably.  “For instance, when did you first realize you were in love with your neighbor?”

Megan shrugged.  “I never was.”

“Then why do you look longingly at his house?”

“Just remembering,” she answered.  “That’s all.”

Phantom

Where are you tonight?
I see you sitting on the low-backed sofa
only a cat could love
discussing Jung and astrology in
the same breath.
I see you you are so unknowable
I hate one person more and that is
myself.