Discounted Poetry

Dander, down, The wisps of fur beneath her arms, The scent of sweat, deodorant, And hint of something vaguely cardamon. The night's narcotic, Needle cold. It steals upon and over, Steals until your sense is absent, Till your breath is gone. When you strung the scarlet thread To mark your way, You never thought it might not hold, A man might don a razor, Teeth, Delightfully frozen, Penetrating sweet, - 5/12/26

On my bench down the stairs, I create these small aliens To release them freely, Dropped from high exploding Like ink-filled balloons. Most people never notice. None of them are Shakespeare. Most aren't any good, Yet every one of them Reveals something That's beautiful or pure, Although they speak a strange language Few decipher. Some just rudely scoff And some are lovely But remain with oddest angles, Uneasy, Off, And though they're not exactly Visiting from space, They don't belong here. Even when disguised, They're unnatural, Misplaced. I've no idea why  I sweat and sacrifice so many hours Giving them life. Perhaps they keep my hands from being empty Or allow me foolishly to trust I've meaning, purpose. Most people never notice. - 5/8/26

In the southern glare, I barely make out The empty saddle. My rusty horse Is spattered. My youth's remembered By nobody. Often, clever twists of words Left brutal twists of rope. I rode for the adventure, Rode for blazing romance, Rode for reasons To this day I do not understand. I made reckless decisions. Now random Decisions make me. This land, This pavement, sand, and water, Don't feel Home. I live a stranger, But will not die a foreigner. - 5/7/26

She told me I must visit the soda mountains While I am young enough To breathe the liquid in the air And hear the mermaids cry. "You've heard about universal certainties. Well, baby, this ain't one of those. It's lost between The unbelievable truths you can't express And lies we all hold close. It's truth behind the logic And the knowledge bare, Undressed." She told me And I have never been, She's merely memory today And now, Now I am old. - 5/6/26

The boarded sky bulged down and broke. The night collapsed, Hummed infection green. She swore Just another, Just keep it filled with gasoline. I learned so many years ago To always stay in the corner. I loved her, But she'd grown a part Of opium and greasy gears Enrobed in steam and smoke and hissing. When she rarely was at home, She still was fused inside the fumes, Her breath an engine Jumping rails. In bed, She pounded with the pistons, Cranking oblivious. Dandelions, daffodils, Entwine the flowers. Crown her glorious And make a wish. The machine coughed out sickly smog And finally went off. The world was numb. Nobody even felt the blow. The ones that hold your everything, They gallop over hills And vanish in the golden hours. - 5/1/26

The sky is falling apart On us again today, A subtle ripple mellow overhead. We keep the afternoon together, Never-ending Russian novels, Intricate poetry, Mugfuls steaming fresh with darkest coffee (Yours with hazel chocolate colorings of creamer), Pillows tossed occasionally For a playful stirring Of the quiet atmosphere. Your sweater covers a couple  Of the couch's cushions As your mess of crazy auburn hair Is spilled onto my denim lap. We share the warmest hours, Intimate and lazy, While I pretend I'm unaware You're seeing him. - 4/30/26