WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MY EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS?
hmmmm
not sure on that one
AND ONE MORE FOR THE DOG PARADE
Yesterday I saw the most
majestic thing. I was standing
on my deck, listening to the scary
birds. I saw movement
in the trees, and then a tail.
It was four dogs,
identical in size,
but different breeds.
They were walking in a straight line
proud and slow,
navigating the curves
of the creek, all perfectly
equidistant from the other,
ears up.
They did not look at me but I still knew.
They were throwing me
and only me
a parade.
Thanks, dogs.
THE BODIES THAT FAIL US
We decided that quarantine
would be fuckintine
except then I got a UTI
My political stance:
avoid antibiotics
at all costs
So I took cranberry, drank kefir,
it helped some,
the UTI would go away,
but it always came back.
Finally I called the doctor.
She was required to say
strange things
over the telephone. One was
that I could hang up
anytime. She called in two prescriptions.
Antibiotics, and the pills that make
your piss bright orange, extra strength.
I swallowed them. A little while later
I peed. So bright!
So bright. I felt powerful.
I have a highlighter
between my legs.
ANOTHER NATURE POEM
Here, in the springtime,
the birds are so loud,
like all they want
is to kill each other.
The only comparison I can find
in humans:
-The internet
-Wrestling matches
Maybe we are
appropriating the birds’
culture. We should stop.
Leave it to the birds.
Next comes summer.
Flood rains, hail storms,
the woods chock
full of deadly things:
ticks, mosquitos, spiders, snakes.
At night the cicadas
are so loud they might
bust the window.
The frogs, they croak,
and I don’t hear ribbit.
Instead, I hear,
Attack, attack, attack.
THINGS MY STUDENTS HAVE EMAILED ME IN THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS
I am sorry but my essay is bad, my son dumped the kitty litter box into the air conditioning vent, poop and all.
I am sorry but I can’t do the homework tonight, my aunt killed herself.
I am sorry that I’ve been slacking off, my boss is making me drive to Indiana, I am sleeping in my truck because I am too scared of the disease to stay in a hotel.
I am sorry but last night a tree fell on my house, I am lucky to be alive.
I am sorry but I need an extra day, I can’t stop crying or feeling homicidal there is no in between.
SELF-KNOWLEDGE IS THE KEY TO SOMETHING
I have learned a new thing
about myself:
I love digging
in the dirt.
HOW TO UPSET A CALIFORNIAN
In quarantine, you can’t
recycle so I throw
the cans in the
trash.
Ha! Fuck you, earth!
