one this may save your life two this may save your life three this
may we not shudder
in inactivity, may we not
grind bones
while still raw, say instead we are walking
one step to next, fielding outrage and constants,
clambering mid stream to rocky tors and offering
drops
of each fine food, distilled liquor, dandelions.
go north, or deep, or with,
go
frequently
the sound of saw blade in the distance, and building,
we are building, pretend
we are not, pretend we gather
only
one step to the next, fielding outrage and constants, humming
birds and orchids and
the whole orchestra
coming up behind us.
this may save your life.
shuttered or not.
LIKE AN APOLOGY IT JUST KEEPS RAINING
the final paintings trip locks and driving gloves cold mustering. that chitterbox birding toward institution for favorite days and gold caps, one mouthful too many. sprinklers on. when one wanders willfully waking we are dog breath, cowbell. constant companions in cruises and paper fees, take me out.
no pain. lips all swollen. chest bruised from inside. swinging through trees and it’s about me again. go find a big lump don’t swallow. paining but looking outward, driving.
vague yard signs and strong cut topiary and already, no tracking. one city is not the same. horticulture and hydroponics squeezing what’s left of the water,
until it rains. trucks slipping, grabbing. goldfish in the cracks. it is not all
beyond control.
THE TRIPPY DREAMER
for Jeremy Pinc on his birthday
what up dogg! I just saw a thing, a sunset vibe, medium red figure setting wild ass, wild flower on setting sun. jeremiah smiles like the funny guy, ragusa bellolampo, siculi, prezzemolo! I just saw a soft face over easy, soft sunset wave, flower sunset people in the american night, the lemonade hangout, the study, fantasia study that desert thing. wild ass peanut butter and jelly cult Tuesday, 2pm. l’uomo farfalle the wild ass season study #2. black and white. gouache. gouache b. the camper likes smiles, stinky smiles like a loner’s holiday, like smoky gospel mountain, like huevos.
earth brother’s landscape and america further in like vibe, like totally, like study #5. installation view. funny guy mismatch in shoes the genealogy of sons, die, like a flower, like Tarquinius Etruria, like landscape, desert, lake.
wave festucaria over watermelon vibe, study psychedelic, nero, roccamena. roccamena! what up, mumford! study stupid gouache, benedict easy. $688.82 view bedda matri cuore study wave, easy. soft. wild watermelon like a flower, funny guy, study! study appearance, soft landscape, season the party. study study, further in.
gospel.
*composed entirely using words from titles of Jeremy’s artworks
THE GATHERING
for Mary Muldoon
Love, feel this earth, watch
these wriggling worms, laugh
and stomp the ground. For there is
pain, Love, and cruelty,
bullets, we may holler
and stomp the ground.
We get no apologies,
we haven’t changed it yet.
The lake ripples
on a holy day.
Hold my hand, Love,
you haven’t left me yet.
Take my hand, we needn’t speak
of it, we shall gather
mayflowers on the shaded path.
I haven’t left you, Love, yet, and never,
take off your shoes, stomp
barefoot on the ground.
Move earth, shake
smooth waters into waves
on this holy day.
Don’t say that we are sorry,
we won’t live that way.
Take my hand, Love,
the waters laugh for us.
*Poem inspired by four poems: “Sunday Morning” and “The Outing,” by Mary Muldoon, “For colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enough,” by Ntozake Shange, “Catalog of Gratitudes” by Ross Gay