31 july

a role to serve to bake to butter
burnt on the top and dropped biscuit wild
reconcile disregard with interest
express the mess that gets the guess
right and wrong and otherwise
late dining and accidental findings
there is no other research to be done
no conclusions to be drawn or deposits to register
the blur of wonder and also of wishing
missing the point but finding the stars
strung along by arbitrary slant lines
clues that will deliver us to end rhymes

30 july

backward building as if code can be eroded
shown its own way out and down the street
meet yourself coming if there's still room left
the second right and through to links to blink at
scattered refrains and overwrought brains
the stressors for measures and also for time
unwind and be counted
there's no room for doubt at the inn
sink or brim with enthusiastic cheer
steering clear of obstacles and bicycles
popsicles and icicles -- in for a spin and a poke
a remote chance the dance plays on
abandoned by the band but lightfast nonetheless

29 july

wrestle with flip out turn over
takedown knockout buzzerbeater clinch
nailbiter allnighter doublestuffed
wornout overdoubt underwhelm
drainpipe steampunk disregard
harder to fall and cheaper to rise
no rest for the disenchanted
conspiring to slip away under cover
threatened to let in the others, the noise
enjoy more than what's given
find the good that you need

28 july

cold flashes fire and there is no other way to turn
boil as the burn sucks the air from lungs and hearts
part of the certainty of insecurity
reactions intractable and collapsible
no further steps to fall
no harder words to hear
look that's not for me, hand not to hold
there are smiles scattered piecemeal
tooth by star by glance away
hide the lonely lean

27 july

and in the heavy dusk living room
it was like drinking solid ice
    as if there could be any other kind
    in any other state
sharp over tongue, inside cheeks
a cold flood down the hatch
dreaming of numbing
but never enough
never the full pitcher
a concentration on condensation
the night that sweats alone
a glass -- a plastic -- gives into the air
bleeding beads to wear through summer nights

26 july

can't ask for more but sure enough it's needed
heeding all the signs means weak designs
in the lines and by the numbers by the book
cooking up a recipe i can't swallow anyway
stay away from the negatives
to give the right impression --
    to cut the hair and teach the lesson
    to duck down quiet and come up smiles --
denial is the worst rehearsed answer
come back when there's no point in asking

25 july

turn a different corner and the score is odd
even up the balance and the change spills out
no good can come of running ragged the wrong way round
ground albums and peppered sheets
streets paved with crickets and dogs walking themselves home
forgive us for our troubles visited on others
save us from our reflections and the echoes that we feel
steal that cool dark moment to keep beside in dreams
the wonder of comfort so far away from now --

24 july

worn out of doors and behind closed openings
the whole part cannot swallow the bird
canary wary and wondering and the whistle breaks
the crow takes flight and gives it back
collapsing the laugh track on its own shoulders
winging a prayer to be there when matters may
when the noon hay and the sun chimes
lead us not into or out of or doubly back
clap hands together and a plodding way to go

23 july

to hold onto there is nothing clear enough
as if fog or mislaid roads turning wrongways
meant to go somewhere and do something
but the doubleback hat trick etch-a-sketch
left more to be desired in the stumbling dreamy dark

22 july

something else entirely I meant to say I'm sure
apologies for the inconvenience and relief as well
as if any exchange must be calculated
time zones and rates both current and calling back
no alternating or direct lines to mine for signal
the will to wander on with wonder gone
the angle dipping down as if to collapse into alignment, confinement
a sign meant for someone else I couldn't help but answer

21 july

a sunken ache that calls out with movement
as if i'd been carrying a weight
a heavy load too tangled to set down
sun rises and falls and the night lasts longer
feeling deeper slower darker
tripping over the path in the race to escape
gnawing at hunger as if to swallow it
there is a calm to find, a lightness
a road that leads and follows
nothing we cannot ask can be answered
nothing that we answer can be believed

20 july

sandwiched between two layers of air
feeling as a cloud wandering
lonely and pressed to give up, to give in
to reform
as if some other shape
could lead to relief, escape
as the pressing turns to pressure
lightning in my head and the wind blows
spilling out to overflow the sky

19 july

after some time there was no crime to pay for
every rhyme had its dog and every day its meter
feed the quarters and jam the iambs
there are other ways to feel for now
other stays to field and weights to carry
run I want to say and also do
there is no truth coming to light
now is different shades of dark
nothing more to rise

18 july

to rent but never to buy
the space to create more than cliche
connections that inspire rather than tire --
four the wheels the turn the track --
no around but only through
questions that deserve discussion
language that engages, that enhances
layers the cake and eats it, too
still the market is full of color
while the season stretches
time before hair snows and steps slow
too early to fall behind --
still let there be more to grow, to be

17 july

let's celebrate something else entirely
a new unturned corner page cliche
top of the charts and bottom of the barrel
the conjunctions barely keep it all together
there's the weather and there's a storm
warm enough to get stuck into
steps that cannot move ahead
it is the eye or it is the storm but nowhere now to go
keep the track and lose the map
there's nowhere to return to
nothing else to lose -- and yet --

16 july

fading like a tuning out buzz to static
as if too much listening wore out the station
if hope too bright can dim the sun
if dreams too sweet can sour the day
nothing to apologize for when the space goes blank
empty as if digging is all done or came too late
tired of leaning hard into waking up
down the volume from the fevered high

15 july

somewhere on the other side of time
there by the edge of the water
waiting -- for yes or for nothing
a long walk around a river
a short walk through a lake
seven seas and fewer reasons
tributaries notwithstanding
waiting now for rain to fall
fill and flush and run the course
float beyond and slip below

14 july

there are always more words
but if the door is closed
they needn't be aloud

allowed is another thing entirely
filtering into the cracks to spread the ache
breaking foundation and support
sorrow full and worry weary
waiting for the right time
hearing it should never have come

13 july

floating down the street a large umbrella
two small girls dangling beneath
carried away by the slipstream sidewalk
a sea of sun with a current of high tidings
merrily to go along
gently down the stream
light the way and lift our load
through the passby windows

12 july

had a different picture in mind
but I guess it didn't develop
and now when the light fades
no viewfinder focus fact
missing the mission and the framing
blaming time and money space and others
all the better angels in the gallery
nothing to see here
move along

11 july

cutting it off
sounds simple
but the horn going and I reply before the windows close
pressing humid mechanical heat
but not stopping the words
as if there is somewhere else to go
like the light isn't red
there is barely space and yet
pushing into the turning lane
but turning off with that behavior
all the loving bumper stickers hoped to turn on
wag more bark less
baby on board
love all thy neighbors
hurry I tell her
go spread the good word
faster hurry go
you're missing out

10 july

dreamed of work of being late of interference
woke up again and again to check to correct
that is not the time and this is not the time
waiting for the right time means disappointment
attachment is what causes sorrow
says a note beside my bed
felt through the dark of leftalone
no apology for hope

9 july

sorting out which means out of bounds which means out of sorts

cut short but I run long sometimes should know better sometimes should back up

stuck on and stuck to but who would want to stick through with this sticky mess

hardpressed to press on but pressing matters scatter priorities in breezy blow-by

worth a try but hard to come by and the slow sigh releases in pieces that should have known better when the rest won't stick together

8 july

fooling myself from the shelf i've been keeping on
long enough to bluff the stuff that matters by and large
charging too little or too much and no rest yet
debt i cannot pay and a bill that blows ill
windy winding up with a cup of empty
chances we take never seen as mistakes
care or be wary but we cannot do both
mostly an apology that has nowhere to go
show over and curtain surprising
no say in which way to next

7 july

all the pieces in disorder -- distorted, disowned
drowned in crows' feet and indiscreet arrangements
estrangement the best case -- replace the mistekes
recalculate priorities, dependencies, defending pleas
thank you for the door to close
to open out and swing step beyond
there is nowhere to go but there is motion to be gained

6 july

remembered watermelon
cold in refrigerated forgetting
sliced for the occasion of some other day
like no other moment
perhaps the exception of air conditioned sheets
this is the pleasure
hoped for but unknown until realized
sweet juice release relief
no other way to go
dreams on higher ground
the taste of better else

5 july

the balance as they say is key
tracing the characters over and
the lines and strokes that are not letters
forgetting in the slurring of tongues
one unstrung for another
the last plastered over top the first
rehearsed and repeated but now
distressed and retreated
embarrassment completed
syllables almost cheated out of air
varying tempos and tempers
a race to outpace the script
tripped from one line to offline
lead us not to mono anything
string the song that delivers magic words

4 july

stretched toward elsewhere
as the lawnchairs line up to watch
ready for the show for the flash for the bang
no times like the present past future
stitched together and cinched tight
fight the sensation
remember independence as more
freedom not to get a reply
freedom not to wait for anyone
there is so much space in every other direction
drive forward away and go
readyfall rain slants fresh
smoke of the memories fades

3 july

keep letting go and grow less
to waste away in the space
and the spaces in between
clean the floor and crack the foundation
a nation under all over all
cannot scrub enough away
still the heavy heat to haul
heaving heart hurried along
beat a better path away
the steps we take, the row we hoe
let the sun see fresher fields
row the boat to another shore
drift to wanting nothing more
give it all away until there's nothing left to hold
gone is gravity, gone is lonely wonder
the weight pulls deeper and the sky spreads up
all the same something until we fade out

2 july

and if I had all the pieces
I still wouldn't know where to put them
with contractions and conjunctions hanging out
doubting the modifiers
aiming higher than superlatives
derivatives and all they become
carry the one and check the remainder
tonight let us sleep straight on through
a diagram that traffic jams in a full stop
adopting an attitude proven mostly effective
dreamsolve the equations and drop off the rest
may the sleep that we have earned leave us ready

1 july

a small flash of plane in the justnow night
heading straight for the light
shattering and shuddering target
a constellation
then a memory
no trail to trace and seek
a path to know where
mark the spot a chart would course
explosions eroding the dark
the smoke a mop that blots the mess
bright flash from a tiny window
how I wonder what you see