A Thousand Words of Three

There’s a thousand words /
buzzing like summer bees /
can’t say one of them
/ words strung together
like pretty white garden
lights that when it gets
dark burn too bright /
without escape / hiding
behind pearly white smiles

Everything’s fine as
I look askance at my reflection /
thoughts streaming
/ pulsing / through my veins
/ that’s what pure dread
looks like while making the
morning coffee and
dressing for the foggy walk
into the world that’s
not as nice as last year
or ten years ago when
I thought there’s still
a chance for salvation

A Thousand Words of Three

And now I just wait / wait
for that bus that will
take me to the next stop /
and the words in my head
blur / like the ads on the side
of the bus / that just passed
me by / moving / through the
watery pool / moving fast /
though I am not / my feet
cemented to the pavement /
like the sticky gum under my
shoe / but my head is floating
above me in the clouds /
collecting ice crystals on my
eyelids / my tongue / with
words falling out / like a river
of sleet / slushed up / so no
one understands / as they
splat / splat / splat on the
glass frame of the bus stop /
rivering between / unsightly /
graffiti that mars my view of
the clouds / of the rain heavy
blossoms on the tree / on the inside
side of the glassy puddle / obscuring
my reflection / the only
natural things / that puddle and me,

A Thousand Words of Three

the clouds / looking down to the
sidewalk at my feet sinking in / see
words scrawled through the
wet cement / along the
cold-shouldered road / at the tips
of my toes / my heels firmly
planted / my eyes screwed
to the indelible message /
“you are here”