Heat of Summer
jailbait skating
rebel looking
for a cause
new ways to be
illegal seducing
sweat from thighs…
An Essay about James Joyce’s Leopold Bloom for Bloomsday
In honor of Bloomsday on June 16, I’ve dug out the paper I wrote in high school about Leopold Bloom, the main character in James Joyce’s Ulysses.
The Zen of Death Cleaning | Part 2
I stayed in the house by myself. I don’t mind being by myself for long periods of time. I didn’t wear makeup or a bra, since no one would see me. I could have walked outside, but there’s nowhere to walk to, no Walgreens or Starbucks or friendly neighborhood bar with local bands playing or an open mic night. I’m eating through the frozen food in the freezer, Stouffer’s, Trader Joe’s, etc. and drinking the booze, and thank goodness there’s some good booze.
The Many Shoes of Marty Smith
I remember her,
when we were very little,
walking so fast,
my sister and I
struggling
to keep up,
in those high heels,
clicking on the sidewalk,
not waiting for traffic lights,
leaving us far behind,
trying to catch up.
She could dance
in high heels,
even The Charleston.
Bender
More and more I understand wanting to go on a bender
Get away from it all
Away from all the stuff that needs to be dealt with
All the petty, mundane, routine, inconvenient,
never-ending, time-consuming minutia of daily life
Monkeys Typing
spanking my monkey
monkeys typing
the natives are restless
and they've got a lot to say
Thought to Call
thought today
man knows
noun verb
room mess
too many problems
need to be together
Down Deep
Go down deep, to where it doesn't make sense, that place that no one else can see or understand, and you can't explain or tell them about it while you're there.
Drowning in Sorrow but Doggy-paddling My Way Back to You
Apt metaphor
underwater
drowning in despair
movement difficult
slow motion from the get-go
tangled feet
depressed brain
muffled moans of pain
pawing at the tide
Hung Up on a Guy; Mad at My Friends; Drinking in a Loud, Crowded Bar
big deal crazy
live or die
sick movement time
foot in front of foot
things miss things remember
I Want to Be the Core Holding in Your Hedge Fund of Pussy
You date like you're running a hedge fund, always keeping some women on the side just in case your current main squeeze doesn't work out, is busy or out of town, or pisses you off…
How I Wish He Loved Me
How I wish he loved me. Overheard conversations. His indifference, his levity. Always a player, play-ah, bitches, beech-as. I know I'm stupid. Don't mind being stupid for him. He knows I'm stupid for him. Takes me for granted. I want to be taken for granted.
Detritus Exasperated Love
Fairy Tales Gone Awry
Disembodied photographs, disentangled lies
enumerating my descent, diagramming my surprise.
I am not your mascot; you are not my stereotype
I am not your mascot
not your stereotype
not your souvenir
scapegoat
figurehead
spokesperson
representative
tissue sample
DNA test
identity
other
The Zen of Death Cleaning | Part 1
Due to a recent death in the family and through a very specific set of circumstances, a peculiar history if you will, several generations of things including furniture, dishes and glassware, books, family photographs, art created and collected by family members, plus handwritten notes, cards, diaries, etc. have accumulated in one house which I find myself compelled to look through.
Noir Santa Claus
Trail of Tears
Visiting family.
My eight-year-old nephew
and I both studying
the Choctaw.
the pursuit of happiness
thoughts of suicide make me happy
nice to know there's a way out
even if I don't take that exit route just yet
glad to know it's there
I Dreamed Goth Shaun Cassidy Saved Me From All the Sexists and Rapists
I dreamed goth Shaun Cassidy saved me from all the sexists and rapists.
But it was only a dream…only a dream…
...that the trend to create justification back stories for villainous characters is directly connected to our need to rationalize our own shitty behavior.