Dead Again

 dead friends visit me in dreams
and leave me doubly sad
dead again

even in life I wanted more than I
could take even offered
I declined

writing it down won't help much
but it's the only thing
I can do

I still desire their entire attention
no longer theirs to give
mine to lose

What Else

 what else might there be
after everything is done
except tiresome chores
smile for the camera or
look serious and serene
this is the face I put on
without real intention
masking a self within
aching for recognition

Still Water

hiss of rain falling on still water
remembered from boyhood on the lake
in Minnesota everything has changed
all are gone the sound remains