Negative Space

shall I ration my pleasures will they
last longer if enjoyed less that makes
no sense not done is negative space

the mountain face is scored with lines
that could be wrinkles age powdered
with snow veiled in dissolving clouds

another vision would come if allowed
better alternatives able bodies could
keep working years without complaint

champions of smaller games decline
try hard what matters is being kind
patient loving who needs your love

Lost Language

is this the world am I in it this dusk
over among the fallen raspberries

what I knew subsumed in ignorance
inflates infinite wiki appetites mine

gone to pattern self-replicating as if
memory transmutes to dubious tales

as if what I assumed would be didn't
or elastic membranes yield to time

what are you talking about you stop
waiting to remake the lost language

Get Moving

if the game works out I am reassured

another day dawns pink promising joy

or at least pleasure some are reliable

when the chill gets to me I get moving

pictures barely enough a day's beard

a clean house a few hours wide open

what I've decided often comes to pass

surprising in its regularity as if when

is a function of whatever you expect

Too Hard

don't worry I only hear

what's true to me my instincts

are mature I trust myself

if not my patience or powers

of organization keeping

everything in focus at once

is too hard I do my best

is "Love" enough I wonder

nothing finished when I stop

oh go ahead each step

better than none even if

it goes on forever like

nothing else matters more

as if I actually know how

Less Rich

children come and go who can

not be sad the neighbor girl is

saddest of all but briefly while

our absences go on for years

we live with all souls all time

losing and gaining presences

ourselves possibly away but

usually here while we can be

not pain but the shimmer of

caring for others being part

of ourselves less rich without

paid with inevitable parting

Doing It

is it discipline to do what you like

it is if you do it virtually every day

for years just because you like it

doesn't make it easy to keep it up

pleasant though proud of yourself

that what you like is doing it that

doubles reward not just think but

act on that impulse while it's hot

While Shaving

where is surrealism when we need it

trivialized by Dali and the sloganeers

not to dish Dali but really consumerism

is worse than bourgeoiserie had taste

at least usually bad any betters none

catalogs make me want to buy clothes

when I already have too many they are

so well photographed what is opposite

of innocence to be programmed by ads

bigots greedies oversimplify for profit

writers can only play the game that's on

tv radio I listen to NPR while shaving is

that enough yes to know what depths

our culture has sunk to as if it helps

flooded Pakistanis that we feel sorry

Too Busy

one star one moon difficulty breathing

a roaring at the sewer works children

sleeping with the door open close it

lost check she will look in her wallet

months go by too busy for anything

always choosing the have-no-choice

as if dates controlled her days girls

worse giggling into their phones in

Korean frustrate her best attentions

and yet she is happy generous warm

in love moon-blessed a mother making

her way not mine brightens all days

Call First

where news what grok social

media over I am usually here

call first be sure to munch to

change every word to another

what is supposed to happen

but will it or something else

steps moves time moves on

with and without my doing

moments in focus others blur

my good intentions if awake

say what to think to make it

exactly what I had in mind

Happy Vision

complete disaster but trivial like

a game of solitaire gone wrong

complete success but also trivial

like the play group having fun

what is not trivial news fatigue

that people suffer horribly in

body mind everything is lost

or happy vision of moon full

making faces voices carried

on the wind thinking locally

doing our time with friends

for art in spite of confusion