one day late
cause I went on a late night date
slept all day
and ate
early to bed
eyes itchy
eyes twitchy
stomach feels all topsy turvy
wanted to end on a better note
but my energy has been over exerted
maybe we can do this thing better
next time around together

the pool table was slanted
but we played anyway
our first time as a team
playing against strangers
i made the first ball in
when you weren't looking

Poppy

I always liked my grandfather
who lived in Florida the best
He didn't have arthritis
His house didn't smell like smoke
He had a pool
and a beach across the street
He always hugged
and kissed me
and let me sit on his lap
He always smiled
and laughed
and made jokes
He didn't make me say
my prayers at night
And his wife would always yell at him
for letting us stay up too late
He'd glance over and sneak us a wink
in between the lecture
then tuck us into bed
with a kiss on our sunburnt cheeks
I was the saddest when he died
We never had a funeral
Just hung his military flag in the yard
When I got older I learned why
my grandma divorced him
Poppy cheated on her
when they were much younger
Poppy wasn't a good father
because he wasn't around enough
Poppy drank too much
But to a little kid
none of that matters
if he's good to you
You love Poppy

How to teach kids real good

Welcome to your morning session
We mean your norming session
Here you will become test grading robots
Take a number
You will now be known as grader #176
This test is not subjective
We must all grade the same
You are professionals

The dissenters speak up
And others yell to quiet them
Get off your soap box
This isn't the platform for this
Do what the man tells you
Don't get caught protesting in this room

No electronics
No music
No eating
No drinking
Just grade
And keep grading

This is what we call American education
The best education system in the world
American education
The best in the world

I don't hear your red pens moving

Mid-Winter

I want to go to a warm place
in February

I want to see the beach,
walk on the sand,
lay in the sun,
and swim in the ocean

I want to take my 9 days of freedom
and make the most of it
soak it up
and feel happy again

Don't want to get trapped
in this cold heart of a city,
staring at the television in my frigid apartment
or crammed into the subway car
in an attempt to do something

I want to get out of here
but I don't want to go it alone.

Cupid doesn't work here

I'm back in the internet game again,
she says
Boys checking me out
telling me
"You're so beautiful."
"You're funny. I like that."
"I'd like to take you out for dinner or drinks."
And too each one she responds
And somehow, still no date

good morning

woke refreshed
sun shining in brightly
through the red curtains
thought about the talks
we must have today
and the day seems so hard
and I feel so tired already
time to go back to bed

it's so cold...

today
it's so cold
that
the kids
you pass on the street
are wearing swimming goggles
to keep their eyeballs warm.

at home

Home late
can't eat a thing
open a beer
the neighbor comes by with cookies and dulce de leche
from Argentina
then runs off
The heat is on
but you're still shivering
cover yourself in a blanket
covered in cat puke
Too cold to care
and you can't go to sleep
because you haven't finished your beer

Prank call

everyone asking questions at once
the end of class
scrambling around the room
cleaning up
before the next class enters
"Say hi to my mom"
he says
his hand is already against my ear
I listen for a moment
confused
then turn my head
and see a hand shaped
like a phone next to me
the realization
followed by fits of giggles
yes, you got me.

Weatherlady

in the morning
He always asks about the weather
so I look it up
and report back
He hates the cold
He hates the snow

this morning
I looked up the weather
cold and snow
"don't forget to wear your boots today"
I tell him
suddenly I have become the most annoying aspects
of my mother

i like to imagine
that you sit together on the long couch
or maybe he sits in the big chair
each with your laptop out
occasionally gazing around the room
for inspiration
writing your poems together

i sit on my less than half couch
grading these atrocious papers
wishing my lover would come over
and distract me
giving me something better to write
poems about
but he never does

Franklin Ave

Last night we traveled from bar to bar
Franklin Avenue
where everyone is nice
no one cares about your race
We're all friends
the bartenders know your face
give you hugs
and free drinks
Franklin Avenue
where a stranger asks if you're cheating on him
and you tell him
"Yes, I'm sorry you had to find out this way"
and another says,
"If you run your fingers through your hair like that one more time,
I'm going to lose my mind"
Franklin Avenue
where everyone is your friend
and they treat you real nice
and hug you goodbye
and tell you,
"Until next time"
and "by the way, let me tell you my name"
Franklin Avenue

the poet

she used to write poems to make people laugh
now
she writes poems that make people cry
and
sips from her beer
while
tears stream from her eyes
because
she's thinking of you

gray, gloomy days
eager for winter to be over
spring, come quick
and save me from my misery
make it warm enough for me
to go outside,
leave the house,
have a life
walk, even run in the park
lay in the sun
vitamin d
I need some of that

Stomach pains
and maybe my belt is too tight
or my tights are too constricting
but I can't sacrifice my outfit
for comfort.
Stomach pains
and maybe it's the coffee I drank
at lunch to help me get through the day
as my bowels begin brewing
a little something for later.
Stomach pains
maybe it's just gas and I need to contort myself
into bends to push it out
but there's no time or place for that.
Stomach pains
and maybe it's my friend who is visiting
causing the discomfort
and here to stay for the next couple days.

Distracted from an evening of
mac n cheese
beer
and television
by your letters
made me remember earlier days
when we were just getting to know each other
when we spoke everyday
and couldn't wait for the next time we would see one another
your little notes made me smile
I didn't cry this time
thinking of how I miss you
when you're not around
And then I suddenly heard the tv blaring over my thoughts
CLICK
And now it's off.

The boy's fault

pacing back and forth
in and out of the room
as I tried to talk to you
your face turned plum
your eyes watered
she warned me I might need to duck
and I shook for an instant when I started to think maybe she was right
but you stomped away
and avoided eye contact
fuming
And in your eyes it must be
my fault
for your lack of communication
my fault
you didn't listen
my fault
when I warned you of this outcome
my fault
and I'm willing to help you fix it
my fault
and you just shrug your shoulders
my fault
and you sulk
my fault
and the rest of us look around the table at each other
in exhaustion
Your fault
the problem isn't being solved
Your fault
this happened not mine

Hey kid, grow up.

Of Mice and Snakes

Dead mouse on the floor
this morning
first thing we see
she was wearing a snake ring
coiled around her pointer finger in black and white diamonds
I couldn't look at it
but I wanted so badly to
I could never wear it myself
but I so badly wanted to

Hollywood sucks

I knew you in college
We studied film together
and had mutual friends
You made a feature length documentary
about albinism in Kenya
and it blew me away
You sang in the only a capella group on campus
and I often saw you perform
I spotted you a year ago
we were both in the audience at a friend's play
but I didn't say hello
because I didn't know how
I never realized you'd be famous
Never thought I'd cry when you didn't win that golden globe
Not a single black face had won yet tonight
so I turned off the TV and headed to bed knowing
You should have
and I haven't even seen the whole movie yet