POEM FOR WHO'S LEFT-HANDED

Some precious mornings—your 

mind 

will feel half

like a huge 

and perfectly twelve

sided sky-

blue diamond—

but many other 

times—it'll be 

simultaneously—

just so 

clear! how 

precise-

ly—

cartoony that sounds.

THESE ARE THE DAYS MY FRIENDS

Inching along 

distracted and thinking 

hard about funeral 

music's 

proper function—

I almost stumble completely 

past a single 

gaunt songbird—silent

because he's deftly 

and—repeatedly puncturing

holes 

in a

fat green caterpillar—

JUDO

It takes 
less 
skill—than sheer 

patience 
not to miss—the wiry 
but brawny 

young athletes who balance—

such kind and gentle-
looking 
mesh shorts

with those stiff black 
back 
braces they wear—loafing around

in excellent diagonals—
like true 
professionals! just for a few 

moments more—there 

in the transient 
midmorning shadows—generously 
cast by several 

barely legible—neon 
Mike's
Furniture store signs.

PHENOTYPE

How furious!

and how 

infuriatingly few

are the things

you can

know—deep deep 

down 

in your soul—

without first 

taking 

some book 

or other's 

word for it—not to mention 

secondarily—

for what 

on earth those are!

BECAUSE IT'S ALL ALLOWABLE—

Today—just be grateful
you're not

what remains of—
a rainy-white and off-

yellow chicken egg—

smashed and spread 
thick on the glum 

gumspotted sidewalk;
just think—

even after the chance
you never had

got wasted—somebody clumsy goes

and botches
your best crack at purgatory!

SYSTEM CALIBRATION

Glory be—to all these weary 
monday 

morning crumpled but 
willing employees—

conspicuous pink
blots in the low fog trundling 

past me—each clutching 
such an immense-

looking 
mug of heavy coffee—that he

or she—seemingly might need 
the help of a quick 

cup of stiff 
joe—just to get through the whole thing!

MOTIVATIONAL CARROTS

Attention—all you poor tired 
American friday 
morning masses;

all you wiry 
baggy runners and eloquent 
whining arch-achievers;

all you tan and 
furious 
and pungent dogwalkers;

all you high-volume trash-
brokers; pro-
risk and fair-

trade and low-
fat investment bankers—all this nice outdoor furniture  
is pleasant- 

ly very
unashamed
to announce—there is 

only one—little tiny
epic 
step—left remaining 

before breaking—and it's 
just the one!
immediately following

the one 
you're currently under-
taking.