ENJOY THE RAIN

So often, your own motives 

feel vague 

and in doubt,

but in the gray 

haze of rain, there are just

so many mirrors—

flickering 

puddles, glazed shop 

and car windows, 

and the diffident looks 

of strangers streaming past 

with glass eyes—

that each step away 

from dry home 

that you take 

might finally reflect 

something true, 

undeniable, 

which you, if only for 

these few examined moments

can epitomize.

DISINTEGRATION KIT

Unceremonious, but just 

as efficient

as bile—

that's the way 

we like to work, 

no matter 

how unconsciously, 

at distilling 

and dissolving all our

large, hard problems

down into burdens

our stomachs 

can handle. 

It's like—we know 

it's not pretty now, but 

after a while, 

we'll only have 

to worry about 

begging decomposed, 

broken-down 

parts of one another 

for what used to be 

forgiveness 

but now 

has crumbled 

into pardon.

INCOMPLETENESS THEOREM

We know that 

relationships 

have always been a gamble, 

and a gambler 

is nothing 

if not 

more than a little 

unstable. But still, 

we think 

we can play smart 

and win 

the full kit of another's 

invisible bits 

arrayed like loose chips 

on a blackjack table.

It's like we're only hearing

one half 

of a conversation—

not between 

who's left 

and who's leaving, 

but between a ghost 

and its hollow machine,

between the disappointingly 

gritty concreteness 

of matter 

and the abstract 

song of its animating 

energy.

IDYLL

They say Love 

conquers all,  

but they've got it 

slightly wrong—

for although it may 

prevail in the end, 

it's too blithe  

to override 

and far too irresolute

to vanquish. 

It would seem 

to prefer 

not to do that 

nasty work;

for it's much 

more romantic 

too look nice

and take credit—

like the lusty 

white moon 

which derives 

its cachet

from a sun 

which burns 

tirelessly bright

just to light it.

PALLIATIVE

From now on, 

in order to help minimize 

your confusion,

every day 

shall cancel out 

the one that came before.

This way, 

the middle-grade 

place where you are 

shall always be 

the same as the place 

where you came from—

and yet,

marvelously 

new to you—

and yet,

dripping wet

with significance. 

True: with such 

a barrage of new 

beginnings to upend you, 

you'll never uncover 

the source of your 

discomforts;

but henceforth, 

you'll find yourself 

compelled to agree 

that bewilderment 

at your pain 

is a small price to pay 

for the chance 

to forget: you both inflicted 

and deserve it.

FOR OTHERS

Last little 

threadbare mauve 

zinnia of the bunch:

it's enough 

to give me courage 

watching you flaunt 

the first frost 

with that kind 

of pluck—but also 

more than enough 

to get me thinking: 

wouldn't it just 

be amazing 

if there wasn't so much 

stiff competition 

out here among us? 

That way, 

the last man standing 

wouldn't be 

haughtily declared 

the winner, 

but instead 

viewed devoutly as 

totem of grief

who must 

hold this poignant vigil 

over all his lost 

brothers.

POWERLESS

Imagine: despite all 

the bright self-

assurance he gave,

even Superman 

couldn't stop the sun

from going down.

Where does that old fire 

go? he must 

have wondered; 

why won't she 

stay with us? Why won't 

she wave?

Imagine, though, 

the bravery 

inherent in such impotence:

what good 

are all the flints 

and the wicks 

and the matchsticks 

in the world

when there's no longer 

any day left 

to save?