vocals rise night static the beach house we
sway to midi music call ourselves karaoke
machines what disappointment to not be
whole humid June familiar shadows
encroach the move I crack my song an egg
to thee to thaw cold exhibitions of the
bottle another popped Corona to thirst
for grand experiences cheaply the tide
a tape loop I do not sing the steady
hand of a lyric but rather the water
(originally published in Sybil Journal, Summer 2020)
you forgot my name white
smoke phantasmagoria
every transparent slide
a memory or blankets
of sweat-covered voices
the fan’s whir &
whisper was always you
remembering how
to say it
(originally published in This Zine Will Change Your Life, Winter 2018)
I have convinced myself
all birds fly as soon as they see sky
I know each wing on each one
is different
Grounded I tend to speak aluminum
from the grand piano of my throat
It is a sunny thirty
The sun beams over a painting
of a palm supporting an oak
Believe me I want my tongue
to bloom good petals
I cannot get enough of being
alone
Imagine a single light
at the far end of a cave
so faint you must remember
you’re awake
Blow the dust
from the ivories
Play flat notes detuned
through my lips
I want the truth
yet spit loose gravel
into the chasm
of my lover’s ear
(Originally published in Poetry Super Highway, Summer 2017)