the best of both worlds
surrender, awakening kept the car running
morning banishes the dark
hope lighting our path
give you my love and the keys
i’ll leave the driving to you
“Random Letters”
Dramatic Reading is necessary for Elementary Poetry.
My schools said I could be a jackrabbit, a lion, and a dog.
Why do some people have perfect attendance for rare subjects?
My past is now somewhat full of dated honor.
Alphabet soup is junk food.
Do not use it for grammar.
Retro computers existed back then and spelling check was more psychological.
The Apple 2 computer was available to us in a science class for middle school.
I sound “old” but I’m only 36 years old.
Wordbooks are more valuable than most fiction, but wordbooks are boring.
Do you remember the office summons?
Imagine the Wrestling Car Wash near Minimum Days.
I was usually going to school in Ventura, California.
Here’s my vintage science language from an elementary class:
“When the clay was curvcd it flouted yayollw and it sank because it was fooll of water.”
Oscar’s Ocean was certainly a place I’ve forgotten about for a field trip.
Improvement in science has a limit.
This teacher’s report
It tries to come out
like scream. It tries to come out
like a blue baby, one that took too long,
and there’s a big hubbub while they try
to make it breathe
but you can’t demand an answer
out of a dumb tongue that’s attached
to a sinner.
It tries to come out
in a peaceful way,
not one of war, all diplomatic
like presidents and governors and mayors
all the way down the chain of liars,
pretty, smiling liars,
but it never does. It’s always
tear stained and bawling,
fists clenched
and done with stalling,
stumbling into a field to stare up
at every god it knows the name of
and demanding to be struck down
right there.
It tries to come out
at all, in any way,
but it never sees the light of day.
It never knows how to untie the ropes
or the ribbons,
both its frilly facades
and it’s prisons,
but it only ever
struggles in the bonds.
It only ever knows
how to rock on its back
until it falls asleep,
waiting for the next day
to creep in
so it can
shake,
and nod.