a raindrop slides down ~
the green length of bamboo reed ~
– a growing puddle

Years ago, i met a man
named Steven who wore
a hat or pants or something
very appropriate for a man
named Steven to wear

He said, “i am a man,
not a bull or a rhino
or a cat or a dog or a llama
or a cricket or a turtle.

Billy wears a cap
to hold in his body’s warmth
not to hide the shine of his head

I remember a night half-a-million years ago
when Dan sat in a long bright room
with taupe carpet and plexiglass windows
looking out on old men sipping coffee
looking back at us as if we were zebra
running un-free in black and white
full of sarcasm and high school football scores

He asked me make something agate
as if the consequence of so many young men
doing so many inconsequential things
should be hidden in plain sight
where all of their fathers could find them
and imagine it might matter
someday when they’re filling out applications
to go to school to be engineers
or nothing at all with a degree in English.

So I did make something agate
but i forget now what it was, and whether
it mattered at all. I did it for Dan – or a buck
maybe both. I did it with a balding gentleman
tallying his wins and his losses,
and a killer rolling his eyes to my right
and a little man snarking behind his glasses
behind me as if a million years from now
no one would remember any of this

because in a million years
no one will remember any of this.

a marionette dancing
stringless beside a pond
full of ducks demanding dinner

foei gras, foei gras
the marionette dances

the ducks weep

Mother may I break the glass
or spank the puppy
or drink too fast?

Mother may I smash the plate
or thank the baby
before I pass?

Mother may I fix the sill
or hold my tongue
at least until?

Mother may I save a thought
or  change the baby
would you love me still?

Ed said, “They’re lying.”
Duane said, “Of course!”
Jeff said “They’re trying.
It could be so much worse.”

Ed said “They’re lying.”
Duane said.”They forgot.”
Pooky said,”They’re trying,”
but she said it with a curse.

Ed said, “They’re lying.”
Duane said, “Not again.”
Juan didn’t say a word
as he shook his head.

Ed said, “They’re lying.”
Duane asked, “Are you sure?”
I suggested maybe
I can’t take it any more.

Ed said, “They’re lying!”
Duane turned off the lights.
Mary said, “I’m dying
it’s really just not right.”

Ed said, “They’re lying.”
Duane replied, “I know.”
Faustus left with sighing
but where is there to go?

I watched the fat gray mouse
call the orange cat a bigot.
I watched the fat gray mouse
explain his intrinsic right
to speak his tiny little mind.
I watched the gray fat mouse
educate the orange cat
on the vast numbers of fat gray mice
ready to join him
in condemning the violence
of the overbearing infidel.
I watched the mouse
instruct the cat in the proper worship
of Dog the protector.
I heard the cat say only,
“are you through?”
When the mouse said yes,
I watched
The orange cat chase him
down and eat him slowly
then carefully arrange
the tiny entrails
into the shape of his own flag.

When it is sunny
the murk less brown
a thousand – maybe
more – tadpoles swim
around.

when it’s cloudy
the water cold and deep
darkens – little frogs
leap

in between the gray and blue
a bullfrog croaks
the truth – we all grow old
even you

I do not wear pants
to impress you
pants, I tell you, are not impressive

Cotton is impressive
Zippers – zippers are very impressive. very impressive
indeed.

I do not wear pants
to impress you, I tell you, pants are not impressive
at all.