Love is watching from afar
letting him struggle
because he has to learn himself
Love is taking the 3 a.m.
call because his
anxiety is spinning out and
dark thoughts are creeping in
Love is always
knowing that you'll pick up
the phone and never expecting
a thank you
because it will never come
And being OK with that
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 21: love or anti-love
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
operating system
is it just a quirk
in the system
that those who are dying
on the frontlines of injustice
across our country
are mostly black and brown?
or is it built into
the system to
oppress those with skin tones
darker than the colonizers who
stole this land?
I'll say: it's no quirk.
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 22: quirk
in the system
that those who are dying
on the frontlines of injustice
across our country
are mostly black and brown?
or is it built into
the system to
oppress those with skin tones
darker than the colonizers who
stole this land?
I'll say: it's no quirk.
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 22: quirk
Sunday, April 19, 2020
My nature
The forest calls
beckons me to
stand beneath the
canopy, drink in
the evergreen expanse
feet planted like
roots, one with
nature because i
am nature, i
am the primal
predator buried in
my DNA, my
home is here
among the redwoods
and ferns, fresh
air, fresh water,
fresh thoughts, fresh
mind, free, free
free, free, free
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 18: message
beckons me to
stand beneath the
canopy, drink in
the evergreen expanse
feet planted like
roots, one with
nature because i
am nature, i
am the primal
predator buried in
my DNA, my
home is here
among the redwoods
and ferns, fresh
air, fresh water,
fresh thoughts, fresh
mind, free, free
free, free, free
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 18: message
Saturday, April 18, 2020
Zookeepers
There is nothing exotic
about caging tigers or people
poverty is a zoo
and the keepers long ago
threw away the keys
allowed the wealthy to watch
the destruction of the
poor, parentless, miners, minions, slaves
calling the infighting feral,
innate in the incarcerated as
a class (a species
inhuman and different from themselves
completely), and not due
to their unnatural imprisonment
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 17: exotic
about caging tigers or people
poverty is a zoo
and the keepers long ago
threw away the keys
allowed the wealthy to watch
the destruction of the
poor, parentless, miners, minions, slaves
calling the infighting feral,
innate in the incarcerated as
a class (a species
inhuman and different from themselves
completely), and not due
to their unnatural imprisonment
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 17: exotic
Chasing waterfalls
The last time I felt
certain about something
was when I left the city
and felt the freedom of
the open road
pulling me into lush forests
to chase waterfalls and follow
creeks that knew
far more about where they
were going than I did
had seen more
life than I ever would
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 16: the last (blank)
certain about something
was when I left the city
and felt the freedom of
the open road
pulling me into lush forests
to chase waterfalls and follow
creeks that knew
far more about where they
were going than I did
had seen more
life than I ever would
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 16: the last (blank)
Carry on
He still visits me
in my dreams
loves me as if he
hadn't traversed an
ocean and
decided to leave
our baggage behind
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 15: dream
in my dreams
loves me as if he
hadn't traversed an
ocean and
decided to leave
our baggage behind
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 15: dream
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Unbounded
I don't like checking boxes
(I'm an "other")
or drawing inside the lines
(let me free!)
I don't like tucked sheets
(it's too constricting)
and "don't do ___ signs"
(now I want to)
But the older I get
(please don't ask)
the more I crave ritual
(but not routine)
Turns out, I like structure
(predictability not monotony)
and prompts and poetic forms
(forced, focused creativity)
Until I don't.
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 14: form/anti-form
(I'm an "other")
or drawing inside the lines
(let me free!)
I don't like tucked sheets
(it's too constricting)
and "don't do ___ signs"
(now I want to)
But the older I get
(please don't ask)
the more I crave ritual
(but not routine)
Turns out, I like structure
(predictability not monotony)
and prompts and poetic forms
(forced, focused creativity)
Until I don't.
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 14: form/anti-form
Monday, April 13, 2020
Bottled spirits
They say he
had his demons
I saw them
on his face
anguished, angry, ashamed
they feasted on
the memories he
could not share
there could be
no exorcism for
the pains he
would not speak
only the spirits
he drank released
them temporarily until
they became our demons too
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 12: spirit
had his demons
I saw them
on his face
anguished, angry, ashamed
they feasted on
the memories he
could not share
there could be
no exorcism for
the pains he
would not speak
only the spirits
he drank released
them temporarily until
they became our demons too
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 12: spirit
World pieces
There might be dark forces
currently at play
but there is also light
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 5: purpose
currently at play
but there is also light
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 5: purpose
Friday, April 10, 2020
Pool party
the sex was a lure
sure, it grew into love
but it never should have
we watered that love
with kisses and long distances
that became a pool of longing
a refreshing drink
for parched hearts
a place to splash and play
but rarely linger
we fed the pool
with tears when we parted
and missed the cool
escape we had created
looking for oases
in others instead
never inside ourselves
never where it could actually be found
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 6: trap
sure, it grew into love
but it never should have
we watered that love
with kisses and long distances
that became a pool of longing
a refreshing drink
for parched hearts
a place to splash and play
but rarely linger
we fed the pool
with tears when we parted
and missed the cool
escape we had created
looking for oases
in others instead
never inside ourselves
never where it could actually be found
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 6: trap
Space walls
We've had the
luxury of space
for so long
that it seems
a right and
not a privilege.
We've had the
burden of space
so long that
we believed it
was alright to
ignore each other
We've believed that
proximity was a
burden and not
an opportunity to
remember that connectedness
is actually our
most natural state.
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 7: lucky or unlucky
luxury of space
for so long
that it seems
a right and
not a privilege.
We've had the
burden of space
so long that
we believed it
was alright to
ignore each other
We've believed that
proximity was a
burden and not
an opportunity to
remember that connectedness
is actually our
most natural state.
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 7: lucky or unlucky
Speed demons
The woman who drove saw
only hazy blurs.
Shapes, not faces.
Cars, not people.
The woman who ran saw
what she wanted.
Signs, not stores.
Next, not now.
The woman who walked saw
everything she passed.
Smiles, not bodies.
Gatherings, not crowds.
The woman who sat saw
all there was.
Service, not shops.
Love, not people.
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 10: the blank who blank
only hazy blurs.
Shapes, not faces.
Cars, not people.
The woman who ran saw
what she wanted.
Signs, not stores.
Next, not now.
The woman who walked saw
everything she passed.
Smiles, not bodies.
Gatherings, not crowds.
The woman who sat saw
all there was.
Service, not shops.
Love, not people.
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 10: the blank who blank
About face
Sometimes I think he's hiding
from the world.
But I think he thinks
he is protecting the world
and people around
him by hiding himself instead.
--
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 9: ekphrastic
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Earth Mark 2
what if the future has
already happened, that
time isn't linear but looped
what if the apocalypse already
happened ... multiple times ...
and our fear is memory
of the past not anxiety
about the future
for we have already lived
that what if. we survived ...
or didn't ... but
keep hitting reset until we
get it right, until we
remember to remember
that we are the reset
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 8: future
already happened, that
time isn't linear but looped
what if the apocalypse already
happened ... multiple times ...
and our fear is memory
of the past not anxiety
about the future
for we have already lived
that what if. we survived ...
or didn't ... but
keep hitting reset until we
get it right, until we
remember to remember
that we are the reset
April PAD - Poetic Asides Day 8: future