ROMANTICISM

when the living gets easy
as it sometimes does
when there is money in the bank
good food in the fridge
and a few bottles of wine on the rack

those are the times I always think
of running away

the times when it sounds very romantic
to hit the road and wander
live out of a backpack
and bum it from town to town

but I’m quicker to remind myself
these days
that it’s not all
that it’s cracked up to be

eating a single meal a day
trying to find work that isn’t there
ghosting around cities
while everyone else sits in restaurants and bars
not even noticing you pass by

there’s nothing too special
about being broke
and wondering where you’ll sleep at night
plenty of people have been doing it
for time immortal

most will tell you
it’s scary and frustrating
humiliating

and at it’s best
you become used to it

at its worst
you starve slowly and die

but then, there has always been something romantic
about death

WRONG EVERYTHING

there were three of them
not bad looking
in their early forties
if I had to guess

they stopped in front of me
where I was standing on the step
outside of the bar

and the loudest one asked, “you got dancing
in there? We want to dance! Where the
hell do you go dancing in this town?”

they all looked at each other and laughed
and the other two said, “yeah, dancing!”

I told them there was a place
about a block away
with a dance club in the upstairs
and that it was the only place in town
where they had a dance floor.

the louder one said, “why don’t you
come with us? Come dancing with us, okay?”

“I wish I could, dear, but I’ve got to work.”

“oh, screw work! Come dancing
with us instead. You’re a good – looking
young man.”

she looked at the others
who nodded
and she said, “come on, you young buck!
Let’s go dancing!”

the three of them were jumping around
having a hell of a time
and I considered leaving my post
my stupid doorman job

considered going out dancing
with a few older ladies
who could probably show me
a little bit about dancing
and a lot more about other things

but I knew it wouldn’t fly with the boss man
and I couldn’t stand to lose the job

“I really can’t, but I wish I could.”

“suit yourself!” the louder one laughed

and after they took a few strides
she looked back at me
then at her friends
and said, “shit, I’d hit that!”

and that’s how it usually goes for me
the wrong place
wrong time
wrong answer

wrong everything

ON A DIME

my jeep turned over
on the first try
and later that morning
an email came in
from a small literary mag
saying they wanted
to publish
one of my poems

what a day
it was shaping up to be!

I didn’t call anyone to brag
not even to tell
it’s important
at times
to keep things to yourself
to suck up all the enjoyment
you can
before the world
gets its rotten teeth clamped around it
and breathes its bad breath
onto your little windfall

I went to a house
to take a dog out for a walk
because that’s how I make my money
to pay the bar tabs
and the bills

the dog had shit
all over the carpeted stairs
diarrhea galore

after cleaning it up
as best I could

I drove to a few more houses
walked a few more dogs
called it a day

then, on the way home
a man in a big, red pickup truck
rear-ended me
not bad
but bad enough

he wasn’t such a terrible fellow
he had insurance
and after the policeman arrived
twenty five minutes later
we went our separate ways

he, back to his life
with his children and his wife

me, back to my third floor room
with my beer fridge
and myself

luck can turn on a dime
picked out of a beggar’s hand
of spare change

I’ll try and remember that
next time I throw my two cents
down the storm drain

GAMBLING WITH POETRY

(published online 4/22/10 @ Bijou Poetry Review)

dear editor
please consider my following poem
for your literary magazine

thanks so much
for putting up with me
and my incessant submissions

each time I cut and paste a poem
into the body of an email
and click SEND

I feel like a gambler
placing a bet on the roulette wheel
rubbing his hands together
closing his eyes
and thinking, ‘hell, maybe
this one will hit.’

then afterwards
I sit back in my chair and smile
imagining the day

when I finally take down the house

LITTLE MISS SLEEP

oh, sleep!
you fucking prude!
why won’t you bed down with me

tonight?

why do you taunt and tease me
with quick caresses
and pecks on the cheek?

I want to grab you by the dreams
and lie on top of you
pin you down
arms raised above your head
legs spread eagle

I want to open you up
come inside you

and remain there
in that missionary position
of unconsciousness
that delicious state of rest

for days

weeks

you should keep me company for a month
you fickle little prig!

let this sore body heal
let the black and blue and yellow cells
regenerate
let the dead cells be born again

scrub me off
and rub me down
with that magic you possess
that ability to rejuvenate a tired body
a tired soul
in a tired world

and finally, sleep
do this for me: rid me of my habits
that keep you so far away

CRAZY ONES

on the days
when I think I’m finally losing my mind
all I have to do to feel sane
or at least somewhat better
again

is to go outside
go for a walk
and talk to people
the ones raking their leaves
walking their dogs
or sitting downtown on the park benches

I go out and mingle
with the citizens of this town
of this country
this earth

you don’t have to look hard these days
to see that everyone out there

is bat shit crazy

HORROR STORIES

she was cutting a client’s hair
and I was in the salon
with Lola
the owner’s French Bulldog
and then without looking away from
the client’s hair

she said, ‘we heard some real horror stories
about you.’

I took a step back
and tried for the hundredth time
to recall what the hell happened to me
on Sunday night

where I went
and who I was with

and I said, ‘uh oh.’

then Lola jumped up on her leg
and she said, ‘some real horror stories
about eating window sashes
and car seats.’

I looked at her
and with a big sigh of relief

said, ‘oh, you mean Lola. You heard horror
stories about her, not me?’

she stopped cutting her client’s hair
and laughed

we all laughed

and after I left with Lola
after I walked down the stairs
back out to the street

I still had many unanswered question
about Sunday