Dragony:

That firestorm
of nerves teething
when you need to shed
your alligator brain –

Because snakeskin
swallowed you whole.
Because, impossible to imagine,
you are both pig and python here.

That scaly lump in your throat
is you –
a stretch to get over
yourself.

For dVerse Quadrille and friends.

Upstart whimsy
says shake it up,
wake it up –
shake loose from under
that downy blanket,
down so long don’t know
which way is up,
preposterous preposition
gets a heads up noogie
man up up up and away
the whole skyward gizmo
upended

For dVerse Quadrille

the geese nervous
in the wolf grass,
their necks question marks
unanswered

fishhook rain worms
cast in the shape of query
spit out and drowned in pools
on the sidewalk

the river incult, incant, trolling its
inquisition questionable, a
what have you
mist, missed?

For dVerse Quadrille

We hammered words
into the soil,
our mauls spiking
“necessity,” “desire,”
staking guy wires
to raised intent.

And the sun lay on the wind
like a pair of work gloves
left on a roll of cable,
the evening and
coming rain,
our unfinished labor.

For dVerse Quadrille

Jammed my head
into the mud, let

my mind root around,
thoughts coming up

roses or thistles or
rutabagas,

dirty minded sure,
but what price

glory and riot
of color, scent,

her wandering
in my garden, pluck,

bringing to her lips,
sips, like nectar.

For dVerse Quadrille

February’s frost
kissed the water pipes
and they burst –
just like back when
it was you and I
and really hot,
so for Valentines
I got you a plumber.
I know how sexy
it is when I look at you
and say
“home repairs….”

For dVerse Quadrille

Steep is the color
of my true love’s eyes,
cave cliffs
where swallows dive

Like falling love
at breakneck speed,
gravity redlines,
blinding, see

Courage,
shy wings bend
first close to her body,
then straighten, extending

Strength in curve and rise –
Grace. Precipice. Desire.

For dVerse Quadrille

The wind homeless, shaky,
panhandling for drink,
then January blows into the street
like Dillinger from a bank –
it’s murder, fire exchanged in cold blood,
everyone diving for cover.
The not-so-great depression –
sunshine bitter, on the dole,
brother can you spare a dime?

For dVerse Quadrille

So it’s God shooting marbles again
with one blue and green
cat’s eye
sighting in the ring,
that glassy stare
playing us
for keeps.

Gotta knuckle down,
a steely spoiler
coming in like a comet,
and hope God doesn’t play dice
with the Universe.

For dVerse Quadrille