I write

I write always with some reluctance...
Each word an unwitting guest,
Plucked from the crowd
To deliver
The expected
Punchline.
Glaring spotlight
Butt of joke.

Those distant thoughts stand alone,
Naked, over-exposed,
Lacking the depth
And shadow
Of my consciousness.

Storm is rising,
Violent,
Powerful,
To strip bare,
Start new,
Crack the wind
And blow.

Parkdale


Street.
Car.
Sunlight reflecting off elementary school windows.
Dog shit.
Greasy glass case holding the Virgin Mary.
Crumpled potato chip bag.
Roses blooming their last.
Brothers drinking Heineken outside the autobody shop.
Traffic light.
Left turn.
Graffiti in the underpass.
Pigeons making amends.
Sweaty men wrestling at the dojo in white uniforms and black belts.
Dirty black gum pounded flat into the sidewalk.
Pop stains.
Pumpkins.
Spit.
Waiting for a fix by the coffee shop.
Newspapered windows.
Rockabilly from the back.
Liming at the roti shop.
Hairdressers on the steps smoking cigarettes.
Curry.
Piss.
Full moon.
No wind.

I looked up- the sky
was all water and sand.
I stepped on glass
And breathed in stone
and reached the paths ahead.

on my way

I walked past a dead racoon,
lying stiff and bloated in the street.
It faced the curb,
Nestled into the wet concrete,
As rainwater
Rushed past
Its body.

Tip of my Tongue


I had a dream I was searching for a magic herb. I had forgotten its name, and each time I tried to curl my lips around that name- it escaped me. I imagined its bright fragrance, it's freshness, and the desire for it almost consumed me- I could think of nothing else. I remembered the tale of Rapunzel's pregnant mother, whose want for such a wonderous green caused her to give up her unborn child. This was the strength of its power.

I kept searching- asking everyone-but I learned nothing of its whereabouts. I could describe it down to the finest detail, but without the name I was lost. At last I stopped and just simply took a breath...

Reverence.

This was the name, the word, the fresh green of my mind.

As I awoke I let reverence escape my lips, and was satisfied.