Familias

My grandfather
Died in 1995

For the third
Time in as
Many weeks

I heard his voice

But I cannot
Tell if he
Means warning
Encouragement
Love or disappointment
He talks the
cadence of the dead

Wet Leaves

I sped my car down a small hill on a tree-lined autumn road. It was raining, so the street was glistening, asphalt like still dark water, dotted with orange and yellow fallen leaves. The wiper blades thunked again and again in a steady, almost hypnotizing way. At the bottom of the decline there was a reflective black puddle of rainwater over a slow storm drain. The passenger side tires caught in its surprising depth. The car lurched sharply to the right as water sprayed up in a fan shape. I felt the pull against my steering and felt the sickening moment where control of this hurtling downhill object was not mine. I recovered before going off the road, but my palms were chill and tingly.

I remembered a dream I had a few days ago that I had completely forgotten. In the dream I was in a car wreck, the vehicle spinning out of control, the steering completely useless in a dream like way. I saw pieces of the car starting to crumple like cardboard. Instead of a violent impact I found myself rolling down a hill of clover - no car, no wreck.

Fire Mere

Her drama consumes all in her path,
Except for those who know the old
Smokejumper trick:
Counterburn

Make your own circle of
Devastation
and step into the center of it
Wet blanket over your head

Failing that
or no time for that
Set yourself alight
And run at her screaming

Best game of chicken
You will ever have

Young America

There are reasons
They'd like to hear
T0 wake from dreaming

Tired of telling
the oldest stories
and losing meaning

Unto themselves
Definition
Into their heads
In detention
Out of the past
Come new sensations
To put these minds to sleep
To put these minds to sleep

Circa1990