for rent

A child had a tantrum here:
black heel marks on the wall
recorded the fury at bed level;
a dog repeatedly scratched
at the edge of the porch door;
here something gouged
the countertop, there the floor.
The spinach green Continue reading

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Smokes

So you can pay
half a week’s groceries
for a carton
with government seals
and health warnings
or
for twenty bucks
you can get a plastic bag
holding enough smokes
for a family Continue reading

Posted in lotus eaters, NaPoWriMo, Poetry, river poems, thoughts below ground | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fairy Tale

The brothers Grimm got it all wrong.
The gingerbread house never
nestled in the heart of the forest
ready to trap unwary lost children
for the witch’s oven.
Children did not have to leave
a trail of breadcrumbs
because it was Continue reading

Posted in Mild-mannered opinion, NaPoWriMo, Poetry, thoughts below ground | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment