Poof

"You're just in the way!"
It's still reverberating. Shaking the glass in the windows. He still can't believe he said it to her. Said it in that way that he has. Ok. So he can believe it, but still. Still. Now everything is so quiet. At least when they were fighting the air was moving around. Breathing. Now the air is dead. Like Goldie when he had to flush her. She didn't flap or struggle. She just died.
"You're in the way!"
And, "poof." The conversation was over. The fight was over. Everything was over. Not a single word. Hardly a breath while she packed her bags.
She left a lot of space behind.

Rebel

You'd expect a pack of smokes to be rolled
up on that tough-guy shoulder as he leans
on the bike, leather jacket open, jeans
folded high at the cuffs, Harley cap pulled
back. But even then there was something that
belied the facade; something in that white-
toothed smile, surprisingly un-James Dean. Light
streaks over-exposed above his head.
You look at him now, playing at
wrestling with your boys, still muscle-bound,
still tough guy. Older, of course. You
look at mom through a flour-white haze, knowing
she's always been his only. Everything
condenses. Focal lengths change. Time
fades the photo, but he's still the same.

Begin

It has to start somewhere
So this is the point
Winnowing is for later
Now just dump it in
Chaff and all
Swirl it around
Let it loose
Fear is still there
In my face
Nosing around
Looking over my shoulder
Ready with a snide comment
Even making its way into my work
This very moment
But if I ignore it
It will weaken
It will become insignificant
Not to go away completely
It serves its purpose
But it has gained too much purpose
Too much power
It shouldn't be the topic
And it isn't
Begin is the topic
Starting
Not a quick start
Not "launch" or "trigger"
More gradual than that
That is the way it has to be

Afraid

perfunctory yellow moonshot
dragging listless, clinging spots
fill the shadows with something to say
you keep darkness in a box
whenever it's opened the darkness escapes
clear out the darkness
clear out the emptiness
personalize the night and make it a friend
talk to it
see through it
stroke its smooth skin
feel its rough places
what is there to worry about?
break!
shatter!
stretch and tear away!
there won't be any scars
cut and paste later
float and tumble now
listen to yourself type
click the keys
the result doesn't matter
it will never matter as far as you are concerned
there's no paper to waste
narrative? who cares!
no one's going to read this? who gives a damn!
reach!
strike!
jump into the darkness
swim around in it until you find some light somewhere
in fact
you won't find the light
you'll make it!
who's afraid of the dark?
not you