Chinese Dragon

Bathroom needs to be cleaned,
wallpaper's falling off the wall,
a Chinese restaurant without any Chinese, just
little old ageless
you,
and your mother,
and that man you're talking with
in the back, and the one you mention—
something about Harvard and Yale—
it makes me nervous.
I like you, but I don't live
here anymore,
how can I get back
and see you and your droopy eyes again?

Julianne

Julianne,
I've never thought much of you
as an actress, really,
I've never thought much of you at all;
once, maybe twice a year,
holidays, weddings, and funerals,
or whenever someone mentions
Einstein, FDR, or Poe.
Julianne, I know
I'm not much to think about, and that
you're no actress, but you can
count me hooked, albeit sporadically,
whether once a year or,
once upon a lifetime.

(Untitled)

Morning snow, shut-in,
a brighter world,
so warm you can feel the cold
outside.
The only thing that's missing is
me, me missing you,
the color of your skin
like the reflection
of daylight

Big Lake

Up wake, up river,
wake up, down river,
use a pontoon for a canoe,
use a canoe for a bed,
and use a bed what it's for.
Use me for whatever you want, and I'll
use this as an excuse
to write about Big Lake.

Stars

We're already living in space,
stars apart, the black, breathless big one,
planet-hopping here and there, temporary layovers
in Star Wars cantinas and
ecumenopolises.
Run-ins on the run, but on the run
from what?
Life is an airport, give the nod, and nod off,
dreams and nightmares while you wait
for them
to fall
from the sky...