Shopping
You realize
that nobody’s there
to ask if there are tomatoes for a salad
because you don’t remember
now that you have to remember everything.
So you grab three and with the four at home makes seven.
You move about the store
shopping early to fight discovery, small talk.
You see what happened there
no more the use of “we”
not
“Do we need eggs?”
“Do we need rice?”
But do I need eggs
do I need rice?
You move on
slow and wide
push the cart
you can look
take your time
lose your inhibitions
if you want milk, buy it
regardless of whether it agrees with you
because nothing compares to a cold glass
before bed.
Buy the good coffee
it’s just you
buy the candles to light
who cares
keep moving
aisle to aisle
for the items
for the meals
on the list
never made
because you forgot
now that you remember all.
Minutia
Sometimes you notice
it’s been two days
since you’ve spoken
and you ain’t no monk.
Sometimes you get beggars
and corner guys with signs.
Sometimes volumes of experience
refuse to show for you.
Sometimes you get late fees.
Sometimes the mouse you suspected
suicides himself in a pot with
grease and water.
Sometimes you promise
to promise
because the same’s
the same
and tomorrow’s really
close.
Sometimes sitting in the dark,
cold morning is New Year’s.
Sometimes there’s no chef’s kiss
or blowing kisses
sometimes you relapse
and sometimes when
you blow the candle out
you can’t relight it
fast enough to
smell it once again.
Connecting
To something moving
to something borrowed
to something lost
I meant to share
to something beating
distant
alive
in you
to something you will not say
to somewhere
you will not look
to someone
to nobody
to vacancy
to waiting
to that one song
to that one night
to something beating
ending.
