Some Old Poems

1.

In raising the bar of instinct

over the arms of the children,

he instituted insurrection

and fortified vacancy

with entrenched novelty.

We scathe the reader

and divide life

into madness after madness after madness.

2.

The man placed his hand on the owl

and it was warm.

The sound of the crickets

died

as it flew away.

3.

She appeared through my window,

a specter in a nightgown of blue.

Her wayward aspect made me shudder.

"Why have you come?" I asked her.

"To heal you," she said.

I fainted, and awoke in a grave.

4.

God, you spoke to me clearly once.

Die, you said.

Since then, nothing.

5.

He slurped his tea,

afraid of the heat.

In silence, I watched him,

hoping he'd scald his tongue.

6.

The wizened old man sat next to me on the bench,

"Son," he said. "You seem like a kind soul.

What are you doing sitting here all alone?"

I opened my mouth to say, "To be alone, obviously."

But all that came out was, "I don't know."