it is important to you
that money
not be important to you.
learn chinese!
“peach”
“duck”
there is good fortune
coming for the fortunate.
you will find what you seek
when you are looking for it.
learn chinese!
“five”
“shoe”
don’t stop now!
Unremoved snow
on his sidewalk. His Camry
buried to the fenders
but slowly melting free.
Where’s the old man?
He hasn’t made
his daily grocery run
for at least four days.
And surprised, too,
that he didn’t get out to vote.
Maybe
he got a ride?
We look across at his house
and the drawn blinds.
Shrug, figure he’s OK,
maybe waiting for spring.
At night
our house chills down
more than you’d expect,
considering how warm it gets
at various points during the day.
Almost like the bodies chilling in earthquake ruins
after bloating and cooking in the dark.
Almost like the chilling hearts
of distant citizens impatient for things
to get back to normal.
Almost like the ice sculptures
chilling on partying cruise ships moored
north of the devastation, token supplies
having been offloaded.
Almost as chilly
as the wind blowing attention
to new crises, new celebrities,
old hobbies and old concerns.
As chilly, in fact, as the morning
soon to dawn where ravaged people
on the living room screen will be seen,
shrugged at, and turned off.
Dark Matter 