Four

September

To the day! And yet all

The particulars add up

to what will disappear



Lifting a soft target

into the air just enough

to see that it isn't there



Early risers mourn

the end of sleep

and the beginning of dumb stuff



Miss a stop while

the ruby pen

bungles a crossword



Somewhere orchards rot

while the canticles of ecstasy

become a sanguine mop



Further than a fever

warmer than a body-

still I go to work


Forget the dodgy bits for a minute

and notice the sun

as you hyperventilate



Something just isn't right

about the day, what with its

compete determination and mine



Someday I'll walk away

and every time I do something

it will be the for last time

Punishment Sweater

What a day does
is get on your nerves.
With an act of leisure
there is nothing to be gained
without a celebration of labor.
You self-litter for the paddle
against your heart. Anyone can
be an obnoxious moron. Everything is good
and clear and iffy. Your clothes
fit better in the dark. No one
does the future better than
the future does you. Work at getting
a good feeling about today's machines.
I promise I'll get a better grip,
tone down the piercing voice, and hop
over to the grey area.
I will not bring us down. Getting better
at pleasure is nothing to write home about.
Sit back and react.

A Little Advice

Wash your hands
after doing a handstand
in a hotel room
because studies have shown
there are more than 3 cups
of dried human skin flakes
in most hotel carpets.