TAKING INVENTORY

Image…

a thing so small,

almost invisible

with teeth,

that gnaws away

at the core

of something.

This eating away issue

is subtle, it is slow, 

and goes entirely unnoticed 

until, let’s say,

a cabinet shelf gives way

or a door hinge—no longer able

to hold its screws—comes loose.

These are the tell-tale signs

that something is amiss.

So you call an inspector

to come take a look,

to take an inventory of sorts,

to get to the root of the matter.

The news is not good.

The whole foundation

is rotten. Termites.

Fucking bottom-feeders,

detritivores, you think to yourself,

destroyed the integrity of

your whole damn house.

Now what…?

You will need to do more than

curse out the little buggers,

blame the termites

and their tiny little teeth

for the damage done.

Much more.

FAITH INTO LOVE

Watch what happens to white

when you bend it

like a wishbone.

Watch it crack open

like the binding of a big book.

Watch how the pages flutter

and then send out a light 

like wings that carry

both bone and book

toward the rising of the sun.

THE ALIBI

The place I was

but wasn’t.

The excuse given,

a clever cover-up.

An invention, deception,

a trick of the tongue—

that keeps me a specter

to the present.

CALLING ALL MUSES,

kaleidoscope

this day with my eyes.

Walk circles around me

with your Chihuahuas.

Infuse my every thought with

the steam of espresso makers.

Rumble-tumble me

into this glorious moment

with your blue eyes

and loose jeans.

Sweet sisters, you do this for me

and for you I will press my belly button

until I am singing the word cumpleaños

like a true troubadour

while wishing for more candles

and days like this one.

THE FOUNDATION

Without it

there is nothing

but loose soil,

unsteady ground,

sink holes lurking

like land mines

ready to take you down.

When you start

don’t skimp.

Not on cement 

or any other thing.

See how far you get

if you make mortar

without sand.

What are you building:

a ramshackle house

or a temple?

How you answer

will determine what kind

of foundation you’ll need.