instructions for an e string
apply tension, strike with thumb for bass-
like tone. do not discard. recoil
and store. snake through water line to dislodge
sediment, restore flow.
apply tension, strike with thumb for bass-
like tone. do not discard. recoil
and store. snake through water line to dislodge
sediment, restore flow.
how do we choose when our choices don’t agree?
creative mind encounters a cliff.
flip a coin? assign a value? surrender?
to stand or leap: just this.
white silent wingspan bird of prey
(owl? hawk?) neck tightens. mind
snaps clear. i’m caught, ashamed, without a name,
like so many childhood walks.
repentant narcissist. flagrant hand-
pocketer. half-frozen flag.
imprecise interpreter of landscapes.
here we go again.
muslims, politicians, felons, parents, gardeners,
activists, buddhists, terrorists, atheists,
christians, painters, jews, musicians, rapists:
their breath goes in and out.