knock

predawn doorbell
shattered my sleep
and my security
a thousand what-ifs
broke and entered
devoured all the things
I thought were mine

what good were locks
with all those windows

no one came in
but peace walked out

the thief comes
to steal
to kill
to destroy
it’s the things you can’t buy
that you never expect to be taken

do we own anything
can we?

in the useless attempts
to return to slumber
I wondered—
is there a strongman in the house
will They return with others

then the day began
I got up
under cover of sunlight
in its sobering sensibility
rejoined my world
resumed my own reconnaissance
and cased my neighbor’s house
his clothes
her car
their lives
I would not take anything
of course
maybe just peer in
and try not to mistakenly
touch the doorbell

March 07

showtime

hours and weeks and months
years
lifetimes
of a slowly emerging epic
penned for every language
all-inclusive open casting call
blocked on the fly
from a director
with a divinely dramatic flair
releasing it in serial
building up characters
subplots
conflicts
sequel upon sequel
epic story
our story
history
now playing in our town
in a theater
a fitting debut
everybody say “cheesecake”

February 2007