Trip to Lake Quinault, Washington

The Greek Games

The Greek Games

I know how to date.

Thanks to my one boyfriend,

who treated dating like a sport

in the summer Olympics, the marathon.

He handed me off to you,

not realizing he was part of a relay race.

It's not exactly a sprint.

You've got a gold medal in your sights,

the 100K,  a soul mate, a life partner.

Here I was going to settle for a bronze.

Not quite ready, with a rock in my shoe,

blisters on my toes, I stumble, you give me a hand.

These are amateur competitions, right?

In love we're all beginners.

April 5, 2016

prompt:  inexperience/experience poem

Distance

Distance

It's  a long way

            from here

to Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Calls dropped

miscommunication

so easy to read your face

so hard to read your voice.

Distance shortens, contracts.

You land at Sea-Tac like a mallard

feet first skidding into a puddle.

You call

just that much closer.

Soon

distance bridged between us

a warm embrace.

April 5, 2016

prompt:  distance

3 little girls

3 little girls

2 little girls

will play together nicely,

share dolls

and toys.

3 little girls,

will divide,

split into factions,

2 against 1,

forming a coven

of evil intent

with the 3rd gossiped about, barely tolerated

or persecuted.

3 little girls

won't play nice.

Competition rears its ugly head,

for the best grades, boyfriend, clothes.

So, it's not like

I don't want another friend.

It's just that I keep them all separate now.

They don't play well together,

they don't even like each other.

I know you want to be part of my circle,

            so I can do favors for you,

            be your best buddy,

            tap my foot while you're coloring your hair

            when we were going to go to the mall and shop

and have fun.

It's not like I don't want another friend.

It's exactly like that.

April 3, 2016

prompt:  three (blank)

Communiqués

Communiqués

What I thought he meant.

He said I was persistent,

like something unwanted,

a rash, maybe

he picked up on a USO

tour of Iraq.

What he really meant.

I'm persistent

in the way I made the first moves,

asked him on the first date,

stay in his memory

like a video

taken on his birthday.

April 2, 2016

prompt:  he said/she said

Utter Foolishness

Utter Foolishness

Dusted off my heart this morning

almost choked on the particulate

matter.

Tired of calculating with my pocket watch,

my mind. 

It's nobody's business but my own, wallet

open on the carpet.

The body, the body always knows

first.

In the end

or is it the beginning?

Heart strung around my throat

dipping into cleavage.

Can you see it hanging there?

Or hear the beat of a lonely tune,

banged out on a keyboard.

Are You Lonesome Tonight?

April 1, 2016

prompt:  a foolish poem