Sonnet for Luke and Andrew
“What?” I said, “uh, what’s up,”
to my dogs, who were barking
into microphones far away, and
in my loneliness, I heard
an answer (from across the globe,)
and I was comforted; warm
as a jalapeño, hotter
than a Cheeto, happy
as three boys and a gang
of cats and dogs. Another year
goes by, another 260 hours
of two fellas talking, oh mom
and dad it’s so beautiful, and
(as ever) I am sorry
for all the abusive language.
Franklin Avenue in 2008
playing Twister in the back of taxicabs
every night was a natural disaster
songs like volcanic eruptions
sex like plate tectonics
tears like hurricanes
and the sun rose
on the most exquisite hangovers
humanitarian disasters
eyes destroyed by window light
heads like furnaces
voices like rock tumblers
but one more hour
with my eye socket resting
on your lips, and everything
would be OK again
There are snakes in some places.
Sometimes when I close my eyes
at night, I see them. Old wet leaves,
and a tank with some kind of polymer
foam hardened onto it, and the sun
barely making through the tall trees.
I was almost scared, then I heard
my mother calling me home for dinner.
