fall
strewn
everywhere

the transparent night sky
I mistake Saturn
for the North Star

under the stars
we walk through
our old neighborhood

yellow school bus
transporting the future
across the Mississippi

our maple tree
weeps another leaf.
i miss you.

after being gone
he finds the comforting scent
of soy

haunted graveyards
I should be scared . . .
in love with the stars

home cooked food
warms my soul
for a few days

I make waves
with my skis
on the Mississippi

snuggled in the sheets,
almost asleep…
did I lock the front door?

punk rock princess,
she makes her way to me,
crazy dance girl

roommates gone
I drink straight
from the milk jug

eating lunch
finding out
who they’ve moved on to

morning glories
decay above
crumpled maple leaves

3D Jackasses
I take off my glasses
not my best idea

empty apartment
turning on every light
on my way to the kitchen

gym commons
I see the man
who told me to be great

long hours at the gym
still not
good enough

kind words
from a second mother
keep me going

the drum major
looks so small
where I used to stand . . .

staring at the stars,
we make our own
constellations

visiting home
I steal my brother’s
old sweatshirt

inhaling deeply
i watch three kittens gasping
for air. Still alive.

through the doorway
I stare at the box
where the dog dish used to be

mom’s raised eyebrow
i put the cookie
back

warm kiss
never too old
for Mama to tuck me in

spinning and dancing
Daddy’s hands
still stronger than mine

I see you
for the first time in a year
can’t look away…

water rushes
as I drive in
from the covered bridge

walking down the hall
in my former high school
my own red carpet

camo and boots
check the safety
pop. missed the target

snapshots chronicle
me gracefully
off my water skis

my heart races forward
because of him . . .
or the coaster?

the 6 of us for dinner
never sank in how
outnumbered he is

family dinner
minus
two

fall break
my one time
to feel like a celebrity

diet coke
and one long car ride
we slip into our old rhythms

no brakes
forget to exhale
miss the semi, crash against you

ask for the truck
swear i'm a good driver
curb! crap.

home
tackled
by wet noses

impromptu lunch recital
little one
sings about the cow at school

stranded apartment complex
autumn leaves falling
from once lush trees