long day
mercury steadily rising
no relief at home

brothers return home
fighting for our country
and mom's pie

white shells
pounded by waves
become softer

letter scrawled and stained
with sadness
April day

warm nights
my brother sends a ball
toward the sky

nursing home
smells of death
memories are alive

tootsie roll pops
hidden in tissues
ghosties with grandma

without the privilege
of wearing that crown
I still survived high school

a night of dancing
the both of us
encompassed by purple fabric

recent graduates
catch up
can she really have children?

borrowing my mom's
sweater
as a dress

doing what you do in
a hotel bathroom
Florida green

orange cat
mouse in sight
homicide

innocent, young mind
staring at birthday candles
her first tight-eyed wish

leaves falling
cool breeze
from the mausoleum

thanksgiving warmth
black friday
chill

ignoring
the label
cookie dough

radio tunes
as the griddle pops
Saturday morning duets

gently falling snow
her silence
is overwhelming

mother in the spotlight
hearing
how she really feels

handing his old Pokemon cards
to my little cousin
I fall in love.

cold sheets
an empty bed
to sleep in

tombstones shrouded
in fog and mist
witches approach

foggy night
mountain drive
breakdown

her hands loosely
placed on my chest
mid-day siesta

reading
by the light of candles
blackout

the frail woman
drinks from a sponge
cancer takes her

silence of the night
a puddle
gains a raindrop

new neighbors
peering across
the lawn

marshmallows melt
as I take a sip
the warmth spreads

cuddling on the porch
grey dusk
fireflies dance

wake at five
to finish work
there's two of them?

fading memories
trying to capture . . .
gone

fresh concrete
infamy
in the making

falling asleep
beside her
her hair tickles my face

winter
coming strong
fading fast

bathtub toy
mother's green eyes
adoring a toothless grin

running to see your
blue eyes
unexcited

lunch bell
I grab my paper sack
the bullies snicker

one set of footprints
through fresh snow
single

on the forgotten floor there is a book        about the future

for Christmas
an empty box
filled with thought

relationship advice
hypocrisy
from my—divorced—mother

lies
lies and sirens
and memories

apple cores
in the garden
runaways

smack!
scratch
mosquitoes

breakfast
your morning smile
is my sunrise

charm bracelet
of the missing girl
river weeds

to get you back
I'd give my life
but not my pride

ice cream
for breakfast
all-nighter

waxy purple
coloring pictures
for her valentine

sudden dread
he surprises me with
"Meet my parents."

he tucks her feet
beneath his warmth
snow flurries

moon hiding
a lonely lover
waiting

don't ever leave 
she murmurs . . . 
summer rain

stars
hands lifted
to welcome them

fractured moonlight
all I see
is you

horse's mane 
between my fingers 
we canter in the dust

an unexpected chill
from a noon breeze

tearing eyes
hidden by a smile
as he waves goodbye

silhouetted in sunlight
the smiling woman

scream cut          short

Golden sky
World aflame
Sun falls below the horizon

weight loss commercial          I eat another cupcake

tracing patterns
in the spaces
between stars

midnight flight
we race the moon—
and lose

shivering
while the dog
chases leaves

the latch flips
as the dog goes crazy
I carry in my bags

midnight again
computer screen glows
empty document

open notebooks
on clean desks
drool marks the pages

children's laughter
fills up
the empty spaces

homeless man 
laughs 
through missing teeth

cold moon
gleams
upon cold corpse

humid afternoon
reading his final letter
I lower my head to the ground

a tiny pumpkin
holds mother's hand
leaves crunch underfoot

Shock,
Awe,
Shell-Shocked.

Freedom from the Beast,
freedom . . .
from final's week.

embarrassed,
I reenact
Chris Farley.

Take thy beak
from out thy
donkey.

canoe oar
ripples
the moon

swallow song
wingbeats
like whispers

cold glass
captures
fallen snowflakes

the knife enters
                            did not
see it                    coming

Still-beating,
I praise,
the deserving.

What joy is this,
when I have no sleep,
I have no mind . . .

zoo gates close
I say goodbye
to furry friends

beneath the rotten log
a robin's egg

rainbow of feathers
a peacock
crosses my path

the dead old woman
on the floor
the phone just out of reach

sleeveless in the cold,
i pretend to be a bald
you help me cross the streets

Swift winter winds
carrying my soul
out of my body

Ponded          Frog
                    is
                                   frozen

October night
I lie down
my cheek on the cool dirt

Alas poor fellow,
my mind is not here,
alas poor fellow.

baby elephants:
savannah grasses
hide you from view

3 A.M. fire drill
sleep right through
thanks suitemates

Greatest haiku ever!
I forgot,
how it starts.

leaning on glass
sleeping animals
fascinate child me

in the jewelry store
a down payment
for Christmas in three year

after band camp
arriving home
to my dead dog

unlace me
such a small request . . .
it meant so much

sloshing through mud
to find my soul mate
I spot the orange globe

lightning flash
teddy clutches
his child in fear

an empty seat home
memories of
push-ups in the mud

trip to a football game
am I just
your ride?

red and yellow swirls
an autumn
in the wind

always the I,
we cheer for
a favorite professor

one thing from home
always desired:
fish tacos.

completely intact
poor dove
lying on cold grass

bright blue sky
nets-full of slime
in search of frogs

snowed in
hot chocolate
and foam 'staches

rolls of blue and gray
on All Hallow's eve
Jack-o-Lantern's smile

notes float across
the web-covered wall
music quieted

the pitter patter
of little paws.
newest edition comes home

joining in
soft applause
the falling rain

on my tongue
and the sidewalk
crackling and popping sounds

outside barefoot
water on the leaves
gets between my toes

newly fallen snow,
footprints
ruin the beauty

diploma in my hand . . .
Mom's Facebook page
still displays that smile

autumn leaves
the piles emerge
children line up for the jump

orange glow
illuminates puddles—
disrupted by ripples

hot summer nights
sweat tea on the porch
the ice melts

driving through tunnels
of yellow and orange
no more bumps in the road

trying to do homework . . .
and failing
can't stop thinking about our fight

fitting in
and breaking the mold
sunshower

the songbirds
herald in the sun
I conclude my thesis

upon returning
to thirty brothers I realize
home is where the fart is

on bended knee
unsure what I'll hear
or want to

awake to last night's conquest
sucking
her thumb

cigarette smoke
d i s s i p a t i n g
finding his own path

turkey
in the pan
in my stomach

ladies night
men perusing potential
date rape victims

tattoo
art
for a scar

home away from home
surrounded by brothers—
an only child

girl's night
she sets out
the fine china

finding time
for the people I love
cherry blossoms

charcoal stories
in the old tree house
grandma's house

one-eyed owl
behind the glass
shaking—dead

diamonds in the sky
I get by with a little help
from my friends

a klaxon
the crowd surrounds
the other team

a sleeping house
trying to find
someone who's awake

talking into the night
suddenly remembering
the test tomorrow

making her mark
she steals
mine

friends outside
I still haven't found
a costume

sunrise
he slaps himself
awake

late night
homework
so many pop-tarts

their eyes lock
on the snowy walkway
he slips

she likes him
he likes her
but he's gay, right?

in the pond
the moon
twins

bedtime
the house creaks
monsters

midnight
broken dish
damn cat

under the bridge
a forgotten man
sleeps

his future
flashes before
her eyes

moonrise
going loony
like a toon

best friends
an entire conversation
with a tombstone

talking on the roof
we didn't notice
the rain