starting college
mom walks away from
a wet goodbye

Leaving Home
I walk away from
Mom’s wet goodbye

Mom visiting
The smell of my home
Makes me sick

starting college
in tears
mom walks away

first day of college,
I finally see
my dad cry

starting college
mom walks away
tears on her shoulder

mom waves
the university is now
in loco parentis

old AM radio,
digging through the static
excavating the starting lineups

the old AM radio
starting lineup
through the static

grandpa's radio—
starting lineup
through the static

old AM radio
digging through the static
white noise

midnight approaching
raindrops on the window pane
always depressing

midnight approaching
raindrops on the window pane
always depressing

midnight approaches
raindrops slide down
the window pane like tears

Midnight [swaddled] in its white-flecked blanket,
looking through bleary eyes,
crybaby

Midnight approaching
Heavy drops slide
Down my cold cheek

          night storm
raindrops on the window
          pain

midnight
the window mirroring
my tears

earthquakes
ripple from the cane of
my grandfather

earthquakes
ripple from the cane of
my grandfather

across hardwood floors
earthquake ripples
from grandfather’s cane

Earthquakes of greatness
They ripple from the cane of
My own grandfather

grandfather’s cane
the cause of
this earthquake

college boy in CVS
buys pens, highlighters
and Trojans

college boy in CVS
buys pens, highlighers
and Trojans

college boy shops
pens, highlighters,
and Trojans

CVS on campus
pens, highlighters,
and condoms

pens, highlighters, and Trojans
everything needed
for First Week

errand run
frat boy conceals condoms
beneath his groceries

college boy in CVS
desperate for money
gunshots

CVS run
my ex boyfriend buying
condoms

Looking for my favorite shirt…
It’s hunched-over at the breakfast table
Sisters

rethinking my sisterly love
discovering my shirt
covered in oatmeal

A wrinkled garment,
Cornflakes dripping off -
Sisters again.

cracks open a beer
sitting, waiting for the sun
that never rises

His beer goes warm
Waiting for a sunrise that will
Never happen.

cracking open a beer,
waiting for the sunrise
Still waiting.

Stumbling down the hall
a smile across his face
that drunk bastard

another beer
the sun
that will never rise

on the roof
waiting for the sunrise
I crack open a beer

waiting for the sun
I crack open
another beer

another beer
waiting
for the sun

waiting for the sun
that will never rise
one more beer

Scent of beer,
waiting for
a never rising sun.

beer cracked open
wishing for the sun
at midnight