booksartyoume

'anniversary's dance' timothy r gates, 9/29/2008

cut the wrong way
laughed about the miss
supposed attempt
need for attention
after a dozen times,
only a brother pays attention
this too wanes thin

rocks in your pockets
gas stove on with pilot out
piano wire
garage closed, car, with filled tank, on
forty-five, aimed correctly
best: piss off a serial killer
divine providence blames this on free will

inappropriate affection
appropriate discipline misapplied exponentially
hands flying against mouths, 8mm rewind
visions of sugar plums
along with a pawn shop Gibson
hillbilly songs made sense
opera from the other home director

Dorothy Parker laughed at this
Virginia didn't
Plath gave in
Langston Hughes got it, chose the literary route
'Why have you forsaken me?!' crucifixion's anomaly
'Why have I forsaken me?' truer anomaly
strange, this time of year, I bury the phantom.

Ah, another day to dance!
woods call me
garden's breeze caresses up around my frame
fairies, angels, imps too, whisper playfully
skip, in my head, up the yellow path
ethereal purveyor negotiates providence
Celebrate: skew them all, I prefer the dance.

'corpse, again' timothy r gates, 9/29/2998

again you come to me
in the night
pretending to be out of sight
praying for my attention
bones rattling
like the bark relative to a bite,
sometimes not louder
most times just in the way
'jesus, roll that stone back.'
walking away, this old friend
shakes sinewless limbs
i, breaking out in a stomach hurting laughter