poems – Robert On The Air

The Symphony of SortsI have a symphony, of sortsoutside.My window, openfor the whileof summer,sendsbold sounds of some small childwith brand-newlungsin here.There are birds,as in any song of nature.There are cotton clouds,busyness,intentionup and down the street.I was napping,sinful in my disregardof wakeful living,my boreddisdain.Sun with air cheers the musty corners buttoday,I am sotired.

Whom Do You Believe

Rich and endless Bob Ross blue, with dotted dumpling-shapes is ceiling, anyway, a limit over ant-farm day. The teacher’s mouth reveals how water vapour scatters light in atmosphere, makes it glow a certain colour, offers up a boundary, conceals the dark and million stars – oftentimes, the moon from me. I have seen some picturesContinue reading “Whom Do You Believe”

Horizon Is Illusion

Slap-lapping water, with a little imagination, can float the solid earth we stand upon, watching a loading boat. Hungry, an eager ferry is big enough to carry several cars, but seems a shade too small for that close-up. Fresh-painted steel appears of grander stature when the captain’s tower takes an hour, sinking at horizon, nearContinue reading “Horizon Is Illusion”

Accidents

Big water slaps two shores and the birds don’t care, one shore being as another for those who travel without documents. I am paused to wonder, how some are perfect-built for flying and splashing about, web-footed and well-oiled. The feathered creatures do not notice me nor do I see myself, though our shared water isContinue reading “Accidents”

Hello?

We are standing outside a bar that would be dingy if it weren’t so clean. This is a dim building but tidy. Inside, the floors are swept and the glassware gleams. We are waiting for a man called Henry S. Woodworth or Paisley or Brownley or some other two syllable last name. A cab slidesContinue reading “Hello?”

The Language Arts

You turn the page and find a box of fireflies. As you read, the box-lid slips askew and florescence begins, as gentle shocks that surprise, then fade, in a heartbeat rhythm, warning that a summer day is ending, that everything is temporary.

A Box of Dream

A Box of Dream There have been seven years of steady work. The tidy restaurant is busy, people come and go. We are starting to relax. Sometimes, folks buy an ice cream. Ours is not unlike a mining town. We are owned, we are antiquated, but, it is claimed, we do our business above theContinue reading “A Box of Dream”

Following Suggestions

When I was young, I did not understand what death meant. Every day, I propped the still one up and offered them a plate, when I made one. I did this but they seemed to have no appetite. I would sing the name to no reply then you came by, said, “Why not place thatContinue reading “Following Suggestions”

The Eyes Have It

What if your eyes were only held in by their lids and you had to be very careful, in the best of times, squinting always, just to keep them in then, one day, you accidentally said something stupid and someone ran away, far away, and you never saw them again and you had to holdContinue reading “The Eyes Have It”

The Pill Effect

I told the doctor that the pills weren’t working, I did not wake in a pool of my own vomit. He laughed. He said the pill effect was subtle. I thought about that. Is it not love, then… even if your heart doesn’t beat itself out of your chest?.. even if it feels more likeContinue reading “The Pill Effect”