August 19, 2023

where did these sads come from?
why do they appear
in the midst of what should be
a happy time?

how are they somehow
related
to that happy time?

like i can’t let myself
get swept up in the moment —
i need to remind myself
in every moment
of joy
that despair
and tragedy
exists.

like if i let go
of the depression
that runs everything,
the glue that holds my whole being
together
will loosen
and split
and i’ll fall
apart;

and i just want
to be
myself

[someday]

[someday]

August 17, 2023

maybe
i just need food

maybe
i just need water

maybe
i just need a nap

maybe
i just need a break

maybe
i just need to accomplish
all the things i have
on my forever to-do lists
before i can feel
accomplished
in life

and maybe
that’s impossible,
but still i’ll
probably
try

August 14, 2023

when worlds
collapse in on themselves
and collide
with others
similar enough
to nearly match up
but not quite

that’s the mandela effect
that’s daily deja vu
that’s those of us wishing against all odds
that there’s something more out there
than just
nothingness.

August 12, 2023

when
will i get my
writing
back?

my churning out poem
after poem
of things
even i think
are gold?

my extended long poems
studying a single subject
until i learn
the poem wasn’t even about that
to begin with —
it was about some emotion
i’ve been feeling
but not identifying
for a while yet?

my ease
of writing poetry
every morning
without fail
without procrastination
without this trudge
through molasses
in my mind?

when?
when?
when?