September 9, 2025

i completely forgot
for a moment there
that some people drink
hot things
in the morning

and i got so confused
and concerned
seeing some sort of gas roiling
above kip’s mug

but it’s just steam
from their tea

how silly of me
how silly of me

August 13, 2025

it always feels so strange to me
when i can acutely feel the effects of
whatever is waking me up
actively waking me up

whether it’s writing poetry
or drinking coffee
or water
just recognizing my body and brain
slowly opening up
and letting the day in
like a flower in the sunshine

[we are all far more nature
than we
realize]

July 26, 2025

that was
the greatest part of my morning

the greatest morning

a cat on my lap
enjoying the scritches
from my left hand

and a puppy at my feet
leaning into me
enjoying the scritches from my
right hand

and though i got no writing done
and it only lasted about ten minutes

i was in a blissful heaven
the whole time

July 5, 2025

how quickly we get used to
the nice things in life

a filling and gorgeous breakfast
out on a shady balcony
overlooking a small square in Athens
and lazy writing right afterwards

only two days of that, and yet i think that is what i’ll miss most

but who knows what the island of Kalymnos has in store for us

or the ferry ride to Rhodes

or Paris or Madrid or Lisbon

or even all the trains we have yet to take

but i see why kip in the past has insisted
on staying one place
and living
like a natural-born citizen
of wherever we are visiting

April 28, 2025

i don’t actually know what it means
to be
a great writer
a great poet

i’m just sitting here
at my messy dinner table
early in the morning
writing whatever comes to mind
as a way to encourage myself
to deal with the day
that is coming towards me
at breakneck speed

maybe,
when you’re in your ‘fighting a [seemingly] losing war
against fascism with the best tool you have —
kindness’ era
you’ll understand

~~~

i feel like this kind of morning
and this kind of writing
is the reason i started this challenge to begin with

i feel more awake
more aware
more ready to start my day

though i still need to edit and pick and send in the audition
i feel so much more prepared for it
now

~~~

“you look like such a writer!”
of my big sweater
comfy tee
glasses
bun
and coffee in hand

and i do, don’t i?
i do…

April 17, 2025

Kip making music
on an OP-1
on top of a wooden table
with metal bars
supporting
running across to where i rest my foot,
and even through my thick bootie
i can feel the bass rumble through
into my bones

and i love it

February 24, 2025

quick morning pages this morning
perhaps even without posting
until the evening
because we got shit to do
this early morn’

[though i’d love to just be
sewing — apparently that’s my vibe
when the world gets to be
too big and too frightening

just do the physical
helpful labor
you know how to do]