January 7, 2022

having been burned by
the National Weather Service
and over-preparedness
in the past,
the Kips opted
to ignore the
winter weather advisory
for their area
and sleep comfortably in a home
with
no shovel
and
no rock salt
and woke to some of the
pack-y-est snow they’ve seen
in NYC
thus far.

but all is not lost,
for these two new(ish) homeowners,
for they had opted for a push-broom
to rid their driveway of autumnal leaves
and that seemed to work fine
(for now)
for the little piece of sidewalk
and tiny driveway
that they have

and perhaps,
if it does continue to snow
(as the weather app says)
they will brave the icy streets
(which hold no fear in the driving Kip,
having spent six years in Wisconsin
driving multiple times a day)
to pick up
a brand new snow shovel
and a bucket of (pet safe) salt.

but for now:
coffee,
bagels,
and enjoying this wonderland view.

January 6, 2022

feet:
hurt.
big poem:
unfinished.
nap time?
nap time.

~~~

i hope that’s
[a cheeky]
enough poem
for today.

~~~

but
just in
case
here’s a
trio
to hold
any
expectations
aloft

[or
something
like that]

January 5, 2022

i think
and think
and think and think and think
and i plan poems while outside
walking with my good dog
and yet,
after pre-bed rituals,
and cajoling animals upstairs,
and leaving the video player window
on this here computer,
and entering the blank document space,
as soon as i’m ready
set
get to writing
all things
(and thinks)
have left
and i’m left
with
writing about writing about writing about writing about…

[you get the picture]

January 4, 2022

can i please put
my hedonism
in regular life
[‘the world is falling apart
and we’ll all die eventually,
so have the chocolate!’]
into my career goals/tries?

can i please put the patience
i have with my animals
[‘it’s ok, Louka, if you need to stop
every five feet,
take your time—
there’s no set schedule to follow’]
into my view of
industry
success?

can i please put my love
for so many people
[‘i know what it’s like to feel
so
damn
awful,
i just want to show you
a little bit of love
while we’re in each other’s lives’]
to myself?

please???

January 3, 2022

peppermint candy cane
leaking onto my tongue
and the prospect of a year
just barely begun

and the lofi beats
ringing in my ears
and the concept of dreams
fulfilled in place of fears

and one more stanza
to make this poem full
though rhyme schemes are for squares
maybe i can pull
this one off

[[guess not]]

January 2, 2022

what is it about
early early morning in New York
that i love so much?

is it the quiet?

i wouldn’t be happy
elsewhere
where it’s
quieter,

but there is something about
expecting the cacophony
and getting the simplicity
the silence of the grandiose,
the liminal space
between the raucousness of nightlife
and the blaring consciousness of daytime

i am always one for the unexpected
i live to break rules
and realities

and that,
i think,
is why i love early early morning
in the city
that says it never sleeps
(but i’ve seen the empty streets.)

December 30, 2021

the balance
of yin and yang
(Kip and Kip)
is to have the one
be
stressed out of their mind
working all day
(during vacation)
snappy,
trappy,
not happy,

and the other
enjoying
Repair Shop
and
audiobooks
and leisurely cross-stitching
all damn day…

~~~

went to bed
with an ache
that could have been the universe
reaching into me
to warn me
of something devastating approaching
or
it could have been
empathic absorption
of my spouse’s stress.

(when will i find out which?)

~~~

no,
please don’t eat the chocolate,
or the dog’s food,
or sleep on needles,
or rub yourself all around in cedar spray
or-
-what did i just say about the chocolate?!

[this cat]