17 words out of breath

(fast walk)

office computer blacks out—walk then
even as the static rain glazes
what’s now a perfect day



(Richmond, U.S.)

insomniac worry how health
is worth the price, but now
before the phone call,
a snoring family



(cost per inhalation)

return on investment.
save on breath in bulk—Dow
Jones in dust
real average
down some points



(backstage)

curtain freakout
heart suffocating staccato as though
wrapped tight in comforters
on! on!
panting for the call



(afterglow)

sculptor knows how i feel—
painter, dancer, engineer,
horse, axlotl, plumeria tree—
job done and done well



(dance)

pump pant dance and sore
wild wind on the floor
shoe magic:
shoes are on—and gone



(upsetting dream)

door wide open hinges
on faces, feet, dirt—
the hallway from here
to the dimly lit room



(four-year-old)

she burns energy
like gunpwder on blacktop—
the gates open
the highway to the sun
never ends