keyhole

rained earlier but it’s still thick
purple and hazy tonight
the moon was gauzy orange
striped across with soft cloud ribs
a spectral torso through the keyhole
i wish would hear me in the hall

i’ve been blessed before 
to join them in there
invited, pulled up and stretched thin
made permeable, made gaseous 
sucked swirling through the pinpoint

but tonight i’m just sticky
among cackles and guffaws
of those i wall off 
and in bitterness
feign to stand above

at our best we’re in both places
the bone-lean heavenly bodies
laughing their backwards spells into us 
through each other seamlessly
we understand and smile
because there’s no other place 
and nothing must be done

the moon though 
before i even thought these things 
became a crisp grey sphere
wholly still and silent
telling me to quit trying

oaklike

as they said
in 3 out of 10 books
love everyone

dōgen was like 
in any moment, intimacy 
with all things 
some have the bent
some must work harder 
if they find the work

i want to slow
into the still
sit oaklike
in wind of hate and love
in wind indifferent too
without me
just the tree
ribs split open 
like a trunk lightning-struck
and heart collecting
the dust of those winds
to shield them at my side

buick dodge and pivot

may first washboard county road
goes ka thud thump thud to The Damned 
stack of cds hop and clack
car innards rattling 

something in there shook loose 
just like me 
gonna stay that way
functioning fine 
just taking a little space 
to feel it’s place 
nobody digging in there to tighten
and no one needs to 
until it breaks

for me though
gotta block the wrenches 
all day everyday

this world of toil and battle
hears a foreign rattle
they want to fix it 
but calm and loosely now
instead of scream and swipe
i’m gonna dodge and pivot