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what is this thing i am pouring sand of myself into

watch it pool and sputter

then ask it to see i'm trying my best

no matter if the shape hasn't held

WHAT'S EVERYONE LOOKING FOR

a brain, a muzzle
says mom
a capsule you get into for a break 
from knowing
i say
a book as easy to read 
as the last
i don’t have a good answer
says my brother
maybe a bathrobe

HOW THE WORLD WORKS

Living abroad, medical school, 

delivering babies, her own & others’, 

God knows what else she’s done 

yet she claims it’s the MBA teaching her 

how the world works. 

 Follow the money, I guess. 

 Except some of us would do anything 

 to be loved 

or live forever. 

Even people with money sometimes throw 

it all away for a touch or kiss 

then spend the rest of their lives covering it up. 

Do they teach that in business school too?

Today Voicemails on Phone

 Today Voicemails on Phone

Hello, my name is Joni Barrow, and I’m

calling from beabentabits. Actually I’m

calling from Oprah’s medical stare connector.

Please be aware this call will be 

recorded. Ohio public explorers has

authorized us to call regarding your

upcoming transmission to a new

heath bar.

•

Uh, this is fair benefits insurance

services, color for Nancy Kagus on

the recorded line. Opus anthroposis to

give you a call to assist with your

upcoming transition into muricate.
Please give us a call you have any

questions on how to get started with

muricate, not enroll, so please give us a

call. We can go over information with

you, and number. Upon allowed

to open from 8am to 7pm

Eastern timbale. Thank you have 

a great day. 

Caliente through the Baseboards

I.

Ay, Sounds like a warzone in the apartment upstairs, e'te tipo ta' enfogonao otra ve'  

and the babies are crying, que cabrón 

I can't hear the wife, who can blame her, why try to outshout un loco?

Ay, Sounds like a warzone upstairs, e'te tipo ta' enfogonao otra ve'  

The stomps and the silences, right above my head

The walls and floors are paper thin in this building but rent is cheap so I stay

Ay, Sounds like a warzone upstairs, e'te tipo ta' enfogonao otra ve' 

and the babies are crying, que cabrón 

II.

I wish he would shut the hell up

The guy upstairs who gets angry again and again 

Like the time months went by, months of silence, peace and quiet

I wish he would shut the hell up

Like when I wondered if he was at Jet Set, morbid thought, but I was wrong, he came back

Why does the world lose a voice like Rubby Pérez?

I wish he would shut the hell up

The guy upstairs who gets angry again and again 

III.

Color de Rosa / the song I play en loop when he gets angry and yells at all of us

Ese merengue caliente through the floor, caliente through the baseboards 

De color de rosa veo la vida hermosa y del amor estoy enamorado

Color de Rosa / the song I play en loop when he gets angry and yells at all of us

When the guy upstairs gets angry, I play my Color de Rosa marathon FULL BLAST

de color de rosa ... /After I shut the music, all's quiet on the upstairs front after

Color de Rosa / the song I play en loop when he gets angry and yells at all of us

Ese merengue caliente through the floor, caliente through the baseboards 

John, of Bloomington

John as sex guy,

suddenly all I was hearing was about

John, sex guy, drug guy,

person around a dj guy,

John forever known to all

the world of Bloomington

as Bloomington guy

gormless, standing in an alley

piss dripping down 

the inside of

his trouser leg

and my judgement came at me from

8 years yonder

I vowed to return to my room

in spite - no you've got to meet John -

no, my room,

which I did 

and slept

'til dawn when the others returned

and these years since staring

through the cracks of my fingers

at the image of John

and whatever he does all weekend

as sex guy, the man,

John

and me, not man, as men,

my middle-age to see men,

all gingerbread men

mindlessly floating towards

freedom

on the tip of the fox's nose.