great esca pe.

My delusion, ice water,
countless chairs (12) and
falling asleep
court me

it is more than that too
It is space I can breathe in
stillness that begs for silence
and results in unsteady,
erratic,  soothfast celebration

I learned that word today
the archaic one
the one you did not know
it felt uncomfortable
so i used it in a sentence

This is how I feel every day
If I am lucky
the soup is cream and butter
or a rich, chicken broth
with hints of lemon and rosemary

otherwise I am sad
it becomes
one
or
the other

Balloons and Other Things I Cannot Explain

I just want a balloon
I don't have a reason
I just think I want a balloon

The same thing goes for
Love, flowers, and autumn
It doesn't seem like much

I want to fall asleep next to you
I don't have a reason
I just think I want to

R U OK?

My dad was a Sooner fan
I am too
The first vanity plate I remember
was his, RU4OU2?
Every Saturday this time of year
he would light a candle
in an OU tin, right at kick-off
We cheered at first and touchdowns
He would pay attention to
the wick, the flame, their efflux 
By halftime he would know
how it would end
He was cursed with superstition 
He taught me what IOU means
He thought the sooner the better
I thought you can never know
how it will end
until it is over, I still do

No Ghosts to Keep me Company

There are no ghosts
to keep me company
Rattlings stir me
I blame the trains, not bones
My sheets aren't white
They are blue and empty
Things are misplaced
It is not poltergeists
We are disturbed
Afraid of our shadows

When will the light shine through us

Reality wins
Loneliness is scary