day FIVE HUNDRED and TEN

hardly a light in the dark

three red string bracelets on fire
make a beautiful light

dreams butterfly
feathers recapitulate

hollow bones

your dad-body was perfect for the coast
if the beach was a bedlam of sand

it reminded me of dune buggies
and mad max

i drove to cvs to
refill a prescription

the truck in front of me had
a pizza ad on it

the cheese looked like doric columns
in a color photo of roman ruins


this is as close as we get
to rebirth

you are on my mind
like new year's day

the sky soft and blue as the other
side of aluminum foil calling out

they burn old money and
tomorrow locks herself away


under the hill asking
why would
anyone put locks inside coffins


if you can make it back
our pizza delivery is late

my persona is a goner
i've worn the wrong shoes for a storm


my father threatened to kill me
for a lark the lark is a small


ground dwelling songbird
decidedly i cannot fly

the puddles sing
ride along ride along ride along sing


jumping is good
high ground in a fight

i wish i knew more incantations
as intruders breech the door

a portcullis is a step too late all the maps erase their most incriminating keys


the keys
beg to be taken down

each engraving begins with
to whom it may concern

it wasn't a long night until
they immolated my manuscripts

if you are not here
i am dead

i am

fred fred fred
trump

help me help me
beelzebub is my son

--Paul Koniecki