Pipes

Pipes

Maybe you stop counting the people who hate you.
Think of the desk of you father’s papers.
He was 34. He drew out a plan for his son,
But not for his daughter.
Think of your sister now.
She rides on your shoulder like a heavy pack.
Let it down and the bears eat her.

Think of ground level windows.
Don’t think about them, stay awake worrying about them.
Worry about the night. It hits you
Like a grey storm of water and wind.
It makes Sundays ache and empty,
It makes 18 years turn to 22, 22 to 30.
30 then stretches to death and mortgages.

The grass never grew thick and green
Despite the white bead powder sprinkled each spring.
Each dumb kid rose and fell and whimpered away
In unfelt anxiety, grey mornings, silent nights.
The last field went away. The cars drove past.

My evil jest

Words of Advice to Children and Grandchildren

Please come to Taos

If you come to Taos you will finally have left the mountains.
No, the mountains are cold in Taos. Yes, they have mountains
in Taos. I just said they were cold. You will die in a shed in Taos.
No you won't. You will eat pizza in Taos. You will ride your bicycle
on a dirt road and meet a fine lady. She will read to you and bathe you.
Each morning she will return from her 10 mile run and bake for you.
While the dough rises she will perform mathematical equations and
translate Von Mises. She wears dresses and blue jeans as well. She is
feminine in cowboy boots and is thin with a nice ass.
In Taos, she says, you belong, in the clear blue lake
that is hidden there for you to swim. Damn I never knew
this about Taos. Who fucking knew this.

Apparently Away

Western State

Through itself

"Think of your creator in your youth before evil days arrive and the coming years of which it might be said they are not to my liking. Realize that to believe in God is useful in all situations and promises a happy life in this world as well as in the world beyond. Do not love the world or worldly things such as sensuousness, greed and self-esteem, because this world’s beings perish. Do not let yourself be misled; wicked talk destroys good habits; avoid drinking; gambling and dancing; do not take part in evil jests as true Christians do not practice those things because God shall bring to light all doings before the great judge, even those things that are secret."

--Lars Peter Peterson Dahlshult