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Second Boiling

Appeared in the Spring and Summer 2005 issue.

Crazy as Possible
for Gabriela

Line must have green in it three times.
Line must have reverse of earlier line.
A refrain with time and place.
A refrain of non-sense words.
An animal with parts of other animals.

With snow coming down
like green umbrellas, I stepped out
to buy some dog food for the cat.

Things Change Yet Are One
for Claudia

Mountain Blue Bird
Varied Thrush
Starling
Stellers Jay

A Jay and a lizard in a fray,
Lizard tugged by jay.
Jay pecks yet kept at bay.
Clap of hands—jay flies away.

Porcupine
Red Squirrel
Shrew
Wood Mouse

Lists never end, nor do difficulties and obstacles.
Not easy to outwit the fox of desire.

Your Bones Know You Can
for Naomi

Live upon the pulse.
Drown in life's flow.
Laugh at inertia.
Resist—even if you're hustled,
throw it out there,
and let come what may.

Life's more than a love story.
Life's an inspired gamble.

Calculus
for Sabrina

In this formula there is no limit
to my feeling—X follows Y
across an ocean of space.

Just when Phoebe Decided Life Held No Further Interest
for Sito

This game has four outs,
Only you hide the extra out
Under the plate
Until you have a plate of outs.

Then, every fourth time up,
You are already out.

Rules
for Mary Helen

That which cannot be read
Shall remain so.

That which we believe to be correct
Shall, in fact, be correct.

Space and Longing and a Few Flashes of Light
for Jane

Early morning in the garden
different intensities of color
grass and stone.

So hot—no hurry—heavy air
water-loaded air moving slow
across the yard.

Practice no-resistance
just a fan and a hammock
in Tornado Alley.

Sunshine within Sunshine
for Shannon

Trees to see,
sea to feel—friends
of feather, fur,
and earth

Magic
and magnetic

I'm a leaf dangling
from a spider's filament

Pointing.

Flowers inside the Present
for Jillian

Don't sob—
it makes the boat bob.

Yes means never.
No means maybe.

Moist words.
Written kisses.

In place, I'm
on a roiled lake.

I should shower,
but I'm too wet.

Fill the bucket,
and let me boil.

View bio information and additional poems published in Half Drunk Muse on the author's main archive page.

Copyright 1999-2009 Richard Denner.