true story

cute, old couple
enjoying their purchase,
climb into their new, red Honda

a bright cardinal soars past
alights in the bushes
by the front bumper

O, Israel

No land is worth

The blood it costs

To buy it

Better to live

In the sky

Alive

Than dead

On the Earth

Dead

To the brothers and sisters

We need to love

In order

To breathe

playing God

playing God
why play?
throw some lightning bolts

lesser-known Buddhas

anxiety-ridden Buddha
the Buddha with the distracted look
fearful, cowering Buddha
Buddha who insults people
Buddha who saves people
by lying to them
dirty joke Buddha
elderly, church-lady Buddha
tomboy Buddha
zombie Buddha
Buddha with the leather cord
Buddha who cannot
stand on his own
needs the support
of the lowly and the worn

flimsy (haiku)

for the flimsiest
of moments, I see the filmy nature
of existence, chuckle

placard

weary cardboard placard

shaking hands and guitar with no strings

a bank card dropped in his cup

I was wealthy once, like he is

I felt I had nothing to give him

so I gave it away

new lessons in real time

I know you are wise
to the ways of the hypocrite

his violent assurances
and smooth-tongued persuasions
coated your crib
when you were a lamb
in swaddling blanket

but please consider
all of the world does not function
on secret deals
and hidden tortures

try to understand
it will take none of your
artifice and Madison avenue smarts
to undo the razor trap
to navigate the compassless map
of your drowning, distrusting heart

but colliding with furniture in the dark
and soaring down a well, breaking
at the breaking of your fall
the letting go, the letting be
will not be without pain,
but, nevertheless, will be both simple
and easy