black ice
I drive over
the moon
vape smoke escapes
her pale white face
early morning
the prisoner’s breath lingers
above barbed-wire
tire chains left behind
on the narrow highway
Christmas shopping
she tries on
another necklace
gold light shimmers
across the water
breaking news
in the old t.v.
drifting clouds
trying to sleep
in the hospital lobby
smell of coffee
I take another bite
of a salad
strangers walking briskly
through the garden
receding
deep into the night
sound of sirens
seagulls calling
above dim streetlamps
dementia . . .
waves washing away
footprints in the sand
migratory patterns
in the wings of a butterfly
check-mate
my neighbor gives me
another cookie
new cracks form
in the marble steps
heavy rain
sunlight pierces through
broken thoughts
solving the last word
of a crossword puzzle
early morning . . .
I light another journal
on fire
headlines trickle down
a vacant driveway