The Cat with no Watch

There's a thin, stray, black cat

with white paws, skittish, hunting,

but I can tame him with time.

I see him outside and say,

“Hold on, little man.” Whether

he’s a boy or a girl, time will tell.

I set out bowls of food and water

at a respectful ten-foot distance,

and the little man eats my offering.

Before he leaves, he glances back,

and I know he’ll return tomorrow

at nine, though he wears no watch.

crucifix

Perhaps it takes courage  

and sacrifice  

to find solace  

in extending to others  

the grace and understanding  

you wish for yourself.

So step down from your cross,  

turn outward,  

and you might be surprised  

by what you find

when you lead by example.

tarot treasure

Be my Empress, and I’ll be your Chariot, 

sheltering you, carrying you away

on my wheels from the deafening madness  

we caused, despite ourselves, anyway.

We can be laughing the whole ride that way.

the night was so dark but the day brought your light

A day I recall,  

drowning in a low tide  

that had become my life,

coldest summer I have known—  

you pulled me out  

with an ice cream.  

We swung on a swing set  

under the sun,  

me in oversized sunnies  

and a too-small t-shirt.  

I was hungover from the night before, 

but you didn't care. 

You just snapped photos  

of me soaring through the air— 

capturing fleeting smiles  

my face had forgotten for weeks.

I squint at these images,  

just as I did then,  

wondering what I did to deserve  

such a friend.

for a very virgo

My hope for you

is your heels clack with purpose

down the hallway and make

male hearts beat faster,

with fear not lust,

and the men cower in the corner

when you enter the room.

My dream for you

is to love yourself as deeply

as you love and care for others,

especially for your boys who shine

like stars in Orion's belt

scraping across the winter sky.

My wish for you

is to have, for once, someone

who invests in you as much as you

do in them—a lover, a family member,

or a friend—someone who gives more

than they take from you.

My vision for you

is a life like a temple—

perfumed with lilac and jasmine,

a blessed, sacred retreat,

like swaying gently

in the breeze on a quiet swing.

My mission for you

is to have all these things

and even more, to embrace

a life that fulfills and surpasses

all you've wished and worked for,

a culmination of dreams you’ve earned

with your butterfly heart.

My hope for me  

is to stand by your side,  

no matter the distance,  

and see every wish realized,  

every dream you've sown  

flourish and bloom  

into the life you've strived for—  

That's what I want.

u.s.a.

She asked, "Do the fireworks bother you as a veteran?"

He speaks slowly, deliberate, like a mechanic

going over a repair bill.

"At my age, I've seen more fireworks

than bombs. You have to live for the norm,

not the rare."

His words are wise and sure,

but I know he sleeps each night

with a gun under his pillow

and a knife on the table

beside him. If we've never had a break-in,

and it's statistically rare,

could he explain why he’s still scared?

confirmation

The unbearable weight

until I’m recognized

feels like 4 a.m. in summer

after a night of rain—

neither muggy nor humid,

but so dense and thick

you can taste, smell, and see it.

It’s all me.

The relieving release

in the email, the text

confirming my letter arrived,

the wave across the street,

a grocery store “you okay?”

to my apology, the “your tag is out,”

and all those small moments

that save me from my murky mind.

It's all them.