I’ve retrofitted my brain

‘got my Feng Shui on…

–plugged pot holes in my neural pathways

a bush & two birds

seismic-proofed my cortical bridge

a still rock’s moss

switched out the frontal lobe with the temporal

tree on which limb I reside

and widened all axons…

without permit

–why, what I’ve done with the den-

drites alone should make Better Poems & Gardens!

it wasn’t brain surgery

the removal of head from ass helped proprietary value, and

southern star

my hippo campus is so empty there’s room enough for dorms—

maybe there is—I forget

–plus hippo!

we struck

a Christmas bargain–

one for me

and slew

for you–

rapped up

in repurposed compromise,

loops to spare

&

bow to back

–address labels deemed irrelevant

the glass hours

splintering holidays

into ticking shards

October-November-December

shards that weren’t present

to track dates

–that seemed relevant

(but weren’t)

unlike a kaleidoscope, and

resembling a mosaic not in the least.

we spooned under table

after takeout

full hearts less than kind,

snickering

in mirthless rhythm. . .

all agape

as drumming boy

after

drumming boy failed

banned audition.

Surprise!

Pop quiz—

it is your life, and is so John Lennon.

imagine

page after page of

multiple choice–

it’s the same question!

the nerds already know

–rephrased.

Some word problems,

present

some spatial fill-in-the-blanks,

past

some math, too,

ugghh! math!

the question is. . .

the ah-hah moment consists of. . .

the I got this (or not)

redundant much?

is simple, trigonometrically speaking.

Will those who wrong you,

make you wrong?

will the trials rigged to be

unsolvable result in

crumpled balls?

will the problems transcending speech

render you dumb?

Lowering your average when lack

of nearby companion

to cheat on

tips you into lower percentage.

You can make it up

as you go

though,

you have to!

Grace earns extra credit,

and attendance changes curve,

and persistence is a plus,

that evens every score

& even better—

bumps your LOV

Life’s Overt Value

into the stratosphere.

 
Globally warmed,

I’m moving inland

–skipping beach walks

as coast encroaches–

I build sea wall,

after sea wall

as stead

–like any good politician

or oxymoron out there might. . .

finding appeal in hamster wheel,

it’s harder to breathe

–in thinner air—

relentless star spits,

spins,

and

burns,

transcending shine.

hexagonal clouds above

land mines

←right & left→

salt water vortex

below

grey

strip

of rock

between

.narrows.