E-Book Release: Music To Drown To

My new collection of poetry is available for download here.  Much thanks to Smashwords.com for their publishing capabilities.

Oregon Poetic Voices

In December, I had the opportunity to record audio of four of my poems.  Check it out on the Oregon Poetic Voices website.

http://oregonpoeticvoices.org/poet/358/

I really think

That in spite of myself

You have neglected

To comprehend

Who I really am.

I'm finally

Reflecting truth

But your eyes are blind

You don't see me

You see what you

Need to see

So, all of me

Prepares to flee

And hide once again

Beneath a blanket of lies

Keeping me warm

From your notoriously

Frigid nights. 

Beware

All who enter here

I am a black hole

I will consume whole

Without chewing

You won't know

Until you've already

Digested. 

"It's so beautiful,

But so empty,"

She said,

As we walked

Down 15th street.

She meant the street

She meant the city

She meant the descent

Of autumn on

The northwest.

She didn't mean me

But I felt it,

And her words

Lingered above my head

And weighed me

To the pavement with

Every single step.  

She couldn't remember

a time

When so frequently

the sky had been

occupied

by both day and night,

When so often

sun and moon

could be seen

courting hand in hand. 

I keep in my hands

Things I can't understand

Things I can't let go

I keep in my hands the

Things I need to control

Things that control me

These keys

This lighter

And a cigarette

And a cup of coffee

And this cell phone

Space. I hold space

With my hands.

Reserving it

Like movie theatre seats.

I keep it for

A certain heart,

I will keep in my hands.