Ode to Paper-thin Apartment Walls

The crazy lady lives above me. She has fits of rage and yells at her four cats in her sleep. She has severe PMS and is liable to kill me in my sleep. She has streaks of purple in her hair and a tattoo of a black spider with a red hourglass on its chest.

This is my mantra...

Patience is the first step to a peaceful life. Do not expect immediacy ever. Give children time to tie their shoes. Then they will learn to do it on their own. Do not hope for sudden behavioral changes in other human beings. Changes take time to develop and retrain ingrained habits. Hold onto hope, for hope springs eternal and grant people grace for their shortcomings, as you will need grace equally.

Next, Cultivate a sense of peace and balance in your own life. Do not run about your day harried and stressed. Chaos breeds chaos. The universe is so interconnected. Doing your small part to manage peace and positivity has an enormous effect on your family, friends, and community. Take time to notice the details of your surroundings- the sparkling tape of the broken cassette on the side of the road, and the distorted image of the glass while in the carwash. Listen to the people around you and mirror their words and body signals. You can only control yourself. You have little or no control over others. Take ownership of your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Try and direct them toward the positive. When negative thoughts or feelings enter your day, acknowledge them and then set them free.

Above all, Seek the good. Fight for it. Encourage it in children. Surround yourself with images, activities, music, and people that make you happy. Be aware of the happenings in other parts of the world. Hold onto perspective. Try to banish negativity from your life. It will find ways to seep in, but do what you can to limit its presence and effect. Note where you spend your time. Where you spend your love, is where you spend your life. Keep track of your goals and ambitions and don't let modern technology distract you from attaining them.

Dirty feet.

The wind del verano wraps its warm tendrils around your shoulders and lights your imagination.

I've had a beer.

I really feel there's a bug crawling in my hair.

Hold on.

I smell my laundry drying.

I have a thing for purple pony-riding rock monkeys.

Scent of roses and peonies wafting through the open windows.

Let go.

All my love.

http://grooveshark.com/s/Pursuit+Of+Happiness+kid+Cudi+Cover+/32zedX?src=5

Memorial Day and Praying for Peace

turn left at the osprey nest

drive west into the sunset
a deer farm on the back road

wild patches of purple lupine
yellow black-eyed susans
indian paint brush
orange poppies
ride bikes in a snowstorm
towering ponderosa pines sifting the snow
sail in the rain
coasting suspended above the lake

it was a little rougher than i would've liked
warm-up around the fire
a bike-friendly house
late-night walk to town
smuggling beer in vest
bandana bandit and alpaca mittens
dance to lady gaga with the bartender
drenched in tequila and whiskey
no makeup in days
wine walk to the lake

sagebrush brushing knees
ants still, huddling, conserving warmth
i like you to the power of three, natural, free
more and more everyday
our bodies fit together perfectly
bare your scars
we'll see what happens.

back in the cubicle, makeup and dress pants
hair unstraightened and wild
clinging to the sage beyond the fence posts.

Springtime Can Kill You

Go down the backroads
Don't take it too slow
You don't have the time for a long flirtation
You don't have the time for the least hesitation

Roses all are blooming
Lilacs all aglow
Honeysuckle vine shine shine
Oh get out, get out of your house

Springtime, springtime can kill you
Just like it did poor me
Don't you see we're all hurt the same way
So get out, get out of your house

High on the moonshine bodies entwine
Don't you see it's better this way
Don't you see it's better this way

You can't be too shy
You know the reason why
If you don't go get what you need
Something's going to break on the inside

Springtime, springtime can kill you
Just like it did poor me
Don't you see we're all hurt the same way
So get out, get out of your house

-Jolie Holland

Lizard's Gizzard

She emerged from the bathroom warning of strange, ominous noises.

The girl with the blonde-streaked afro and tattoo on her chest entered the bathroom with a giggle.

I wait outside and wonder if I should warn her, “Your boyfriend is a rapist!”

The door opens, “No more weird noises,” she comments and tucks her springy hair behind her ear.

“Well, that’s good,” I sigh.

Confidence, Cohen.

Spring passes and one remembers one’s innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one’s exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one’s reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one’s perseverance.” –Yoko Ono

i saw my bike this morning and it made me want to punch winter in the ballz. instead, i wrote a grumpy rhyming haiku:

snow/cold; obnoxious
wind wallop, scrape ice; nauseous
winter brain; noxious

happiness is something you have to work at
waiting for the universe to give direction
talent isn't natural- it's based on 10,000 hours of practice
quit singing helplessness blues
ben descends into the halfpipe on his skate board

his excel spreadsheet of ten occupations
he chooses research librarian
because he wants to help people better their lives

don't wait on anyone else
let him go to south dakota
let me go to spain or costa rica

let go
go find
find direction
direct your energy

like a functioning cog in some great machinery
serving something far greater than me

four ants meander around the bathroom tiles

hibernating and aimlessly wandering

yea, but i can give my snowmobile a hug.
ugh.

people rarely change
and if they do, it's so slow; it's almost imperceptible

daisies arrive two weeks late
post-break up
what do they mean?
he loves me, he loves me not...
i imagine them being tossed and turned in transit through the post office
a miracle when they finally arrive
intact, unfrozen
derived from the hazy brain synapses that finally fell on the side of sending them

meanwhile
my Spanish "I love you" hangs limp and forlorn
like a loose thread
unanswered and ready to be caught and unravelled
maybe the daisies are the wordless answer
darning to reintegrate the loose end
commence the new conversation