Quarrel

Meeting you was a knot in my shoelace

That I couldn’t untie.

I tried, but nothing could untangle

Me from you.

And so I wore you

Like a shoe too tight,

And too loose,

And everything but right,

Until everything was frazzled.

Now I’ll take the scissors and cut the lace,

And replace the strings for both shoes,

So one won’t look different 

To other people.

But I will know what this poor heart

Has been through,

And I will be very easy on myself 

And my left shoe.

-jenn

So strange to see 

A Tulip Tree

In full bloom today.

A sky so gray,

It lowers its lashes

While it rains.

It blooms in pale shades

Of pink to deep blush burgundy

And introduces itself quietly

By its other name,

Jane Magnolia.

And I take a cue,

And wear my faded blue sweats

To the store

With a frilly taupe sweater

And lower my lashes a little more

When I see you.

And if you ask me to,

I’ll introduce myself

As Jane Magnolia.

-jenn

It’s strange looking out my eyes today.

The sky blue mixed with white and gray 

And, now, elucidates everything 

With a brighter hue.

It tints the world with new problems and possibilities.

Maybe it’s because I didn’t curl my hair,

Or because I didn’t wear eyeshadow 

Or mascara today.

I feel like I am looking everywhere,

And no one’s looking back at me.

I can see so clearly without the eyes

Of others staring.

I can see so clearly, now.

And this may be my last bath,

A formal baptism and repentance.

I take my towels down from the rack.

I hang my clothes on a peg in the wall

And rinse the tub one last time.

I’m watching my life 

Go down the drain,

And I fear I won’t be back.

What if I won’t be back again?

-jenn

Nights with you

Are so divine,

Riding high,

Top down and the Beatles on.

Nights with you

Are so divine.

Joy’s coming real soon.

The stars do shine.

There’s a ring around the moon.

A certain feel,

Joy’s coming soon.

Joy’s coming real soon.

Nights with you

Are so divine,

Riding high,

Top down and the Beatles on.

Nights with you

Are so divine.

Joy’s coming real soon.

A picture show

In mid-July.

The hay is mown.

We can smell it at the drive-in.

Joy’s coming soon.

Joy’s coming real soon.

-jenn

People want to be perfect for you.

They dye their hair and have plastic surgery.

They starve themselves and iron their clothes.

I’m only calling to see if you want

To have candy with me for breakfast.

Grab me by the left cheek.

Open me to yourself,

And kiss me deep.

And then you can have peaches 

If you’d rather.

It’s dark in here,

And I can’t tell if your hair is dyed,

Or if you have any!

But I’m alive with you,

And know that you’re not worried 

About my clothes,

Or what we’ll have for breakfast.

We’ll sleep through it,

If anyone will let us.

And if you squeeze

Deep enough,

You may see that I, too,

Am a peach

You never knew about.

-jenn

Cupie Doll,

Dancing puppet,

Marionette

To the samba,

“Now what!” she sighs.

More dancing.

“Ahora que! Ahora que!”

She sings and slinks

Around the bar.

Dancing puppet,

Marionette.

“Now what?” she cries,

But from her eyes 

No tears will come.

“Cupie Doll,

Come here to me.”

But it’s the last straw,

And the last martini.

“Now what?!” she screams,

But no one hears the dancing puppet,

Marionette,

And no one ever will, I guess.

-jenn

Just as I was waking this morning,

I heard the Cosmos say,

“Answer everything anyone says to you

Today by saying, ‘Good.’”

At breakfast, my son told me

He’d worn a hole in his shoe,

And I said, “Good!”

And he looked at me funny,

And then he smiled.

“It DOES give us a chance to go downtown

And eat at that fancy hotdog place,” he said.

I got to work and our new boss met me 

Coming down the hall.

“I don’t like you,” she said.

“Good!” I said and smiled

And kept walking.

I sat down at my desk

And thought about other jobs I’d like to have.

I touched my pencil to my chin

And grinned as I considered the possibilities.

At the grocery store, they said

They were out of my favorite bread.

“Good!” I answered with a chuckle,

And turned and left the bakery department

And went out to my car.

I’ll just have a candy bar instead.

And when I get in bed to sleep,

I’ll see in the morning what the word

Of the day will be.

But, I must say, 

If I don’t hear again,

I’ll stick with “good,”

For it has a way of turning out 

That way, when I say it, and think it,

And look for it.

-jenn