Rumination

a cold wind caresses my cheeks
in a tingling reminder
to leave behind stillness
when inner thoughts
become suffocating

Mafia

a heavy interloper sitting on
the back staircase dangles
his cigarette, waiting
for me to pass his way

Desperately Seeking Calm

gray thunderclouds
unleash lightning and rain
but the mental ones
give way to no wind

Debutante at a Social Tea

underneath the façade of nonchalance
chronic dissatisfaction festers
releasing the gray duality
of antiseptic and sick

embarrassed, she perfumes herself in
floral notes and deflects quickly:
well-tended, picket fence teeth

her heart pounds, fearing trespassers,
hunting hounds leashed and frantic
yowling to pursue her decay
— tear it into the open!

hide the welcome
mat

talk glibly

Advertisement

Mother’s Advice

Here is something I learned from my mother:
Non-acceptable ways of venting anxiety include
Sleeping
Eating
Anger
&
Complaining to friends
But cleaning the house puts not only your home in order
It gives you time to put yourself in order 

The Call

An unexpected call from a certain place
Always precedes bad news
To what degree is the only question on my lips
When I ring and answer back

Baring the Soul

Self-evisceration by telling the horrible truths
Of oneself, hoping the listening party
Will understand that the hurtful actions
Do not come out of malice or indulgent pity
Euphoric to let go, outgrow the chains
But at the same time, hollowed out
Punctured into Swiss cheese
Circular tears in the aftermath

Anxiety

Many times I wish I were a stronger person
So I could disallow anxiety to rule me
Why fret over a situation I cannot change?
Why fret over a future that may not come to fruition?
That sticky quagmire robs me of joy and peace
Robs me of movement to do other things
To solve the problems that I can
And to build lasting trust in myself