Friday, December 26, 2014

Nomological Claustrophobia

If you won't let me jump from universe to universe, or even from planet to planet, the least I can do is jump from mind to mind. 

Next stop: Terry Pratchett. I'll be sure to send a postcard from Discworld. 

Friday, December 12, 2014

Lost Chances

I wonder what it is
that you see
when you look at me.

What is it that caught
your attention
and made you smile
and made you ask,
“What are you doing?”
What did you see?
Was it my pale blue eyes,
under long,
unpainted lashes?
Was it the curve of my lips,
smiling, perhaps seductively,
chapped from the winter wind?
Did the mysterious shadows
hide my frizzy hair,
falling out of its messy bun?
Did the loud street music mask
the obvious absence
of echoing heels?
Since my feet were clad in hot
pink
running sneakers.
Or perhaps it was a trace of
alcohol
in your system,
making you reckless
in your pursuit of fun.

Tell me truthfully:
If I told you
I was only walking home,
would you have stopped,
looked me up and down,
and offered to accompany me there?

But I’ll never know
what you saw
because I never gave you the chance.
I just shook my head,
no.
I kept the truth to myself:
I’m just walking home
alone.

Two Roads Diverge--Stop

Two roads diverge before me;
I know not which to take—
Stop.
Two roads diverged before me;
I knew not which to take.
So I split my consciousness in half,
and along both roads I—
Stop.
Two roads diverged before me;
I knew not which to take.
The left was filled with bitterness,
so to the right—
Stop.
Two roads diverged before me;
I knew not which to take.
Stopping was not an option,
so to the right I took.
But the left I hear a calling,
calling,
calling—
Stop.
Two roads diverged before me;
I knew not which to take.
Stopping was not an option,
so to the right I took.
I saw the leftern bitterness,
as I see the rightly loneliness—
Stop.
Two roads diverged before me;
I knew not which to take.
Stopping was not an option,
so to the right I took.
But now that I have chosen,
I see the loneliness ahead—
Stop.
Two roads diverged before me;
I knew not which to take.
Stopping was not an option,
so to the right I took.
But now that I have chosen,
my mind is filled with fear.
I have a plan:
I will turn back—
Stop.
Two roads diverged before me;
I knew not which to take.
Stopping was not option,
so to the right I took.
But now that I have chosen,
my mind is filled with fear.
I find myself a wonderin’:
what if left I'd been to take?
So I close my eyes
and teleport myself across—
Stop.
Two roads diverged before me;
I knew not which to take.
Stopping was not an option,
so to the right I took.
But now that I have chosen,
my mind is filled with fear.
I find myself a wonderin’:
what if left I'd been to take?
Because I cannot turn back time
and am forced forward to go,
I dig my heels into the dirt,
and
stop
stop—
Stop.
Two roads diverged before me;
I knew not which to take.
Stopping was not an option,
so to the right I took.
But now that I have chosen,
my mind is filled with fear.
I find myself a wonderin’:
what if left I'd been to take?
Because I cannot turn back time
and am forced forward to go,
I cannot do but trust
trust
trust
that this road will lead me home.