Windwater Rush

 Peekaboo
—Poetry and Visuals by Smith, Cleveland, OH

 

 

When it's not the sirens
it's the freight train
when it's not the freight train
it's the rooster
when it's not the rooster
it's the windwater rush of wheel
when it's not the wheels
it's the sirens

 

 

 

 Kitchen Cat

In bath sweating
cat in window above
beyond cat lies two ever-presents—

rooster crowing sun
freight train pulling moan

I am rooster
I am train
I am rising sun
I am undelivered load

between rooster and train
the low constant white noise
of windwater leaves and tires fleeing

I am wind
I am water
I am leaves
I am rubber

I do not flee

 

 

 

 Rising

Bath window above
all high wind rush and siren
no rooster, no train

yet there's always rooster
always train

water hot
mind spirit soul not
used up much recovering
from tumor they cut

turn on radio
hide siren high wind sound
go to Zen when

sit up
mouthful of cold water
close eyes
sip slide small slips slow down throat
one high fine at a time
lay back
soak

radio hides mind
quiets body window noise
listen to C. Prophet sing
"What Makes The Monkey Dance?"

hmmmm...

 

 

 

 Alms for the Poor

 

Who and what do I worship?

don't know no who high enough
from my lowness to glance upwards at

(I'm usually too high for humans anyway)

and I don't worship animals birds insects fish
though do treasure respect admire

I'm close to worshipping plants
green leaves lilacs tall grasses

I do worship the trees
which may be earth's highest lifeform
rich and wise in time and sharing

(we're earth lifeforms)

of course I totally worship the sun
from my small shadow

and last week in full total eclipse
I looked at the sun with uncovered eyes
for four minutes
as Sky Eye stared back at me
enrichingly

and I looked good

even piss sparkles in the sun

 

 

 

 Cold Whether

Old diner
24/7
grease & gravy

 

 

 

Spermline

Life's simple
you sow
you reap
you rip
you sew

I listen a lot lately
listen to the windchimes
but also to the wind
listen to kitten cry existential angst
yet power purr in my lap
listen to night
to light
to elephant trumpet and angry cat
in Zoo down hill
to windwater rush of rubber rolling road
and fainter hiss of hit and miss
to rooster constantly crowing sun
every few seconds all day long
to wife
("happy wife, happy life")
to shadow cat jumping from mantle to join me
in graceful silence
me grateful she wants to
to Good Smith inside see where he's going
to Evil Smith as well just in case
to me listening to you listening
to spring birds peeping
sirens singing
freight trains moaning
coyotes howling
hoot owls hooting
in this Great Hearing of the Body Electric

and so I sow
reap
rip
sew
rinse again repeat
and try not to bleed in the street

 

 

 

Entanglement

Sun up sky
man down dirt
Heaven vs Earth

The wind blows where it blows
knows what it knows
goes when it goes
in spite of my guesses
of yes's and no's

I drink my coffee
watch the moon eat the sun
we are one

 

 

 

Sweet Home

Ahhh yes
clumps of complications behind me
all kinds of troubles lurking ahead
but right here
right now
hot black unsweetened coffee
steaming in a white Twin Peaks diner cup
life is sweet in its bitterness
there's hope having stumbled this far
we can fake it to the finish
after we finish
this

 

 

 

Down Under

Today’s LittleNip:

Perhaps the real party starts
on the other side
free of flesh

—Smith

__________________

Windwater rush of wheel and train and rooster—Steven B. Smith is at his usual best today, telling us about what it’s like in his house by the Zoo, and we thank him for that. Check into the Kitchen on the third Thursdays of the month for more from Steven B., Poetmeister of the Land of Cleves.

__________________

—Medusa

 

 

 

 Wheelcute
—Visual by Smith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A reminder that the
Cameron Park Library
Poets and Writers Workshop
meets today, 5:30pm.
For more info about this and other
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