Idle Animation

Have you ever put, for the second time, shampoo in your hair
because you’re standing in the shower, and that’s what you do there?

How many times have you swiped left and swiped right
as your eyes glazed over, thoughts drifting to the night?

Do you take out your phone to check the time or the weather
only to become lost in Instagram or Twitter?

These idle animations of when the mind checks out
reflect our conditioning to technological clout.

My behavior in these little gaps in between
give me away as a man from twenty seventeen.

Women

Those that have helped me, taught me and fought me.
Those that have healed me, loved and believed me.
Those that have raised me, cared for and praised me.
Those that have scared me, defied and dared me.

Those that have added, and made me shine brighter.
Those that have taken, yet left me feeling lighter.
Those that have transformed and rearranged what was there,
unearthing what was hidden and is now laid bare.

I am who I am because of all of you.
I am who I am despite your worst and your best.
You are and are not responsible for me.

For a man with no woman in his life,
I sure do have a lot of women in my life.

Colors

Red is my favorite color.
It is, don’t ask me why.
Not violet, gold or silver,
nor indigo or lilac shy.

Yellow is too happy,
A simple solid smile.
Blue is sombre sadness
stretching for quite a while.

Black too strong, white too weak,
green too livid, brown too bleak.
Pink is pretentious, purple confused,
orange is ugly and often abused.

I’m thankful for these rods
and cones in my eyes.
They make life a joy,
the world a surprise.

Even when the edges blur
and make it hard to see,
the colors are always there
for you and for me.

Surprise

In every facet of your body,
from hips to lips to eyes
lies the tingling sensation
of effervescent surprise.

I’d capture some if only
I had photographic memory.
No pen or paint can muster
more than a feeble reverie.

My wildest fantasies exceeded,
my imagination put to shame
by your wit, your grit, your will
in this very moment that you came.

DACA

Brought here by chance, by force, by war
Lived here, learned here, survived it all
Always hidden, always scorned, never recognized
Equality not a given but an ever elusive prize
Dreams of hope painted black dashed by stabs of red
My promised future stolen to pacify the inbred