Stay cool

 

 

21 to go 

You'll be shearing the burn fields

He's planting more Doug firs. He's letting grass grow longer 

There's no new generation of christmas tree farmers

It's a big gamble. Maybe you'll think I'm ugly or too loud

That plant is staying alive through my own force of will. I will not give up on it

Fish see me and swarm, snack time

The seltzer bottle sits blue-pink empty on the coffee table 

I remember going to that house party, some kind of celebration beneath a possibly-burning tree. Who was I with when I ate the old cookie. Lights moved on trees in summertime. Walked home early morning alone. I'm glad I don't drink so much any more 

He swaddles himself in blue

I brought him home and then acted surprised. Same for him, and him, and him 

You'd think I'd learn 

 

Wish we could go to Leadville tomorrow 

Oh come, let's not be dramatic 

 

I tried to hang the birdhouse today. The strap broke and now the black hook won't fit through the metal. Now who knows when it will happen 

The farmer says, you wouldn't work the same job for years without a salary increase

I tell him, you deserve some pleasure and some fun 

It's hard to seem young without drinking

I pour bourbon from the high cupboard, for personal reasons

If only I hadn't rolled all those sevens. I'm so different now from how I used to be  

It's getting harder again

For a few months there he edited the literary magazine