1.
I know this boy named Oliver
he makes art
last year his brother died
we had the same birthday
that is probably something that never gets easier
like talking to pretty girls
or telling the truth
but so much
worse.
2.
When we were little
and dressed up in costumes
we were anybody we wanted
except the parents
carpools can’t drive themselves
no matter how many times
you use your three wishes
for more wishes
somebody will tell you
it doesn’t work that way.
3.
My cousins are all older than me
but that didn’t stop them from being
the smaller person
on almost every occasion
I got stuck with the Buzz Lightyear costume
no matter what the game
or how many light years away
I was.
4.
Warm leather smells like the summer
I turned 9
only when it’s warm outside
and [it’s never really] cold out
does my heart reflect the weather
like the room on the back of a spoon,
or more like my eyes
in the mirror?
5.
Did the little boy inside of you
get out to play today?
Make sure he does tomorrow
give him the wooden bow and arrow
your dad made you
for Halloween that one year
when you were sick
and never ended up going out.
6.
When I can feel the drums
in my chest and echo
in my stomach
it probably isn’t quite loud enough
have you ever drowned something
without water?
It’s easier than you would think,
you just need to be
[louder].
7.
Most pain is temporary
that’s what people will tell you
you don’t have to listen to them
put your earbuds in
sometimes
you don’t even have to plug them in.
8.
Uniforms have too many different meanings
to make them comfortable
try them on like skin
that you get to choose
pick a good one
change it out
every seven years
or when you need to
do laundry.
9.
Anish Kapoor called
he wants his mirrors back
how many people do you see when you look
at yourself
sometimes it is hard to be all of them
at once
there was a time when you were nothing at all
and there will be a time
when you will be everything
again.
10.
Michelangelo why
have you robbed the hands of each other’s
touch? Why will they never feel
the fingers that you put
just out of reach
tell me how
do you sleep at night?
11.
I watched somebody fly
too close to the sun once
luckily the air is made of hope
clouds are someone’s dreams
and the ground is made of love
so he only broke his left arm
and his idea of forever.
12.
This was made for us
she says to me, this was made for us
and no one else, but I know that is not true
because everyone was made for themselves
and most people whether they know it or not
are kings and queens of
nothing at all.
