My Name

I'm named for an actress,
and I've been misspelled all my life.

Everyone ends me with a why
instead of I.

Fitting, yes?

More or less.

For Poetry Pantry at Poets United

For Lexie, When It's Almost Over

Don't staunch the bleeding, love.
I'll find you by its slow,
ferrous flow.  Break
a bone to give me compass;

I'll navigate
by the storyline of your
suffering.  There are no
accidents; just causes,

quick kisses, and confusion
on this merciless plane.
Disowned and rejected,
breaking bones comes

as a comfort.  There is no staunching
this bleeding, love,
this slow, ferrous flow.

From the word list at Pineapple Gloss

Hero's Journey

Wonder, woman, was it worth it,
all
that saving a world that will
not save itself -
the choking man
that bites
the fingers
in his throat;
the child
of drought
striking matches
in the trees.
I wonder, woman,
what it's like
to watch the sorry,
daily news
go by -
feeling worn
and feeling older,
your hero's journey
never over.

For Midweek Motif ~ Journey at Poets United

This Side of Heaven

If there's any justice this side of heaven,

may the most powerful man in the world

wake up tomorrow morning

sprawled face down in Puerto Rican mud.

Homeless and with less

than one hundred forty characters

to his name, may he learn just how long

empty promises stick to the ribs.

May he be pelted with paper towels

by an idiot.

May he be chastised for his lack

of gratitude.

For Poetry Pantry at Poets United

As Above

shadorma
of black swans above
me below
me my man-
ster burrows into my bones
till I break

For Marian's prompt at Real Toads

How To

How to diagnose and fix everything.
How to lose belly fat fast.
How to work for yourself: 100 ways
to make everybody love you.

How to grow a vegetable,
analyze people,
say no,
make money online.
How to survive the zombie apocalypse
and write a sizzling synopsis.

How to get others to do what you want.
How to write erotica
and fail at almost everything.

How to answer interview questions,
bake a murder,
start a profitable blog.

How to remove
all negative items
from your credit report
and be
a 3% man.

How to write,
learn liberalism,
lose a husband,
ruin everything.

How to develop
strong, positive habits
to conquer the future
when there is none.

For Poetry Pantry at Poets United

Note: If you have any positive energy to spare, please, send it my way.  My Baby Puppy is in the hospital.  The prognosis is positive, but I'd still appreciate your prayers.

Honey

She bathed
five times
in the honeyed stomach of September
and let chaos crown her wild
nest of titian hair.
Pomegranates wept:
truth or dare,

truth or dare?

She smiled -
seeds stuck
in her teeth.

Inspired by the "honey" word list and Marley Raine and submitted to Poetry Pantry at Poets United.