Diamond Lake Creative

Category: Poetry

poetry

  • Boxed Sand Bento –

    Boxed Sand Bento –

    For the Class of ’22 especially and all of the students, staff, teachers, parents, & caregivers who endured, adapted, and overcame during the Covid 19 pandemic

    Earth tones, smart phones, summer memoirs in stones cast

    Stereo hums – beat of drums – life’s rhythm’s moving…  fast

    The hours we take, we make, we lose then find

    Relations forged in craggy gorge, not thru space nor thyme

    Waves flip & curl – masts unfurl – deep inside our mind

    seeking serenity, stoic genetically, ripping out the vine 

    Snarled bowed bent broken, yank the insides out – 

    Coursing through sinewed feels – No longer devout 

    Gaze upon your crushed & splintered – analyzing self

    Commence with sifting vital bits, stow on starboard shelf

    UnTangle unMangle winnow further still

    Don’t Stress —- be preoccupied — \/ — practice procrastination… 

    Flip it trip it grind gears, mill

    Efforts anchor medley of melancholic aspiration

    525 thousand ain’t enough to do the work

    Spit and polish not yet glitter, toiling in the murk

    Visions emerge whence lights converge, let the flickers grow

    What’s this you see? Basswood buds! peaking through the snow

    Amalgamate & Consecrate The Essence of the Now

    Circulate then annotate, life lived upon boats’ bow

    Misting skies breathe life to living

    Bespoke beSpeckled be kind be giving

    Toning bonds 

    Glints flight from ponds 

    This; This IS the thing, the essence of all that Is – here & not here & there & theirs

    With Hues of grey in tangled fray, where do souls grow?

    Kept from view, mixing roux, days of boxed sand bento 

    Images imagining immaculate impurities soothing & softening dreamscaped sky

    Fluttering flittering flogging floughetry – 

    Motion of the wrangled fly

    Just because it’s syncopated don’t mean it’s oh so complicated – 

    no need to get all aggravated, slow. your. roll.

    Keep the Keeper – shine the light – Ramble On in2 the night

    Regard the rails – raise your sails

    GO – & wander, Tones On Tails

    Black & Gold & Cree & Crow

    Passing on the telling

    River rise, knot the ties, mushroom-ton-a-Welling

    It’s great, We’re Great! … No – really- seriously, we are… aren’t we?

    But no one… is – mmm, — how u say? 

    Clean the filter, wipe the lens

    Demain- entre nous- flambeaux flambè

    Listen to Saturn the Oceans & Seas

    Talk to the Suns & the Moons 

    Fire-Water-Do Not Burn

    Breathe the ash of ruins

    Mineral min(e)d _ for simple time — passing by the bly

    Walk me out to find the fount & quaff elixir’s rye

    Tend the earth & plant new seed,

    Looking back – ere you lead

    Passions inspire mind’s collective quest

    Find your peoples, build your nest

    In parting prose we knot loose bows, none left in the lurch

    Strike the match & fan the flames with oil from life’s Birch

    Salted steeled integrity be present in thy breast

    Sing & whistle, Lavender Thistle, sop up all the zest  

  • if i be drunk: an ode to the drinkers who be drunk, & the like

    if i be drunk: an ode to the drinkers who be drunk, & the like

    If I be drunk, please let me be

    Maybe prop me up if I need to pee

    If I be drunk, I promise I’m fine

    I’ll sober myself in the course of due time

    If I be drunk, I’m probably warm

    Pants may come off, that’s usually the norm 

    If I be drunk, please don’t tell my boss

    She’s not real happy when I’m on the sauce

    If I be drunk, I might dance on a table

    Be ready to run, I won’t be so stable

    If I be drunk, & by drunk – I Mean Rurnt 

    Do not be nervous, I’m already turnt

    If I be drunk, I will want some grub

    Scrapple & eggs & grits & bub 

    If I be drunk, I’ll try not to sing

    Wait, no, no chance, you know Paper Rings?

    If I be drunk, it might be to cope

    The world is fucked, I’ve lost so much hope

    If I be drunk, consider the sitch 

    Dystopian nightmare & me eyes often twitch

    If I be drunk, it won’t be for long

    I’ll straighten right up – once Cheech smokes out Chong

    If I be drunk, I promise – my dear

    I’ll try real hard to not spill my beer

    If I be drunk, might get a tattoo 

    Portrait of cat, sitting in loo 

    If I be drunk, & meet with Jeff Be –  zos 

    I hope that fucker ain’t eating my que – sos

    If I be drunk, it’s probably late

    Though possibly early, depends on my state

    If I be drunk, I could make us some eggs

    But really, don’t ask – if there’s still untapped kegs

    If I be drunk, in time I’ll be drunker

    Probably best if I don’t drive my clunker

    If I be drunk, the moon must be out

    Have I told you about that time I had gout?

    If I be drunk, please feed the cats

    I tend to forget when drinking from vats

    If I be drunk, we must toast your success

    I’d like to toast mine but I’m a hot fucking mess

    If I be drunk, I might quote Faust

    And in case you’re wondering, I’ll include notes from Proust

    If I be drunk, inevitably someone will say

    For fuck’s sake man, you’re in my fucking way

    To which I will quietly retort

    Piss off ya hoser, pour me a port

    If I be drunk, you know, completely shatfaced

    My friend may – affectionately – call me rat face

    If I be drunk, my keys are over there

    Just past the goats on the eight legged chair

    If I be drunk, please shush your mouth

    I’ll lay where I lie & I’ll piss on your couch

    If I be drunk, or if drunk I be

    Fer the love of Christ & Baby Jesus, don’t bring me iced tea

    If I be drunk, you just may find

    I move left & then right, can’t walk a straight line

    If I be drunk as Christmas draws near

    I’ll greet you with bells on – shit-tons of cheer

    If I be drunk on the eve of the Eve

    I’m probly having grasshoppers with Willie and Steve

    If I be drunk on Christmas Eve proper

    I’m caroling with Oprah, Nigel Hayes & Mark Knopfler

    If I be drunk, and it’s Christmas Day

    I’m at the North Pole, passed out in a sleigh

    If I be drunk and Christmas be past

    I’m at Barnes & Noble reading Condé Nast

    If I be drunk at midnight 31 December 

    It’s a solid bet I will not remember 

    If I be drunk on 2 January, 

    The only things dry are my martini & my sherry

    So if I be drunk & you happen upon me

    We can talk about Love — & Rodgers & Majikowski 

    Or if I be schnookered & I’m itching for a fight 

    We can talk Vikings Super Bowl titles, or whatever, all night

    & if I be drunk, past 3 sheets to the wind

    I’ve stopped putting tonic in with my gin

    If I be drunk, like McNulty & Bunk

    Before you drive off, make sure I’m not in your trunk

    If I be drunk on white wine or whiskey

    I’m no longer averse to being quite risky

    If I be smashed, like FUBAR but more

    much obliged if you’d join me down here on the floor

    If I be super drunk & time disappears

    DO NOT let me talk you into a few more beers

    If I be drunk, I’ll try not to repeat What I’ve already said already 

    But fuck, I’m drunk, I think my name’s Ted or Betty

    And if I be drunk, I may slur my words

    You can shut me up with some deep fried cheese curds

    If I be drunk y empiezo a hablar español 

    Estoy muy borracho y trataré de caminar a Mexico 

    If I be drunk & it looks like I’ll fall, 

    no worries friend, I’m just holdin’ up this wall

    If I be drunk & at your party show-up, 

    please – do not – hand me – a red – solo – cup

    If I be drunk, pie eyed & plastered indeed, 

    I will not follow-nor will I lead

    If I be drunk on thee cheapest rot gut, 

    It’s just a matter of time before I give you a YUUUUUT!

    If I be drunk on the 5th of September, 

    don’t ask, I do not remember

    If I be drunk on 15 October, 

    it’s our anniversary, of course I’m not sober

    If I be drunk & it’s November ten

    I drinks for The Corps, Bigbird, and the souls of Edmund Fitzgerald’s 29 men

    If I be drunk & pass out in the park, 

    neighbors will talk & Dogs, they will bark 

    If I be drunk & the walls go to spinnin

    Likelihood of hurling goes up by six trillion

    If I be drunk and try making bread

    Remind me I’m drunk then lock me in the shed

    If I be drank, to say next level drunk

    No need to poke me, I’m not getting up

    If I be drunk and don’t pay my bill, 

    I’ll pay double tomorrow, put a note in the till

    If I be drunk and start talkin’ shit

    Ya might wanna record, I’m known for my wit