lunch hesitation
one year from Africa, lost
in linguistic haze
night in confession
one year from Spain, llevame
atrás, where heart rests
lost in translation
his understanding, my words
we compromise fear
it rests behind tongues
from mother countries, our own
till we can spit truth
let us excavate
set our syllables free, give
wings to our words
list of excuses
ribboned present presented
mail-ready, pre-sent
in the hands of god
swirling death surrounding me
don’t want to hear it
how do i work through
stress, grief, everyday mountains,
but you’re not able?
i see days through tears
gather up my girls in hugs
can’t you find your joy?
peace comes with jobs done
satisfaction of success
unwrap your conscience
just one mile walk home
to car-shop drop-off frenzy
begin evening stress
science fair project
won’t keep quiet on my mind
leaves alleviate
no avocados?
two wheels, backpacked ride to store
guacamole dreams
oldest cycles home
begins three-shower cycle
all by six-forty
spicy tacos rest
on spicy dream-home dispute
taste still in my mouth
all ’cause he worked late
foreshadowing our future:
crap hours, low pay
sacrifice my peace
for shut-in civility?
i’d rather be poor
rich are days with him
those hours in his absence?
a chronic longing
even the girls cry
as they will with no ‘good nights’
tears don’t buy us time
the two-income trap
snagging our life with more debt
all for image, greed
just one mile walk back
where refugee students wait,
offer perspective
bag on, keys in hand
lights still off, door prop broken
they wait for me here
never a moment
to take a breath or a rest
once here? i breathe them
spinning hat cycle
switch styles: students, admin
teach, plan, grade, succumb
bag down, keys waiting
lights come on, i work past dark
they wait for me there
somewhere in between
i put on the mama hat
dinner, bed cuddling
i dream of yoga
breathing in, out, stretching soul
hats off, i breathe them
wind-swept grassland hike
table-top view of city
where mountain meets home
clear creek cottonwoods
hand-crafted home brewery
where dreamers meet dreams
science fair half done
little girl pianists play
where weekend meets week
lunch date spin cycle
soaking up blue sky autumn
park hopping joy ride
two-month countdown starts
pre-holiday pay knifing
how will we survive?
just as we once did:
a chef, errand-free weekends
(stay-at-home dad’s gifts)
two sides make all coins:
heavy sacrifice, workload
frantic rat race gone
we could count pennies
or we could count our blessings
we will see what counts
in the grand scheme, grin
because the pain of this day
buys future joy
poorly-worded goal
provided by school district
let’s confuse students
find main idea,
three facts, underlying themes
cite text evidence
even in haiku
i clarify what they can’t
why are they in charge?
come home to harsh truths:
charter school rules, union blues
paradox, my life
my new objective:
theme that saves main idea
minus the details
(life is a challenge
of unplugged net books, low pay;
cite love to survive)
one outlandish class
topped with broken promises
bring me my weekend
