My partner was just telling me about how their writing is scattered all over—in countless paper notebooks, various digital locations. That inspired me to look around to see what I have stashed about and I came across three from April 2017 — perhaps written for National Poetry Month?

Cruel Spring

Muffled trills of birds in queue
Gray gives way to a verdant hue
Chilled shivers yield to sun-warmed dew
And my head is full of cement

Trees reborn sprout leaf and bud
Earthworms emerge from rain-soaked mud
In sun-drenched fields cows chew their cud
And my head is full of cement

Waters from the melting snow
Turn creeks to rivers as they flow
Spring cleaning earth with H2O
And my head if full of cement

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

Untitled

Train off the rails
Car off the train
Body out the car
Feet out the shoes
Socks off the feet
Toes in the soil

Eyes off the prize
Mind off the grind
Nose off the grindstone
Shoulder off the wheel
Grease off the elbow
Heart in the lead

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

The burden of leisure in a capitalist society

Or, the first day of unemployment in almost a decade

I’m on my own time from today and it seems I’m bad at relaxation.
Overwork is something I’ve perfected, in exchange for compensation.

I woke, then slept, then woke again; sleep came in fits and starts.
Absent an alarm clock, my brain more than did its part.

I gave up, got up, weighed my options — a surfeit from which to choose
Naked, I wandered around the house, no time for clothes or shoes.

I put on music, steeped some tea and made a bite to eat.
I stood eating (naked) until I realized I could take a seat.

Now freshly caffeinated, the pressure to relax grew more intense.
How do others chill out? I wondered. This just doesn’t make any sense.

I checked my email, did some chores, and made a to-do list.
I then prioritized all my to-dos and added a couple I’d missed.

I went for a walk, listened to a podcast and studied some Español.
I ate Mexican food, drank sangria and went thrifting, just to go.

Back home, I sat down to write this verse, and iron out its quirks.
I’m not sure how long I can keep this up; relaxing is a lot of work!