The Five Rings

The magician looks the other way when he removes his first foot.

The butcher cooks the bear meat he captured in his pasture.

The executioner refuses to remove his mask.

The blacksmith perfects the waterproof hoof.

The wanted cartoonist remains on the loose, at large, never

thinking of even mentioning ink.

 

 

Amending the Agenda

Five times a day, I'm forced

to make an agenda and hop

on a call and look

at my tired face. Five times a day

 

the coffee is ballroom dancing

in my stomach and the man

in the painting will never move

me again. I look to see

 

what my great grandmother was

doing on this day 32 years ago

but the page is blank. Every

day this month, her pages are blank.