#23 first time away from home

age 5

alone

a walk

down dirt road

around corner

30 minutes later

mum

upset

wet eyes

#22 wet smelly pants

i've got it

but i don't

i only watch

crack of the bat,

sailing overhead,

splatting in the septic ditch

the younger brother

i wade

retrieve

return

#21 on the trail

run run

red jogging pants

confident ponytail

smile and nod again

maybe some day

a word

a verbal exchange

#20 I for an I

it's crossed t's

and dotted i's

that make the whole world go blind

document-document-document

get it on paper

proof-proof-proof

don't say anything

especially sorry

#19 dear mean people

why

#18 old-fashion love

5:30

car crunches along gravel driveway

clockwork

two-hour supper prep

crescendo

oven-fridge-microwave-cupboard

all to table

pre-set by little hands

door opens

exhausted grey lunchbox

and this morning's teacup

then smiles

simultaneous

how was your day?

#17 all i need to know...

quiet in the hall

stop chatting

and get to work

hands off

no talking

single file

indoor voices

#16 mixed...

music

company

tape

nuts

messages

greens

signals

feelings

mind

up

#15 oops

tip back the red dot in my glass

head to the Men's room

locate inversion

of adjacent W

dangerous similarity

i stroll out

say my goodbyes

don my coat

and enter mild february air

4 blocks later

halfway home

it hits me...

my unpaid wine

#14 "...but..."

"...but..."

equals

ignore before,

what i mean is...

sweet lies

sugarcoat truth

Carnegie says

try "and"

and

i say

that's a start...

#13 "Honestly..."

"Honestly..."

you lost me.

i assumed you were

until you said the word

whatever follows

must pass suspicion-sieve

i pretend to be open

but

even if your words are 'true'

i smell deception by intent

dishonesty

#12 on technology

a baby

born yesterday

growing

faster larger

smaller

first-picture first-feeding

floppy-disk load$,8

first smiles sounds steps

icq msn facebook

no known relatives

no prototypes or role models

no limits