THE BEAR
has crashed through the barn doors
to terrify the bull and his goal post
horns—plus every rancher
in the valley—with a hibernated
growl louder than a thunder bolt,
louder than a late plane. We scatter
to the mountains like sheep afraid
of slaughter. When can we return?
The bear is stronger than ten
wrestling champions, his eyes repeat
history as we watch him, and we’re
paralyzed as hunters with jack
knives. He’s mauled too many of us:
his paws kick up the dust like it’s
dirty baby powder. Our grass
no longer the color of our greed,
but black as our despair. This bear
will hang around like a dictator:
a wag has nicknamed him Donny.
How can we rid ourselves
of the belligerent bear?
Where are the bull’s bellows
when we need them?
THE VISITOR’S MISSIVE
My skin is kaleidoscopic.
It’s all colors.
Yes, I’m a freak.I’m not white. Or brown.
Or yellow. Not red
or black. All colors.Because of this I live
in a lagoon I found
when I landedon this planet
of fools obsessed
with meaningless colors.The planet of Stupid
I call it. I love,
though, the beautifulwomen, the inhabitants
with the true power.
Soon, they could disappear.You see, I’m a visionary.
I remotely hack your computers
because I invented that talent.Others, too. I live in the minds
of your brightest scientists,
most accomplished artists,and predict your world
will vanish into vapor
like the other planetsI’ve explored with hope.
But you haven’t heeded
the warnings of your fragile home:Your winds howl like mad coyotes.
Your ice melts like vague memories.
You humans kill everything:Children with garlands
of roses around their heads,
cities with their steelsculptures of beheaded angels
and raped goddesses that remind
me barbarians are still present.They are few, but too many
for your kind to survive,
too few generous souls that soar.But I’m leaving. Like Autumn.
I have twelve seats available
for six women and six men.Email me your resumes today.
Only painters, prophets, writers,
a farmer, a nun, a carpenter, a bum.And after we leave this melancholy
planet, we’ll scatter our piety
and create all that could have been.