Ninety-three: Redemption:

Wandering, you dip into a trough the size and shape 

of a grounded sailboat, now a place to collect water.

Most do not put to sea a second time 

in a boat that has seen disaster.

“Tis a good boat and a sound boat

but sell 'er." they say.

A boat in which one was lost will be left to rot like this 

for the tide to carry, no use repairing the unlucky.

This one's bream needs to be scraped and burned. 

Still...

Would be much to feel the tiller against your ribs again.

Main sheet tugging in hand

Both of you... Leaping! Bouncing!

And a silver wake rustling astern.

©️Mark W. Ó Brien 2022

Ninety-Two:

Bolivian is everywhere. Wait,

that was meant to be oblivion.

Anyway, Bolivians are everywhere too

in Bolivia. Which is where you will find 

Oblivion as well. Everything is 

everywhere also. But that’s obvious

not Oblivion. How many Bolivian’s 

does it take to be obvious? 

How many lightbulbs does it take

to screw up oblivion?  What is a 

Bolivian Oblivion? Is that 

where Butch and Sundance 

tried to go and wound up 

continually mysterious  instead?

Nintey-one:

Epicotyl! Cotyledon! Scale…

I have been listening to the 

bud scales pop-off 

as the leaves burst forth.

Next week it will be as if 

the leaves hadn’t left.

They call them 

Bud-scales or Bud-coats. 

All the other parts of the plant 

embryo get fancy names. 

As important as they are and 

everything hinging on them

“I think the scientists really 

dropped the ball on this one.”

Nintey:

Sometimes I have to

stop asking for poems.

Sometimes I have to

tell someone’s story

other than my own.

Sometimes I have to 

say wait a minute 

you have the privilege

of bringing someone else

back to life

breathing their breath

thinking their thoughts

speaking their truths

sometimes I have to.

©️Mark W. Ó Brien

27Apr2022

Eighty-nine:

Simon Peterson went for a walk in the sun

across the barnyard of change.

That rooster was pretty cocky this morning.

Chicken dinner was looking good!

His buddy Heyzoos had kept him and his friends

up all night speaking in paradox and paraphrase.

Simon tried to hit the snooze button twice but 

the third time that cock crowed he was cheesed.

Even with Heyzoos’ warning the night before 

he hadn’t expected Leghorn to foghorn.

When he did Heyzoos pointed right at Simon

in front of all the guys. “I told you so!” He said.

 

Simon looked Leghorn in the beak accusingly but 

that chicken just shrugged and denied it. Three times!

©️Mark W. Ó Brien

16Apr2022

Eighty-eight:

Elvis is the driver on our bus. 

He is good operatively.

He ferries us to and from Outpost Haros.

We wear headphones.

Listen to AC/DC at half speed on our Walkman’s.

Even our batteries are dying.

I use duct tape to hold the cassette in.

Elvis is impressed.

Offers me his lunch box but I say:

“No, I’ve already had my polk salad for today.”

Elvis gets all shook up. I tell him: 

“You ain’t nuthin’ but a Cerberus whining all the time.” 

He puts us out. Bill hails a cab and 

Elvis drives away as the bus shakes, rattles, rolls.

©️Mark W. Ó Brien

15Apr2023

Eighty-seven:

It’s springtime

and there is the sound

of a ballgame being called 

on my front porch.

Cat on my lap. “Stee-rike!”

Dog at my feet. “Pop!”

“…that’s a single to right…”

“…the winning run is on base…”

“Crack!!”

“Five to Six to Three!”

“Doub-ble-play!”

“Raise The Jolly Roger!”

At the end of the day

all is right with my world.

©️Mark W. Ó Brien

14Apr2022