Memo to contractor

          for Dan, Sarah and Orson

An amplitude
A living space
The safety goes right here
In the baby's room
Everywhere you turn
Light
Install music
Leave room for room
In this room
Re-do wiring
New names for new things
Take down this wall
Bring tree into house
Allow for rain
Skylights
Breathing room
Get rid of all of this
This is where that goes
Foundation needs work
Remove roof altogether

- New York, May 10, 2011

Well aren't you

Well aren’t you just a bear with an injury
A ping-pong ball lost
Needle in haystack
Worry bead of DNA?

Aren’t you one of these very words
Surrounded by your family
On a burning sheet of paper
Or hovering in bits and bytes
In the cloud?

Aren’t you the kissing cousin of all things
Blood brother of buttons and fire
A clay of damage and laughter
Dancer in a shaft of sunlight
Messager of first breath and open palm?

                                              -- New York, May 8, 2011