Hobo's Poems

Alone sound of the wind waves ambulance Brighton Beach secluded alone on the blanket alone in my bikini trying to be in my bareness Allness Today this is what my body looks like who says what is there are many ways to look It's harder to be around friends in bathing suits they don't see you in your underwear like your husband does they don't see beneath your clothes the freckles the scars the stretch marks bathing suits are really being naked The cool breeze hot sand beneath my belly pushing my toes down warm comfort and balance layers of me sandy sticky me suntanlotioned skin full blanket me I occupy this space among people in public yet i am secluded and serene

Strip away what no longer serves. Move daily to circle hips, celebrate. Bend, fold, fall. Take what is almost gone or cracked, dispose of it now. Use what is necessary. Carry the grief in the middle pocket of the Betsey Johnson purse with the yellow bow. Tie the polka dot scarf around neck. Dab assorted colors on lips, cheeks. Contribute to this house of you. Throw away old receipts. Remove makeup. Brush teeth, floss. Do laundry. Wash dishes. Make the bed. Grocery shopping. Cook when you can. Take out trash. Clean litter box. Water plants. Pause. Decorate the tops of different surfaces. Examine contents in wooden boxes. Behold sparkle earrings in hand. Let the fire burn. Honor past paper. Ignite new poems. It takes time to care, the act of kindness, folding yourself. Put a notebook and pen in tote bag next to the pain It's not too heavy. It never was.