It’s okay
We’re all going
To the house of pancakes
Bones sinking
Bones sighing
Sunken treasure
Sunken eyes
You have to love the kids
All kids
The kids inside
Speak into their sunken heads
Take off your shoes
Get comfortable
Comedy with out the laugh track
Is profound
Mary Hartman
If you investigate yourself
too much
You’ll go blind
The gloves always come off
At the post office
Minds sharpening
Like pencils
Cat stickers on phones
Birds exploding over cars
It’s all happening
At once
More than once
It’s all happening
At once
Over and over
Trash cans full of tissues
And orange peels
Mary Hartman
There’s so much more to love
Love can happen anywhere
Bowling allies
Convenient stores
Cat boxes
Beneath Dining room tables
No I don’t hate you when you’re sick
I hate you when your mean
No I don’t hate you when you’re sad
I hate the sadness
It steals you away
It puts it in a fish bowl
Fish kissing is not satisfying
Making love like fish
Making love in a fish pond
Is a start
Let’s evolve from there.
(This poem was originally recited on December, 12 at Jackpot Lounge in Lawrence, KS)