Three Poems
State of Things
Here I am sitting
at the end of the decade
a man of likes & dislikes
wonderful ghost of data
on the dyingest planet
one teeming with life
kept apart by cash flow
mainly & clean water
Tomorrow I’ll make soup
talk to myself a while
extra two hours in bed
miss the shooting luckily
Trying to like things
easily like pop music or
framed photos of dogs
bought at the store
That woman I kinda
slept with that man
with my name I wished
would keep kissing me
Friends kept far away
not of our own accord
Haven’t loved or gone
swimming for years
Cousin fired for beer
Paid rent on credit card
Sorry I haven’t called
I’m crying eating hot wings
Action
Life is a series of actions.
Feeling is an action,
as is sleeping, eating,
washing the neighbor’s car,
three beers on the porch
after election day action.
Emotions just inner actions
or sometimes lack of action.
Stillness is an action too.
I’m acting for my students
when they all get A’s.
Some actions are endless—
logging on, horoscopes,
revolution, fantasy football,
bringing in the mail
when M. gets committed again
for actions against herself.
Love is the best action
though the hardest to take
because sickness is an action,
dying an unavoidable action.
Voila, now you’re no action.
So I do the days’ work action.
Adopt an ugly cat action.
Shoot people online action.
Laugh until I smile action.
Night Swim with Sunglasses
At night I want
a spiritual moment
in a rooftop pool
to have money
to hear the club
in the distance
likes angels or
a notification asking
Have you eaten
enough food today
Have you drunk
enough cold water
I want nothing
more than to float
with my friends
for them to feel
safe in the ancient
tunnel of love
the night-water
Here I go again
I miss you
for 12 hours
I miss myself
for 12 more
I take off
my sunglasses
the sky glows
with cell phones
Jakob Maier
Jakob Maier is the managing editor of Peach Mag. Find him online at jakobmaier.art
Twitter: @goodtimejakob