You Never Saw Me

You Never Saw Me

Near tripping into the fountain There is a thing
inside the ear called something helps us balance
Remain upright That final shot or the one before
Might have been a sudden shifting of the axis
of the earth An earthquake pushing me right side
up
Satan falling from heaven a gravity shift of sorts
The moon pulling the sheets of the ocean tight
Me recalling my father's final hug / my consent
Friends in a dream calling Come back, Come here
Another shot at life -- whatever it was I know you
never saw me recover But she did She did she did.

c. Ciprianowords, Inc., 2010

How The Nanny Got The Job

How The Nanny Got The Job

Clemson's cigar between my teeth and I hate cigars I grinned
east and west choking literally gagging eyes cinched shut as
slapping down my King of spades to an uproar of boos cheers
and suds flying he asked it again How did ye land such a girl?

Every crude thing within wanted to burst out but her brown eyes
from where they now watched a night's crib stopped me cold and
rising from that table with her on my mind I said Likes laughter.
The girl closed her ad with Likes laughter and by God she does!

c. Ciprianowords, Inc., 2010