Shaolin Temple

I stayed up all
night watching
old Kung Fu
movies in the
dark.

The room was
lit by flickering
images of fists
flying and
swords clashing.

I hope the
exaggerated
sounds of battle
didn’t disturb
the apartment
next door.

But drinking
beer after beer
and all the
Shaolin escapism
didn’t cure me
of the memory
of you.

    Carnival

I saw the boy who was
just a year or two too old
to be on the ride in the
first place. His mom was
waiting impatiently at
the side as they waited
for someone, anyone, to
hand over their tickets
and board the Tilt-A-
Whirl. But no one did.
And the impatient
carnival worker, who
was just a year or two
older than the boy,
started the ride. It was
painful to watch as he
rode all alone, every
ounce of excited
anticipation replaced by
utter humiliation. And I
couldn’t take my eyes
away because I
understood that feeling
all to well.

            Café Patriarch

They sat around
the crowded
table; the men
proclaiming
loudly their
desire to live in
a true
matriarchal
society