Mike James: What You Do

where i don’t feel quite as crazy

with all my obsessions, peculiarities,

hang ups, and ticks

with all my lists

of what’s worked

what hasn’t

at the job, at life, and at marriage

listen, let me say this straight,

any long road dips

in places

sometimes it’s a fresh valley

fruit rich, summer blue

sometimes it’s a desert valley

all stones shaped like tears

dust heavy

as days of weeping

eventually, dust gives up on wind

settles down

stones start to resemble apples

then become them

the apples, sweet or sour,

a gift like years

Copyright 2016 Mike James