Arthroscopic Sunset

To see and see
the moon in the gallery seat and
the wave peaks taking on 
pricey shades,
red and orange tint against mud 
browned blacks,
forty thousand cathedral peaks.
The effort,
collecting the light 
out of key with enough patience
to wait for some kind of tune up session,
is on par with the glass sliver moon silence
and lying on my stomach,
nose to a swells touch
at the river edge
sunset compresses to pixels and spots and sight
without sound and sound without taste
touches down in flecks of water licked
star shine and open flame
on moon face.  Somewhere on Earth
this may all be happening in space.
The intro kaleids.

Pittsburgh Black and Whites 7

"I can smell the river from here"
is always a hit and miss comment
in the ground cracking heat of Summer
along the Allegheny.

I'm pretty sure
the only thing that is going to take that taste
out of my mouth
is a healthy dose of clear skied night above
anywhere we can find inland and not carding
because I will be a son of a bitch
if you think I am
going to pay for a red cup
at some hack operation.

Smoker 26

I quit
(as much as anyone
can quit love
or hate
or compulsive
consternation).

I still miss you.
As much as I did when we had a thing.
More now?
I dunno.
I quit four weeks ago.
Everything feels the same
and the pigment in my iris's
still leaks into the white.
I still tear up
in grocery store air conditioning
or when the Pittsburgh Pirates win.
I still carry
a knife and high hopes for just 'cause
beating just cause
to finish lines.

Not you.  The pride
in me is what it is
I miss.  Watching you light up,
my fingers itch for thirteen seconds.
Three shallow breaths.

I quit four weeks ago,
but that doesn't mean
it won't be nice to see you again some day.