Dear Mark

For here we gather on this solemn day
in dapper shades of black we cloak our tears
'gainst grief or quick relief we ache, we pray
hands off the handlebars as Jesus steers.
In life, you seized the chance to get hands-on
with everything those magic hands could reach
and hands to hearts to steering wheels and gone
beyond the moon with so much more to teach.
What lies out there? Be sure to let us know.
As you were such a single soul who could
construct a line from heaven to below,
your expertise with wires, will, and wood.
Some say you've passed but I think it untrue
for in my childrens' eyes, I'll e'er see you.

Guess Who

It's just knock-knock
a quick two taps then silence.
My feet pause on the landing, count
one, two, three
under my breath
my solicitor buffer
before my hand's on the doorknob
and the door is open
and regret floods in.

It's a delivery, I thought
Amazon Prime
Blue Apron
some problematic company
I mean have you listened to the podcasts
read the exposés
the working conditions
the freezing warehouses
but we still buy
because what else are we going to do

except it's not a delivery.
No, it's Grief, standing on our porch
cocksure grin
knowing eyes
and he's brought his damn acoustic
brought his friend Tragedy too.

I invite him in
before I know what I'm doing
(or maybe I know exactly what I'm doing)
because he's so handsome, just so put together
like an American Justin Trudeau.
He gets to work, goes to work
chatting up my girl
while Tragedy offers me a beer
(from where? Did he bring those?)
tells me a story.

The story is sad and surprising
filled with twists and terror
overflowing with pathos and panic
and I'm nodding nodding
wanting more, more, more.
Behind me, the strings are out
and Grief is singing Wonderwall.

I want to hate him
for the intrusion
for the stupid song
for his fucking flawless hair
but I can't
his voice is golden
like an American Michael Bublé.

And before I know it
we're asking if they can stay
share our spinach & mozzarella gnocchi
because our Blue Apron serves four
and what else are we going to do.

Martians

If we were on Mars
I would take your hand,
layers of space-age polymers in between
so I wouldn't really have your hand in mine
more like just the idea of your hand
because if we actually held hands
we would die.

We would go to Mars
to make love,
to be the first people
to make love
on Mars.

Why else? To do science?
No
just do me instead.
Let's do it on Mars
even if we would die.

We would die together
entwined
two bodies in space
attracted
collapsing
into one.

Little Lizzy

Look out boys! It's little Lizzy
who thinks her thoughts and speaks them freely
which throws them all into a tizzy,
her manner calm and resolve steely.
"Go back inside and stay silent!"
the boys all shouted, near insisted
their faces strained, voices almost violent.
Nevertheless, she persisted.

"Perhaps you'd enjoy another major
outside of strict math and science."
Her professor's eyes tried to gauge her
response, which could be seen as defiance.
Lizzy sighed, inwardly knew
it'd all be easier if she desisted,
that they squirmed as her knowledge grew.
Nevertheless, she persisted.

Now time's have changed (but really, have they?)
and Lizzy's no longer quite so small.
Yet even now when she wants her say
there are those who'd rather put up a wall.
But for today, tomorrow, and forever
against each foe, a Lizzy resisted.
When can she be done? The answer is never.
Nevertheless, she persisted.

Liberty

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp --
but it cuts off there, the rest illegible
rusted over or scratched away.
It's hard to tell what's natural anymore.

The plaque feels heavy in my arms
the corners ragged as clearly it belonged
to something bigger than itself once.
Not for a long time since some looter
or criminal or hooligan or Freedom Fighter
popped it off with some makeshift crowbar.

There are noises - or maybe there aren't -
but enough to stir me to flight.
I squeeze the tablet tight. An edge
cuts into my hand and I fight
the urge to shout or sigh
or lie down and wait.

Later in the semi-darkness
and half-safety of Home
I stare at the words, try to imagine a world
where they meant what they meant
where humans were free.

January 20, 2017

Stop
and try to hear it
on the outskirts
in the crossroads
intersections where we crash and collide
the drip dripping of an American Melt.

And to be near it
is dangerous sure
watch for the spatters and explosions
from the blood, sweat, and tears
that drip from the patty of pregnant expectation.

And the way to sear it
properly is to be watchful
and to flip it over and over
and over again, constantly in fact
but in a rush sometimes
the melt just gets pushed down
down until it drips.

And to be clear, it's
personal/historical/contextual -
the way you like your melt
is not quite how I like mine.
I know it's hard to walk in my shoes,
they don't fit you and they're
made in China.
But sooner or later
getting squeezed
and flattened
to cheers
means you start to believe it

and to fear it.

Possible Final 4 Words from The Gilmore Girls If It Was a Different Kind of Show Entirely

[Rory]

The rest is silence.

She dies, Paris cradling her head. Paris is in shock and shattered, but holds it together because someone must. The gazebo is scattered with bodies. A car screeches to a halt, doors opening to reveal Chilton headmaster Charleston. He surveys the carnage and shares an anguished look with Paris.

CUT TO BLACK

[Morey]

Now, do you believe?

Lorelai looks searchingly at Morey, who slowly puts his sunglasses back on. The world seems to ripple, if only for a moment. Lorelai looks over at Luke's, then back at Morey, but he isn't there anymore. Morey has turned into Kirk. As Lorelai looks around, all of the residents of Stars Hollow are turning into Kirk. All the Kirks begin running at Lorelai, who looks down at the coffee cup she is holding, which explodes into a cloud of unintelligible words (though we potentially see the word "poodles" in the mixture). The camera pulls skyward and we're looking down at Lorelai with all the Kirks about to engulf her. She bends her knees and takes off, flying right past the camera, her trendy parka flapping by and wiping to a blackout.

[Taylor Doose]

THIS. IS. STARS. HOLLOW!

His scream echoes across the green expanse of the town square. The warm breath of the Stars Hollow reenactment crew is seen in the chilly dusk, muskets at the ready. The boys are scared. The men are too, but have put on a warrior's face to mask their insecurities. A beat of silence, the calm before the storm. Then, the army of orcs rushes forward and war cries from both sides fill the air. The clash is inevitable and only moments away. Suddenly, a lone man rushes forward to meet them - Luke Danes.

CUT TO BLACK

[Dean]

It was a pleasure.

He pulls Rory close and the two stare at each other. They both want to kiss, but can't. This moment is too important. They settle on a deep hug. Rory walks over to the other terminal, key in hand. They both insert their keys, take a deep breath, and share one last smoldering look at each other. Dean nods, almost imperceptibly. The camera zooms out, past the bunker walls, past the facade of the destroyed diner, past the black helicopters circling Stars Hollow and holds as we hear the sound of keys turning and a growing high-pitched noise.

FADE TO WHITE

[Luke]

There's no more coffee.

Luke's voice trembles ever so slightly, but Lorelai hears it. She looks up from the half-filled cup into Luke's terrified face. Behind her, outside, a car crashes into another immediately causing a giant fireball. Word has gotten out. Everyone knows. Lorelai leaps over the counter, grabs Luke, and the two of them huddle together out of sight. There's the sound of breaking glass, screams, and an unseen body slumps above the two of them. Blood runs down the counter. The two kiss desperately.

CUT TO BLACK

[Miss Patty]

They all did it.

The assembled culprits try to protest, but Patty shushes them. The camera pans and lingers a bit over each member of the gang, as they exchange a glance with Patty. Luke is angry but proud. Lorelai is in shock. Michel is disgusted, but mostly with himself for getting caught. Sookie smiles, trying to make the best of things. Jess laughs and nods, giving credit to Miss Patty where it's due. The back of the police van closes on them and Miss Patty walks to her car. She gets in, starts it, and hits the open road. As she pulls onto the freeway, we see a sign telling us that she's leaving Stars Hollow. She pulls up a secret compartment between the seats in her car and a bag is seen, overflowing with diamonds. Miss Patty laughs to herself.

FADE TO BLACK

[Emily]

Time to go back.

She taps the screen, entering coordinates. A planet flickers up on the screen and though there's less landmass than normal, it is recognizable as Earth. A query blinks on the screen: CONFIRM? Emily looks around at her family. Lorelai rolls her eyes, as if to say, all right already. Rory giddily claps. Richard can't be bothered to look up from his paper. Emily sighs contentedly and hits the large button. We hear the sounds of the FTL engines spinning up. The camera zooms out from the control room, out through the door of Al's Pancake World, into the biodome above Stars Hollow, out into a wide shot of the exploratory fleet, just in time to catch each ship blinking out as its drive activates.

FADE TO BLACK

[Paris]

It's always been you.

Rory looks at her, sudden understanding in her eyes. She is flooded with emotion. We see quick flashes of many interactions that Paris and Rory have had over the past decade with this new lens. Paris is standing there, stuck, vulnerable, once again on the verge of being rejected. Rory shifts her feet, unsure, deciding. She looks up. She's decided. She steps forward, embraces Paris, and kisses her deeply. There's the sound of shutters as we see a photos from a photo album: a celebratory wedding, Lorelai and Sookie crying; Rory and Paris looking frazzled near a bassinet; an adorable toddler on Paris's shoulders as Rory jokingly offers the little one a coffee cup.

FADE TO BLACK

[Kirk]

It was always me.

He takes off the robe, the mask, and stands there, unmasked. It's Kirk. Of course it is, it's always been Kirk. His face is twisted in hatred and anger. He advances on the Gilmore girls with his machete, as they back away from him through the hallways of the mansion. Rory stumbles over Emily's body, and Lorelai grabs her, flings her backwards into the corner of the living room. Kirk is upon them, his machete in Lorelai's neck. She gurgles, then falls. A close-up on Rory, cowering in the corner, hands in front of her face. We see Kirk's legs as he steps into the frame, and the machete drops into view, still bloody. A droplet of blood falls onto the pristine white carpet.

CUT TO BLACK