30 in 30 2016: #13 Early enough to hear the urban wildlife + #14 Catching a mind reader in the act

I keep forgetting to update and write these poems. They are getting done though, so that's something at least.

#13 Early enough to hear the urban wildlife 

The chill from the universe’s infinity encroaching
on Earth’s finite surface has not been lifted by the day’s first sun.
The sun hasn’t gotten out of bed yet, but for some reason I have.

The skunks and alley cats of the neighborhood
still shuffle around in silence in a world of sleeping giants.

Traffic, the unforgiving murder beast of the urban jungle,
has not woken up to stir the atmosphere
into the fury of civilization’s dying breath yet.

The early birds sing to one another
without combustion to drown out their melodies

The glow from the street lamps carries the songs
 through all the open windows,
breezing over the sleeping consciousness
of the people still enthralled by their nightly dream trance.

I try to breath in as much of the morning air as my lungs can get,
giving the secret morning bird song its rhythm
with the silent bass beat of my pulse’s backbone.

I don’t know what’s waiting for me in the belly of the day,
but this is me grounding myself before I lost track of now.


#14 Catching a mind reader in the act

I’ve never met a mind reader that I liked.
Mind readers never want you to notice them.
Not the Vegas style cold reading charlatans
who want everyone to see them for as long
as it will take for people to believe them.

A genuine mind reader sits beside you
getting to know you without you being realizing.
They hear everything you say
and know what you meant to say
and what you didn’t want anyone to hear you say.
Fishing for the ideas swimming behind your eyes,
until they get their fill of all the inner workings of your mind.

This is not to confuse the mind readers,
with the girl who can see right through me.
I’ve tried wearing hats, growing my hair long,
and running a TV distraction marathon,
but it never seems to work.

Every time I look into her my belly fills with honesty.
I can’t help looking for new ways to impress her,
to surprise her even though she can see through me.

I always assume I’ve failed
to reach an impressive enough level
to keep her interested,
but she always smiles despite seeing through me,
appreciating the effort for what it is:
attempts to show off the parts that might still be hidden from her view.