The bitter winter
wind blows brutally between
chilly commuters.

Having grown a beard,
the jolly bike mechanic
gets down to business.

South of the freight tracks,
the neighborhood takes a turn.
Hello, vacant lots.

Why should he endure
the pain of a hard tackle?
Why should he suffer?

Hey there, good looking!
Do not stare out the window.
Stare at me instead.

Kids in their twenties
fill an auditorium
late on a weeknight.

I cannot resist
cheap chocolate candy bars.
I should resist, but…

Smoke from a smokestack
settles on my windowsill
as tiny soot specks.

She spent all evening
digging up the cruel roots
of unhappiness.