These poems originally appeared in Otata #40 in April of 2019. I am reprinting them here with the proper lineation. Except for the last poem, they are all hay(na)ku, a form I’ve been writing in since 2004.

peace

peace can survive
anything even
paper

ego

you
again every
reflection so tiring

attention

Counting the chairs
you notice:
prime.

Then you notice
that you
noticed.

And then you
notice you
counted.

stretches

hard to believe
this lonely
sun

doesn’t know where
to sleep
throwing

its left arm
around the
sky

self

who you are
accident and
craft

the only dispute
which came
first

third

go on keep at it
  till everything fits
  into two rooms or

stand out in the hall and look in
  and refuse to go in
  either room