though shall not covet
though shall not lust

muddied brown eyes
the shade of His fingers
painting sight onto the Blind Man
sun-kissed skin
cloaked in sturdy sackcloth
your left sandal
hanging by tattered straps

no
no, Joseph wouldn’t approve of us at all

honor thy father
honor thy mother

you didn’t tell me
you had a martyr for a sibling

his “death”
hardened you
petrified you
on a dusty limestone
overlooking your desolate homeland

tucking your ordinary coat into your abdomen
it wasn’t as flamboyant or brash
as that cherished gift from Father Jacob

I drink your grief the…

I dreamt I was straight
resigned to suburban probation
shackled to a Barcalounger
force-fed veggie burgers and cold brew.

I dreamt I was a painter
smearing, coloring
the universe, the grim crevices of This Nation
in my preference of chroma.

how ‘bout I turn this country
into the Queer, Non-binary Capital of the World?

I dreamt I was a vagabond
subsisting on greasy scraps and morning dew,
the choicest cuts of soil,
seeking shelter under a naked Arizona night sky.

I dreamt I was daring
a connoisseur of intense stares,
scrutinizing, examining,
all their pale, bloodshot eyes.

I dreamt I…

from listening to too much Juliana Hatfield and Sonic Youth
not enough Weezer and Sheryl Crow
from painting with too much blood red and shit brown
not enough robin-egg blue and violet

shave your split-end hair
drape the clippings over a piss-stained armchair
scream shriek bellow seethe
recite the 23rd Amendment
retrace your steps
to the moment you started loathing everyone

from wolfing down too much jalapeno chips and cucumbers
not enough mixed greens or turmeric
from drinking too much lager and cheap bourbon
not enough milk and carrot juice

repaint the front door mauve shred the bank statements julienne…