Every Ghost Dwells A Place to Haunt

From my forthcoming poetry book.

Every Ghost Dwells A Place to Haunt

I. Saint Elmo’s Fire

At first sight the room looks cleaner. The bed—it feels softer. The natural light, less polluted. But the modern television set has switched from the blue screen to that classic static snow. Things begin to blur. A shadow begins to appear in the shape of a figure like a dull Saint Elmo’s fire.

II. The Suicide

You’ve come back from the dead to visit me, at first I think, but the bullet hole is missing from your beautiful face. Calmly, I determine it’s not really that. You’re 30 again. I’ve heard that this happens and now I’m 30, again, too

III. Moments in the Life Flash

Suddenly I’m on my mother’s lap and I’ve been gay-bashed.
Suddenly I’m in a car wreck with a deer carcass stuck in the busted windshield
Suddenly the plane is loose in the sky and I thought it was over then.
Suddenly the wedding, then more suddenly the divorce.

IV. Not Mentioned on the Death Certificate

Nothing killed me
it turns out
except a peaceful moment in bed
in a cool fever dream
a belly full of dark wine and fine chocolates

V. Spirit

There’s no holy beauty.
Also, no fiery punishment.
I was correct.
We just float, observe, regret, dwell, get sucked from space to space.

IV. Space and Time

I’m on Neptune. I’m on the Moon.
I’m at the Loveland Dairy Whip where everyone’s gathered after my wake.
He would’ve liked this. Actually, I instructed you to get drunk on champagne
and finally just beat the living spirits out of each other.