BETTER

better than darkness

is fake darkness

which swindles you

into necking with

someone's antique

cousin

 

better than banks

are false banks

where you change

all your rough money

into legal tender

 

better than coffee

is blue coffee

which you drink

in your last bath

or sometimes waiting

for your shoes

to be dismantled

 

better than poetry

is my poetry

which refers

to everything

that is beautiful and

dignified, but is

neither of these itself

 

better than wild

is secretly wild

as when I am in

the darkness of

a parking space

with a new snake

better than art

is repulsive art

which demonstrates

better than scripture

the tiny measure

of your improvement

 

better than darkness

is darkless

which is inkier, vaster

more profound

and eerily refrigerated

filled with caves

and blinding tunnels

in which appear

beckoning dead relatives

and other religious

paraphernalia

 

better than love

is wuve

which is more refined

superbly erotic

tiny serene people

with huge genitalia

but lighter than thought

comfortably installed

on an eyelash of mist

and living grimly

ever after

cooking, gardening

and raising kids

better than my mother

is your mother

who is still alive

while mine

is not alive

but what am I saying!

forgive me mother

 

better than me

are you

kinder than me

are you

sweeter smarter faster

you you you

prettier than me

stronger than me

lonelier than me

 

I want to get

to know you

better and better

- Mt. Baldy, 1996