So many voices at once

Poetry workshop

I went once

To a poetry workshop

So many voices at once

I know why I went

I know why I will not

Go back

So many voices

At once

Mine was drowned

Except for that particular

Smell when I walked outside

My door

In the morning

By myself

An almost sweet

Unidentifiable smell

Sage

Maybe

That particular smell

Before I met anyone else

And began hearing

All those voices

At once.

Podiatrist

This is the Minnesota part of me. 

I would love

To give away

The new references

I have

To someone

Who perhaps

Needs them more.

Everyone tells me

Keep them

Keep them

Keep them

There are many enough

To go around

I wonder

Who else

Needs a referral

To a podiatrist.

Circuit breaker number five

There are three circuit breaker boxes outside my office.

The electricity in my office

Is circuit breaker

Number five

I have to learn it again

Whenever I enter

And it has

Disappeared

To the place

Electricity goes.

I seek it out

So my client

Will not meet

With me

In the dark.

The last time

Electricity

Flew the coop

We had three men

At the circuit breaker box.

Our administrator said

She could smell

Testosterone

In the air.

This time

I knew

It was

Circuit breaker

Number five.

Eleemosynary

I had forgotten the meaning of eleemosynary. I am also glad I did not get it in the eighth grade spelling bee. Affidavit was difficult enough.

I have always been

A good speller

Though I came in

Tied for third

In eighth grade.

I sat with

All the other sort of winners

Who misspelled

Affidavit.

My father

Was an attorney.

This misspelling

Was particularly

Problematic.

This morning I heard

Eleemosynary

On the radio

Had to look it up

Charitable

It said

Charitable

Oh

My eighth grade self

Charity wins

The day.

New credence

Most of us have had our doctors feel they know best (and often they do). My trip to NIH and the recommendations from that visit have had an amazing weight. Amazing.

I have gained

New credence

With my doctors.

Any recommendation

From that special place

Bears the weight

Of the angels

Maybe even

Of God.

Of course the angels

Are light as the feathers

On their shoulders

And God

Well

Of course

God

Is unknowably heavy.

They must know

What they talk about.

They must know.

It’s a given.

I would bestow

This new credence

On everyone I love

And even all

I don’t.

250 gifts

I forgot, until I remembered.

Before the hospital

I ordered a book

250 poems.

I forgot.

Found it on the dresser.

Now I have gifts

250 gifts

For daily consumption

I forgot

I ordered it.

Now I remember

Yes

Now I remember.

Gifts

250 gifts

Now I remember.

Snit fits

What does a happy tortoise look like?

The tortoise is home,

Not happy,

But home.

We await

The snit fits

Which only he

Can throw.

The plate in his jaws

Against the glass,

The head sucked into

His shell

So no medicine

Can be applied.

Yes

The tortoise

Is home

Not happy

But home.