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1. happiest of holidays
   A nonstop orgy
   of gifts, eating, dressing up
   and some reflection.
2. the true cost of higher education
   A little learning
   can contribute to a life
   weighed down with deep debt.
3. secret windfall
   A surprise bonus
   pumping up the coffers with
   necessary cash.
4. weeny forecast
   Littlest monsters
   scavenge streets for sugary
   treats and slight mischief.
5. writers get it, too
   Impostor syndrome
   rears its ugly head before
   I can start typing.
6. dancing under the stars
   We gathered at the
   old park to drink beers and hear
   the bands play all day.
7. the darkest highway
   The headlights barely
   pierce the nighttime before our
   car. A light rain falls.
8. happy birthday, biff
   Alive for 50,
   friends for 40, a long time
   with a good buddy.
9. before the party starts
   Nervously munching
   on crudité, waiting for
   old friends to arrive.
10. a few minutes here and there
    I need to spend more
    time writing in the nooks and
    crannies of each day.
11. modern package tracking
    Wormhole. Cleveland, then
    Narnia. Drone drops ninja
    bot. Wake up with box.
12. damn kids
    They know everything
    about what’s in and nothing
    about their elders.
13. the endless race
    Brain and body. Sheer
    exhaustion. Consequences
    of running full speed.
14. get high, get thai
    Grab some gummies and
    let the week melt away. Feel
    the great weightlessness.
15. never in short supply
    Could we stop making
    so many war veterans
    and start waging peace?
16. the sport of scrolling
    Looking for hotties.
    Need inspiration. Killing
    brain cells. Hate-scrolling.
17. any port in a storm
    Lower your standards,
    and raise your hopes, for cuffing
    season has begun.
18. the cure for incuriousity
    Explore the depths of
    the people in your life and
    discover wonders.
19. the quilt
    Investing each piece
    with feeling, meaning, making
    a textile thesis.
20. the hazards of wordsmithing
    Some days the words flow.
    Others, they must be pried out
    with a screwdriver.
21. everyone appreciates a good sideshow
    To puncture the staid
    veil of reality, go
    forth and get weirder.
22. pro dreams in a college town
    Birmingham’s quest for
    pro status: Cinderella
    story or nightmare?
23. the job interview: the beginner
    Fumble for the right
    words, make the manager see
    you as competent.
24. a melodious evil
    She hums a motif,
    giving the composer a
    way to score her sins.
25. if it bleeds, it undermines the fabric of society
    If news outlets aren’t
    trying to scare viewers to
    death, what is the point?
26. as opposed to shut-ins and boors
    Inspiration comes
    from having a robust life
    and clever instincts.
27. keeping cool
    The fridge wanted a
    holiday, but I wouldn’t
    budge. Heated exchange.
28. a country 2021
    He lost his girlfriend
    and his dog this year, sadness
    waiting for lyrics.
29. the rites of gratitude
    Being grateful makes
    us happier, so give thanks
    every day you can.
30. every day is black friday
    We shop from our phones
    and check out on our doorsteps.
    It’s retail’s revenge.
31. ready for any apocalypse
    She weaves her fabrics
    and raises her hens, prepared
    for the fall of man.
32. midway through dune
    The anxiety
    waits quietly, ready to
    pounce when given space.
33. hobbyists and practitioners
    Should all creations
    be interrogated as
    Art? Can we stand it?
34. the plague of drought
    As water dwindles,
    will we go to war over
    remaining droplets?
35. the extra noel is for spite
    May all my friends go
    to hell. Noel noel no-
    el noel noel.
36. reflections of van gogh
    Projectors beam his
    works across expansive walls
    while we stroll through them.
37. a new stadium, gently used
    The vocal few packed
    half the stands, while the rest stayed
    filled with ghostly hopes.
38. being mortal
    What’s harder: dying,
    or living on in a world
    of indifference?
39. digital death rituals
    We gather to mourn
    on Facebook, swapping stories
    and pics of the dead.
40. questions for down the road
    Will I have enough
    money? Or virility?
    Or will to keep on?
41. ode to a modern dance troupe
    They defy the laws
    of gravity, with grace, with
    physicality.
42. art pop
    Impressionism
    for Joe Sixpack, smudges of
    paint for the masses.
43. tidings of great joy
    The best present we
    have to give is ourselves in
    this do-over year.
44. the end is nigh
    Death is coming. We
    greet it with awe, with sorrow,
    with celebration.
45. the plan to outlive everyone
    The only flaw is
    having no one left to talk
    with at the day’s end.
46. mystery dance
    They twirl and tumble
    onstage, and I don’t get the
    movement and meaning.
47. all downhill from here
    The best verse I have
    ever written is buried
    among published heaps.
48. afflict the comfortable
    We’d rather sink in
    the morass of ignorance
    than learn painful truths.
49. a relationship built on uncertainty
    It’s a pattern of
    not trusting our needs and not
    sharing our questions.
50. the spending continues
    Experiences
    over things, and yet both use
    capitalism.
51. nations and money, law and society
    The fabric of our
    reality is largely
    based on shared grand myths.
52. vaccines, critical race theory, nascar
    Cannot avoid it:
    Everything’s political
    though it shouldn’t be.
53. plague to end all plagues
    Five million dead, it
    will probably hang out for
    a while. Get boosted.
54. the unpuzzle
    Tricky problem less
    tricky after time away
    and a good night’s sleep.
55. greet the winter fondly
    Before long, the nights
    will shrink again and harsh cold
    will give way to warmth.
56. symphony of paper, twine and tape
    Nothing beats the joy
    and contentment of wrapping
    a gift perfectly.
57. season of loneliness
    Togetherness means
    nothing to those without loved
    ones to draw closer.
58. the quiet of christmas eve
    When kids finally
    fall asleep and parents swear
    softly building bikes.
59. how many candles?
    It’s someone’s birthday
    today. And what a joyous
    occasion it is!
60. resolve to be nicer
    “Be kind” might be the
    only commandment we need
    to get by in life.
61. the quality of banter
    The quality of
    banter determines the fun
    to be had en masse.
62. naughty card games
    Their innuendo
    proceeded with every card
    dealt, every brow raised.
63. she doesn’t do pets
    Not on her couch, and
    definitely not in her
    bed. Cuteness, be gone!
64. banned words, 2021 edition
    Canceled, woke, extra,
    deplatform and air fryer.
    (Let’s hang on to “vax.”)
65. eve
    A waltz, a kiss, a
    toast, a vow, a glance, a shared
    look and a new year.
66. our third pandemic year
    Let us resolve to
    take care of each other, while
    we care for ourselves.
67. the year of the cell
    Will it be a year
    of true connection or a
    year spent on our phones?
68. philosophical streaming
    Should life be binged in
    a mad rush or savored bite
    by bite? Gulp, or chew?
69. wittier by sweat
    Wringing laughs from tame
    writing, punching up punch lines,
    hoping for howling.
70. hope for 2022
    Freedom from worry,
    from suffering, from violence,
    from things ’21.
71. a near insurrection
    We almost let them
    steal democracy when they
    stormed the Capitol.
72. democracy in peril
    Are we content to
    let the traitors spit lies and
    plan another siege?
73. latest-stage capitalism
    Amazon turned our
    old mall into a giant
    distribution hub.
74. mall used up
    One by one the stores
    fled, or worse, sank deeper in
    the fetid water.
75. pennies from hell
    The reliable
    old Walmart, where cheapness is
    the ultimate good.
76. gastronomic excesses
    Course after course, we
    indulged in fine wines and some
    exquisite dining.
77. the takeoff of the squadron
    A mighty few came
    to witness the launch of our
    minor league hoops team.
78. my favorite social media faux pas
    She thought Instagram
    was private and sent pics of
    her butt to all y’all.
79. a meeting over breakfast
    The best time to fuel
    up and trade secrets with an
    admirable friend.
80. jonesin’ for dopamine
    Notification.
    Check status. Alert. Quick glance.
    Repeat until dead.
81. mortal beings
    We’re all beginning
    to wither year by year till
    our ripeness is rot.
82. a man most reviled
    King found little love
    among white Americans
    as the ’60s raged.
83. clanton, usa
    Come sit a spell with
    me beneath the oversize
    peach water tower.
84. post-viewing supplemental reading
    I like to binge and
    then read up, water cooler
    moments on the fly.
85. finding life’s purpose
    Winding down each day,
    looking for something to do,
    how to fill a void.
86. the book bandit
    She sped through all kinds
    of fiction, sharing her love
    with literati.
87. chef nobody
    He wanted to cook
    more, but didn’t care for the
    shopping, prep and wait.
88. half crazy
    It’s very common:
    Half will be diagnosed with
    a mental illness.
89. mindscape
    The brain is a black
    box, able to imagine
    and help us sit straight.
90. scrolling habits
    Silent videos,
    noisy videos, lovely
    houses and train wrecks.
91. stop, look and listen
    Up and down the same
    streets, past the same houses, still
    seeing something new.
92. calculus of regret
    Possible joy and
    minor hazards, divided
    by risk and reward.
93. truth, beauty, etc.
    Why do we create
    art? To show off? To scratch an
    itch? To understand?
94. a painting, an opera, an nft
    Why do we consume
    art? To gain wisdom? To feed
    the soul? To unwind?
95. plugged in
    You’re either really
    in the know or the dumbest
    fool in history.
96. shivering
    Despair of winter
    is facing brutal cold in
    nothing but sweaters.
97. the camera goes where?
    Colonoscopy
    day: Prep in the wee hours,
    sleep through procedure.
98. the lens of others
    Divining meaning
    in a vaguely written verse
    while they stare blankly.
99. the simple joys of a simple diet
    Chicken, spinach, eggs,
    lentils, beans, more chicken and
    eggs, veggies, dinner.
100. mantras wanted
     Boil my complete
     philosophy down to a
     bumper sticker please.
101. january’s ultimate joy
     Dining room table
     surrounded by dear friends on
     a cold winter’s night.

• • •

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1. the sweetest shoppe
   Cookies and cakes and
   assorted confections, all
   sugar to savor.
2. george floyd
   Minneapolis
   man seeking redemption and
   work while getting straight.
3. ahmaud arbery
   Georgia runner who
   loved his mama’s fudge cake and
   did great impressions.
4. more on breonna taylor
   Louisville ER
   tech who scribbled goals on Post-
   it notes in her home.
5. the embiggening of milkshakes
   Stick ’em in a jar
   and top with cupcakes, pretzels
   and firecrackers.
6. in the grips of depression
   Each morning I sink
   back into the ooze, drowning
   slowly on dry land.
7. making time for everything and nothing
   The energy to
   do 500 things, the time
   to do maybe four.
8. the coming race war
   Keep pushing people
   of color to the brink. Fuck
   around and find out.
9. the longest book
   The longest book is
   the one sitting patiently,
   ready to be read.
10. no one deserves her smile
    She graces me with
    a knowing grin, dazzling my
    eyes, melting my heart.
11. hurricane country
    Much like where you live,
    with a few more occasions
    to flee for your lives.
12. ongoing obsolescence
    The way we do things
    today won’t be around for
    very much longer.
13. a last summer hurrah
    Before they send us
    back to confined spaces, full
    of vaccines, ennui.
14. postcard to a friend
    I’m at the beach, but
    dreaming about us having
    dinner together.
15. the canine twins
    No scrap goes untouched,
    no ball goes unthrown in a
    two-dog family.
16. sunshine on hidden depths
    Growing my hair in
    back and chewing on Skoal. I
    am Florida man.
17. sandy siren
    The beach stretches out
    forever and calls you back
    (without the big crowds).
18. postcard poetry
    Back in Florida
    enjoying the sand, seafood
    and grand sunrises.
19. the corpse in the driveway
    It used to be a
    bird, or maybe a squirrel. And
    now covered in flies.
20. for a few commas more
    I, do, not, like, the,
    insistence, on, the, use, of,
    the, Oxford, comma.
21. his one trick
    Waiting for it. More
    anticipation. Snatching
    the treat from mid-air.
22. infinite grief in a finite period
    When do we mourn a
    pandemic, all the lost lives?
    And when do we stop?
23. a restorative place
    I find my seat and
    begin the warmup to a
    session of breathing.
24. word search
    He dutifully
    crossed out excess words on the
    sheet with a red pen.
25. back to school 2021
    Classmates free of masks
    and full of shots once again
    crowd their old classrooms.
26. moth mayhem
    Their swarms visit each
    room, awaiting their turns to
    redo my wardrobe.
27. the future is streaming
    Buzzy series, live
    sports, cooking demos, doorbell
    pirates, Old Sheldon.
28. head games
    Star athletes compete
    for glory, but we fail to
    see the mental toll.
29. a race against variants
    Will the unvaxxed kill
    us all? Will the strain between
    tribes undo it all?
30. the pandemic in fall, second round
    Return to normal,
    or a march into a great
    unknown risk for all.
31. those disposable pandemic pets
    No longer puppies
    and kittens, they returned to
    shelters unneeded.
32. black lives still matter
    How quickly our white
    allies went back to business
    long before justice.
33. bad reams
    Most dreams die from the
    amount of paperwork that
    it takes to launch them.
34. casual racism
    It slips into our
    conversation so quickly
    I fail to push back.
35. resistance isn’t futile
    Maybe the reason
    we’re so memorable is
    because we fight back.
36. the dog walker’s mantra
    Who’s happy to see
    me? Who’s a good boy? Oh yes,
    it’s you! You you you!!
37. beacons of positivity
    The people in our
    lives who radiate joy stand
    out for their brilliance.
38. art for art’s sake
    Do something, and do
    it badly. Don’t make money
    from it. Just enjoy.
39. losing a best friend
    One weird fight, and years
    of camaraderie slip
    away in the wind.
40. a fiftieth wish
    I hope you’re safe, I
    hope you’re well, but most of all,
    I hope you’re happy.
41. looks like we mated
    You have something on
    your face. No, not there. Lower.
    That conniving smile.
42. the harvest, summer edition
    Cucumber, cucum-
    ber, cucumber, cucumber,
    cucumber and dill.
43. jetset jaunt
    Fly across the world
    for fine dining, then fly back
    home with full bellies.
44. hope for everyone and no one
    A drunk drying out
    while protecting his claim to
    the girls he neglects.
45. after a rainy walk
    He proudly trots from
    the door on the kitchen floor,
    muddy paws and all.
46. this dog misses his mama and daddy
    He whimpers, wonders
    where his family has gone
    while gnawing on bones.
47. anxiety on the line
    Keeping a firm grip
    on the leash, never knowing
    which way he might run.
48. sprint and spritz
    Neither darkness nor
    rain kept him from his rounds of
    marking territory.
49. a rare promotion
    They lifted her up
    after so many years in
    the trenches toiling.
50. the cost of doing business
    For labor, a chance
    to reassess their worth. For
    management, the same.
51. the 27-course meal
    An abundance of
    forks, plates, servers and wines cross
    our table nonstop.
52. flowers as lovely as her
    I bring you roses
    with the hope they bloom like our
    new relationship.
53. backyard agenda
    We float along in
    the quiet pool, staring up
    at the lazy clouds.
54. downtown saturday morning
    The cyclists search for
    a brunch spot, while the homeless
    man keeps to his bench.
55. the lessons of 9/11
    Twenty years of wars.
    Do we terrorize others
    more than they do us?
56. kitchen harmony
    Me on the skillet,
    her on the cutting board, a
    dinner taking shape.
57. a pound of regret
    Hospitals stretched to
    their limits. But we can’t be
    bothered to wear masks.
58. the inevitable nth wave
    It was predicta-
    ble. It was preventable.
    It is laughable.
59. uncomfortably numb
    Becoming inured
    to death is like being dead
    inside already.
60. escape rooms themes
    A flooded basement.
    Human trafficking boxcar.
    Brunch with the in-laws.
61. best wishes and gritted teeth
    We’re so happy for
    your continued success and
    its many blessings.
62. new job, still remote
    He sat in the same
    living room, flipped on the same
    laptop, but earned more.
63. the freedom of fiction
    Writing about life’s
    many strange things whether they’re
    about you or not.
64. death of a waffle house
    Smothered, padlocked and
    kneecapped. The mourners brought their
    flasks. One guy threw up.
65. her mighty garden
    Raised beds filled with all
    kinds of vegetables, some tall
    and some buried deep.
66. autumnal pause
    A breather between
    the sweltering summer and
    a gloomy winter.
67. the fixer-upper
    They spent weekends on
    painting and sanding and trips
    to the big box store.
68. broadway bind
    Hours and days spent
    in rehearsal, for minutes
    in the lone spotlight.
69. some pig
    Tallulah wants time
    in the sun and a small mud
    patch to call her own.
70. man vs. city hall
    They levy the tax.
    I fight back. They hold fast. I
    keep fighting. They win.
71. fall getaways 2021
    A last jaunt to the
    beach, maybe a cabin, but
    not the ICU.
72. throwing away their vote
    Why are we afraid
    to make voting easier
    for Americans?
73. phrased in the form of a questionable haiku
    Who knew hiring
    a game show host would be so
    politically fraught?
74. search engine doctorates
    Everyone you know
    is an expert in any-
    thing and everything.
75. our relationship with tv
    We’re pickier and
    more voracious, enchanted
    and obligated.
76. halloween or dystopic nightmare?
    I’m going to be
    the prettiest handmaiden
    in all Gilead.
77. relationship detente
    When both sides reach an
    understanding that no more
    growth is possible.
78. the ted lasso dilemma
    Can we meet harshness
    with kindness, outright cruelty
    with some empathy?
79. feels like fall
    A simple drop in
    temperature warms my heart and
    brings out my cool side.
80. in a few syllables
    I can reinvent
    my unremarkable self
    into something grand.
81. anxiety is the thief
    Anxiety is
    the thief that robs us of our
    sense of well-being.
82. the lump in the window
    The furry lump does
    not stir, does not see me (or
    maybe does), snoozing.
83. the laziest pickpockets
    They reach unseen in
    wallets and purses to shop
    for pizza and gas.
84. delta variant by five
    Stadiums full of
    fans packed tightly to enjoy
    their football fever.
85. legacies of columbus
    Globalization
    and all the wonders and hor-
    rors that come with it.
86. the legend of the haunted hardee’s
    Ghosts roam the booths, all
    dead from hunger and lack of
    attentive service.
87. the probable son
    Doesn’t care for his
    parents, nor for the fractured
    legacy to boot.
88. prick or treat
    Vaccines as either
    bold trick to ensnare victims
    or free pass to fun.
89. the real ongoing pandemic
    Why aren’t we making
    a bigger deal out of the
    risks of climate change?
90. eternally maternally
    Mama bear cares for
    her cubs so very dearly.
    Watch out for those claws!
91. ascendiary
    Each day can be a
    mountain. We may not peak, but
    we can still climb some.
92. clickety click clack
    Abandoned office
    registers the lone sound of
    gently tapped keyboards.
93. stats for life
    BP, temperature,
    cholesterol (good and bad),
    weight, pulse and pain scale.
94. costume dilemma
    Silly or sexy,
    pop culture or historic,
    homemade or store bought.
95. busy busy busy
    Burning the candle
    at both ends, in the middle
    and from deep inside.
96. what lurks beneath, above and all around us
    Death and horror got
    nothin’ on Halloween this
    year. Scary shmary.
97. can society?
    Can democracy
    survive without committing
    to the public good?
98. fight or flights of fancy
    The dialogue on
    mental health gets louder with
    each passing daydream.
99. the fear and now
    Between depression
    and anxiety, I’ve got
    past and future locked.
100. and not feel so alone
     We talk openly
     about our mental struggles
     so others may learn.
101. true confessions
     I admit weakness.
     Is vulnerability
     a strength? I hope so.

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1. a society of things that need food, shelter
   Minimum wages,
   living wages are the cost
   of using humans.
2. the plight of the omnivorous
   The fun thing about
   thinking about food is the
   endless variety.
3. a zero-growth strategy
   Many are content
   with stasis, needing only
   to cover the churn.
4. contentedness is its own reward
   Happy to remain
   still, grateful for what is and
   what is still possessed.
5. the descent of spring
   Warm days with subtle
   pollinated breezes
   that waft through our toes.
6. the lavish picnic
   Group tees and streamers
   galore in the pavilion
   at the shady park.
7. no taste for accounting
   On your 1040,
   just write “COVID” in giant
   letters, pay next year.
8. the commodification of mindfulness
   The utmost holy
   oneness with creation … as
   an in-app purchase.
9. age appropriate
   Are cartoons for kids?
   Is sugary cereal,
   or tabletop games?
10. makes me smile
    Half-remembering
    a dumb joke, or a mishap
    from long, long ago.
11. drug trials
    Try this formula,
    feel it fail. Try that prescription,
    turn your insides out.
12. technological leaps
    The joy of a new
    smartphone is soon outweighed by
    figuring it out.
13. ownership in the digital age
    Creative works can
    vanish with flip of a switch,
    ones into zeros.
14. planet of the oops
    Getting hotter and
    hotter, maybe this world is
    some other world’s hell.
15. folders and photos and files and flotsam
    A cluttered desktop
    is the sign of a cluttered
    AI, it muttered.
16. no one flies kites any more
    A scenic hilltop,
    gusting winds and a sky full
    of aerial hopes.
17. emerging from the cave
    We take baby steps
    into a world once consumed
    with disease and death.
18. may the circle be
    You are the five you
    keep closest. But what happens
    when you grow apart?
19. april 27, 2011
    The morning storms spun
    up lesser tornadoes to
    scar Alabama.

    The evening brought a
    furious set of twisters.
    Hundreds would be killed.

    We remember that
    day 10 years on, what we lost,
    who we miss dearly.

20. so bad it’s profitable
    Throw a bunch of shows
    at the wall and see who streams.
    A binge of big bucks.
21. her fiftieth
    A peek back, and a
    stride forward into a life
    of love and kindness.
22. one small step for mechanical man
    Robots use arms and
    legs to traverse terrain we’d
    rather not visit.
23. pièce de résistor
    Gonna digitize
    my soul and sell it as an
    NFT. For Art!
24. post-pandemic fever
    Let’s do everything
    all at once without masks and
    hugging and sneezing.
25. enjoy your crippled lungs
    So many folks do
    not want the vaccine. More room
    for me on airplanes.
26. antibodies and auntie betties
    We’re long overdue
    to welcome our relatives
    back into our lives.
27. peak pfizer
    I will never be
    stronger than clomping through Five
    Below fully vaxxed.
28. water can’t wash away relaxation
    Even in a burst
    of torrential rain, the dream
    vacation lazed on.
29. methodical menuing
    It took a few tries,
    but he finally landed
    on the perfect dish.
30. little doc
    The man can play a
    mean trumpet. A marriage of
    artist and hot brass.
31. sgt. woodard
    He opened our eyes
    after being blinded by
    white supremacists.
32. the medium of garbage
    They took out the trash
    and converted it to some
    profitable art.
33. typecast
    INFJ or
    ESTP, MBT-
    I is DUM.
34. 51 laps
    On the track, he took
    the punishment of asphalt
    for some 13 miles.
35. might as well netflix and chill
    They couldn’t agree
    on a movie, time, row or
    location. Just snacks.
36. nonfictitious license
    Need a long take on
    whaling, or race? I have the
    perfect doc for that.
37. right shape, wrong texture
    The computer finds
    pies in round shapes with one to
    two crusts. (And cakes, too.)
38. graduated, sort of
    Their senior year, one
    spent half at home, half in masked
    spaces, fizzling out.
39. 3 million and counting
    COVID world death toll:
    As if we murdered all of
    Utah this past year.
40. original? sin
    The smart money’s on
    sequels, reboots, revivals,
    remakes, do-overs.
41. a pen like lightning
    Deadline? Write faster.
    Space to fill? Write faster. New
    insights? WRITE FASTER!
42. rocket ship to uravarice
    Is the way to space
    paved with profitable ends?
    One small step for greed.
43. a pair of pricks
    The first shot feels like
    apprehension. The second,
    a little like hope.
44. the movie marathoners
    Long past a double
    feature, late into the night
    and next day, they watched.
45. breakups and acquisitions
    The managers made
    moves, hoping for a payoff
    soon and mightily.
46. the tub of the past
    The bin held photos
    and letters guiding loved ones
    to kin, history.
47. the leaky purse
    Out slipped cold hard cash
    and plastic cards long worn down
    from endless swiping.
48. words matter
    Free speech that causes
    blowback. Cancel culture? No,
    consequence culture.
49. nicked with an apostrophe
    Sometimes, the perfect
    haiku arrives, ‘cept the loss
    of a syllable.
50. the schizoid standoff
    He said the voices
    had never lied, unlike his
    weary family.
51. pots and panic
    Her dating profile
    said she could cook it all. Her
    dating profile lied.
52. crimes against nurture
    He’s not such a bad
    guy, they’d say in defense. That’s
    just how he was raised.
53. white crosses as far as the eye can see
    The more veterans
    who commit suicide, the
    darker this day gets.
54. the unherbalist
    I spray weed killer
    over the lawn. I have be-
    come what I despise.
55. tuesday wine and cheese
    The hours flew by
    as they shared bits and pieces
    of their little lives.
56. retreat or retrench
    On top of every-
    thing else, the boss said farewell
    to the dismayed troops.
57. safety dance
    That weird feeling when
    wearing a mask while certain
    of no one’s status.
58. line 3 is just retching noises
    Call on line 1, car
    warranty threat. Line 2 wants
    to buy your house now.
59. the joys of working on ourselves
    We confront our worst
    fears, only to find we still
    have much work to do.
60. pictures, but in word form
    Reading all about
    TV is often more fun
    than watching the shows.
61. the chinese of mississippi
    Brought as cheap labor,
    they turned to opening shops
    for the Black townsfolk.
62. the world’s oldest smartphone
    Calls, some apps, a cracked
    screen, slow charging and a lot
    of hints to upgrade.
63. the destiny in your own hands
    We do not control
    others. We barely have a
    grip on our own fate.
64. littlest buggers
    The termites bit through
    the foundation and nibbled
    away at a dream.
65. real estate, real ante
    They had a tough time
    bidding on houses till they
    offered their first born.
66. reefer referendum
    As society
    inches ever closer to
    legal pot, breathe in.
67. quickee settee
    Come on down to the
    furniture palace … pick it,
    carry it, build it.
68. the chicken hat
    Leave behind something
    to have an excuse to come
    back and make smooches.
69. one thumb out
    “The movies are like
    a machine that generates
    empathy.” — Ebert
70. two hundred years from now
    We’ll all be long dead.
    No one will remember us.
    Take comfort in that.
71. uncle vanya
    When a relative
    goes batty holding down the
    farm. See, Chekhov’s won.
72. for the juneteenth time
    Freedom Day, where the
    freedom came in dribs and drabs
    for a hundred years.
73. hot. girl. summer.
    Summer ain’t summer
    without the hottest ladies
    and their sunny smiles.
74. sweet, sweet home
    A foundation of
    love, windows of hope, shelter
    for souls, room for peace.
75. to beat the rubik’s cube
    Slide, twist, double back.
    See the future in fifty-
    four shiny stickers.
76. endemic to the end of the pandemic
    Well, whaddaya know?
    The shots worked, and the world is
    a little safer.
77. the cost of moving on
    You can’t buy my for-
    giveness. I think it just kind
    of has to happen.
78. at my parents’ house
    We sat on the same
    sofa, in front of the same
    bookcase, just agog.
79. generation gapped
    What do you say when
    it’s been decades since you last
    spoke to each other?
80. a century on wheels
    A formidable
    duo, they sailed down highways
    searching for freedom.
81. the curve
    She dreaded the spot
    on the interstate where all
    her nerves knotted up.
82. critical racist theory
    Let’s discuss race, but
    only one, and how that one
    is superior.
83. a return to normal
    Everyone, feel free
    to be giant assholes to
    each other again.
84. not to scale
    The digital map
    shows the same twisty line with
    the same twisty length.
85. holiday weekend bender
    Party. Pass out. Then
    party harder. Pass out. Then
    really party. Hard.
86. sunny, sunny florida
    It’s been too long, my
    palmy, sandy friend. Pour me
    a tall Sea Breeze, please.
87. independence? depends
    The land where some are
    free, and the home of a few
    brave. Long may she live.
88. the master of the grill
    Clean grate, piles of meat.
    Get the heat steady, get the
    tongs ready. Let’s cook.
89. unmasked
    Tavern full of smiles.
    Hearts gladdened by handshakes and
    hugs as we gather.
90. slow ride, but in 17 syllables
    They’d call out requests,
    and the humble scribe penned such
    mediocre verse.
91. the blinder leading the blind
    Sure, I know the way,
    I hollered while nervously
    checking the compass.
92. the long road ahead
    The car was loaded.
    The tank was full. And we were
    on our way back home.
93. the wicked tongue
    Don’t ask me. I’ll just
    fill your head with such lies and
    pleasantries no end.
94. rap squad
    They would turn their pain
    into rhymes, their rhymes into
    beats, beats into truth.
95. smallest talk
    “I love to hike. Where
    do you hike near here?” “Around
    the hill or the valley.”
96. pent-up post-pandemic priorities
    Every restaurant
    has a 3-hour wait. Ain’t
    this what we wanted?
97. we’re all in this together
    Back to flipping off
    drivers, blasting staff. Were we
    ever civilized?
98. manufactured outage 2021
    Trans kids on sports teams,
    Critical Race Theory and
    (boo!) vaccine passports.
99. the secret to managing your to-do giant list
    Resetting deadlines
    far into the future and
    marking that lie “done.”
100. birmingham-style pizza
     A crusty pie with
     vinegar-based sauce and an
     overrated rep.
101. president boring
     An Oval Office
     where the occupant listens
     and leads with a plan.

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1. banned words, 2020 edition
   Pandemic, lockdown,
   social distancing, face mask,
   coronavirus.
2. the fights long since forgotten
   An apology
   sheepish and belated still
   merits acceptance.
3. almost midnight
   If you’ve read this far:
   Congratulations, you sur-
   vived 2020.
4. 2021 and bust
   Never have we been
   so grateful to see the dawn
   of another year.
5. more and more winter
   It is frostier,
   outside and inside, spreading
   shivers, slowing time.
6. easiest resolution ever
   Join the gym and get
   fit. Once pandemic ends and
   it’s safe again. (wink!)
7. the need for work
   It’s tough to make an
   honest living when good jobs
   can hardly be found.
8. american exceptionalism
   Don’t worry: Other
   countries have safety nets. The
   U.S. has women.
9. revenge of mr. privilege
   Don’t mess with me. I
   can have you fired with the
   slightest of complaints.
10. community won’t
    A quaint notion, that
    “common good,” the unfounded
    trust in decency.
11. a friendship on pause
    Uncomfortable
    silence sprinkled with regrets
    and mild annoyance.
12. the trust
    By the time she found
    out about it, most of the
    money was long gone.
13. save the drama from your mama
    Family intrigue
    draws some closer together
    to push others out.
14. anything for a buck store
    Weed that flourishes
    in the unkempt neighborhoods,
    choking out the rest.
15. silent menace
    The white walls steepen
    overnight. No way out but
    through. Dig and dig deep.
16. the undiscovered circuitry
    A new gadget brings
    the joy of figuring it
    out, making it work.
17. lessons of 2020
    How to beat COVID.
    How to steal an election.
    And Black Lives Matter.
18. acceptance? radical
    Pain? Mandatory.
    Suffering? Entirely
    optional to you.
19. jab, jab, knockout
    The first shot and a
    little arm soreness. The next
    shot: immunity.
20. the digital everlasting gobstopper
    Browse for underwear.
    See ads for underwear in
    every site, page, dream.
21. the volunteer spirit
    We give what we can.
    We give away and make things.
    We spend time and cash.
22. mismatched deathbed confessions
    “We thought it was a
    hoax, and we were wrong.” “We still
    think it’s a damn hoax.”
23. impeachment was just the beginning
    Indict the former
    president. Hold him account-
    able for his crimes.
24. the listicle is life
    The 50 greatest
    years of my life, ranked by joy,
    wins and shock value.
25. the gig’s up
    Swipe right for soulmates,
    cab drivers, dog walkers and
    food deliverers.
26. celestial indicators
    Somewhere is a live
    dashboard tracking your every
    good deed and bad thought.
27. a pileup of words
    Read or cook dinner.
    Read or binge-watch. Read or take
    a nap. Read or skim.
28. invasion of the moths
    Corner by corner,
    room by room, they stake claims on
    our territory.
29. youtopiatube
    Five hundred thousand
    channels to wile away the
    idle days of youth.
30. the disposable army
    The most menial
    of tasks for the least pay for
    the richest tyrants.
31. pandemic paradox
    The worse the sickness,
    the more we gather without
    any precautions.
32. raise the clotilda
    A slave ship returns
    to the Bama port after
    a lengthy detour.
33. beyond open mic night
    Comedians who
    goof on TikTok, tweet trendy
    jokes and live next door.
34. chocolate chip champion
    Her prowess with a
    mixer and batter grew with
    every batch she baked.
35. the nature of hobbies
    An element of
    frustration becoming its
    own perverse pleasure.
36. six more months of covid
    Fauci pops out of
    quarantine and spots shadows
    of anti-maskers.
37. it came from craigslist
    Zones where barterers
    can meet without getting mugged
    or shot in the face.
38. gamestart
    A reality
    show pitting hedge funds against
    day trading neckbeards.
39. virtual laggard
    A bot filled in for
    me for a bit. No one had
    noticed or minded.
40. the battle of january 6
    Marauders hell-bent
    on toppling democracy
    and hanging its reps.
41. the donald j. trump presidential library
    The pee tape and the
    “Access Hollywood” tape, found
    inside Cell Block D.
42. a new job in the pandemic
    Please report to your
    manager in the kitchen
    via your laptop.
43. weaponizing bullshit
    An empire of
    media and hucksters with
    greedy intentions.
44. transactional family
    Quid pro quo, scratching
    of backs, greasing of palms, an
    incestuous trade.
45. the first lesson of black history month
    Those who cannot re-
    member the Black past are con-
    demned to repeat it.
46. techwar
    Fighting spam, malware.
    Computers were supposed to
    make lives easier.
47. catch me inside how bout dah
    We think we have the
    virus figured out. It then
    rolls out new guises.
48. cupid as warden
    Raise a glass to the
    relationships that endured
    12 months of lockdown.
49. minimum wage leads to
    Minimum food, health,
    gas, clothing, stability
    and maximum stress.
50. two clichés and the truth
    Being precise means
    steamrolling all distractions
    to thread the needle.
51. ol’ reliable
    The steady belief
    that everything will last as
    long as hope’s alive.
52. the rotting underbelly
    Beneath the veneer,
    a soul badly in need of
    deep understanding.
53. the doctor on duty
    Healer risks it all
    to save lungs from the global
    menace behind masks.
54. do-si-dont’s
    Even the smallest
    ingredient shows proof of
    exploited children.
55. rip moms and pops
    Who lent a hand to
    the struggling small business when
    the pandemic struck?
56. binge spectating
    The secret joy of
    reading about TV is
    skipping those clunkers.
57. a perfectly cromulent verse
    Using slang can be
    dangerous since it’s always
    boodling the watchet.
58. the wanderer
    She found it easy
    to pick up and move, swanning
    to untouched locales.
59. the data detective
    Where had it gone off
    course, this trail of zeroes and
    ones landing afield?
60. temporal madness
    To not sleep, to push
    and push through hours and days
    with no set schedule.
61. that one driver
    Cut someone off in
    traffic, watch them tail you till
    home to cuss you out.
62. a not-so-simple delivery
    Hunting for common
    items but unable to
    fill the shopping cart.
63. goin’ off the deep end
    Friday night is here.
    Time to plan all the great ways
    to spend a weekend!
64. a muse bushed
    Creative writer
    seeks inspiration for the
    next set of verses.
65. a walk through the woods in winter
    Bundle up and brave
    the cold. Head for the trails to
    commune with nature.
66. rumble in the cubicle
    Not even the grumps
    at the office can keep me
    from smiling at life.
67. 1 zzzzz
    She passed out before
    counting, so the sheep snuck off
    very quietly.
68. two-thirds awake
    A third of our lives
    in bed. A third of our time
    shrouded in slumber.
69. you’re gonna need a bigger bed
    To be cuddled by
    a pack of warm furry friends
    is to know comfort.
70. nocturnal visions
    A surreal melange
    of made-up memories and
    dreamy wanderings.
71. the 140-hour workweek
    So refreshing was
    the long winter’s nap that she
    slept for two more days.
72. a miracle in a vial
    We can destroy a
    tiny bug by shooting up
    folks with a vaccine.
73. discommunication
    Email, Slack, phones, fax,
    texts, voicemails … and yet colleagues
    can’t seem to connect.
74. wires crossed
    Don’t give in to the
    IT desk. Turn off, turn on,
    defenestrate it.
75. natural neglect
    Weeds and rodents have
    claimed this fertile ground. Can this
    garden rise again?
76. probably apple and peach
    Anyone could tell
    that the translucent bag had
    a mess of fried pies.
77. kids, covid and contagion in education
    The physical toll
    on those in classrooms, mental
    toll on those at home.
78. out and prodigal
    Never too old to
    run away from home, but to
    return is tougher.
79. at least the billionaires are thriving
    The people are stuck
    with no income, and the jobs
    may never come back.
80. and you’ll like it
    They celebrated
    their hard-working staff with some
    cake and empty praise.
81. caucasoid cachet
    A diverse group of
    employees politely clapped
    for white promotions.
82. the two seasons
    It’s spring, nope it’s still
    winter. It’s spring! Nah, winter.
    Please let it be spring.
83. somewhat after the fact
    How many times in
    life do you get to bequeath
    your stuff? Oh, right … none.
84. mired in greatness
    Is the challenge of
    diversity recruitment?
    Or bold ideas?
85. pledge to our selves
    We make time for the
    things that are important to
    us, no matter what.
86. forget the gas pump
    Nowhere to be, no
    one to meet, a driveway with
    an abandoned car.
87. a zoom to remember
    It is lovely to
    spend the night getting older
    with virtual friends.
88. native advertising
    I’m at my best when
    serving others. I have a
    lot of love to give.
89. the online introvert
    He could take the chit
    chat for only so long. He
    logged off in a huff.
90. frugal milestones
    She celebrated
    her newfound wealth by paying
    off her auto loan.
91. my own postal route
    I get plenty of
    exercise taking others’
    mail to their houses.
92. so long, suckers
    They would turn their backs
    on nonbelievers, as their
    community shrank.
93. cleverness masked as decorum
    A sharper wit can
    allow you to speak ill of
    the dead with a smirk.
94. the joke’s on all of us
    Fake news, voter fraud,
    QAnon, alt-right, Fox News,
    vaccines, Russian tweets.
95. needling around
    Get a third shot to
    be extra safe and extra
    autistic. JK!!!!
96. the asian in asian american
    A minority
    modeled on racial divides
    and no acceptance.
97. sunday starting over
    The promise of a
    rebirth for all, a fresh start
    from our sinful pasts.
98. asian persuasion
    Not every person
    of color gets asked “Where are
    you from?” Lucky us.
99. the creepy uncle
    They took down an old
    predator, but it took great
    courage and candor.
100. self care 2021
     Taking off work clothes
     (pajamas) and slipping in-
     to a nice coma.
101. the persistent undercurrent
     His mellow moods were
     betrayed by a beautiful
     depression deep down.

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1. the joy of wearing stuff out
   Each possession, bright
   and sturdy, used and used and
   used till broken down.
2. the very quiet foreign girls poetry group
   Their broken English
   made for elegant stanzas
   of their existence.
3. having tea with the muse
   Places are set for
   two, she comes and goes (mostly
   goes) as she pleases.
4. the wonder of autumn
   Celebrate crunching
   of the leaves, cooling of the
   days, cups of cider.
5. something in the air
   Health care’s finest are
   sitting down to lunch while they’re
   poisoning the room.
6. the wait for a vaccine
   Racing for a cure,
   taking all the shortcuts, most
   of us won’t partake.
7. youtube and the alt-right
   The endless stream wreaks
   radicalization, from
   recommendations.
8. the oldies
   Those songs from that long
   ago era when ancients
   roamed the discotheques.
9. virtue wriggling
   Don’t pretend Black Lives
   Matter while treating your peers
   and colleagues like dirt.
10. where to sit in a pandemic
    The signs on every
    other table say to stay
    away. The rest? Fine!
11. to play ball
    A pause from shooting
    hoops, catching pop-ups, to fight
    police violence.
12. dreaming of the harvest
    Little seeds, big plans,
    rows of hope and dirt-covered
    jeans, come sun, come rain.
13. when crisis management needs crisis management
    Forging safety for
    a nation divided puts
    us in more danger.
14. up-to-the-minute bad news
    It’s never been more
    fashionable to shoot the
    messenger point blank.
15. a foreign policy built on human rights
    Not to invade and
    conquer, but to assist and
    leave somewhat better.
16. one russian, one vote
    Interference means
    our picks don’t matter, our hopes
    and voices poisoned.
17. play balls
    Every sport all at
    once, a smorgasbord and a
    true fan’s worst nightmare.
18. it started today in 2005
    I’ve written haiku
    daily for 15 years and
    don’t plan on stopping.
19. safety fatigue
    Playing by the rules
    sucks when everyone else does
    whatever they want.
20. a library is more than just books
    It’s readers, crafty
    librarians, free-range kids
    and random townsfolk.
21. the reading-is-contagious book club
    The ladies, without
    masks, piled into the living
    room to gossip, gloat.
22. everything is coronavirus
    Scratchy throat, a cough
    (but only once in a while),
    bleeding from the eyes.
23. ode to the post office
    Sometimes surly, but
    able to take my letter
    for only four bits.
24. how people are voting
    In person on time
    or early, by mail or drop
    box, hopeful, anxious.
25. halloween improvised
    Bobbing for vaccines.
    Trick or grab-and-go bagged treat.
    Masks and nothing else.
26. web two-point-whoa
    Doomscrolling on a
    Wednesday night, watching all the
    misery out there.
27. dujuan, far from home
    Aboriginal
    healer, just 10, struggled with
    school and the system.
28. gasping for revenue
    Every town scraping
    by till we reopen it
    all someday, some year.
29. ready to dream about bones
    A pittie in his
    PJs scampers to and fro,
    comfy and happy.
30. ones, zeroes and solutions
    We collect all this
    data and ask it how we
    should manage our lives.
31. witches and black cats, too
    Carve a jack-o’-lan-
    tern, put it in a mask. Hang
    a skeleton. Same.
32. benched
    A football team with
    too many positives must
    sit out the season.
33. a pandemic pickle
    The restaurants are
    too crowded and not crowded
    enough to survive.
34. ruth bader ginsburg
    She fought and fought and
    fought for women to be all
    treated equally.
35. death of a hard drive
    Stop playing dead and
    give me my files! Or else I’ll …
    curl up on the floor.
36. why vote?
    For democracy.
    To choose our leaders. To stick
    it to the Russians.
37. breonna taylor
    In her apartment,
    an innocent bystander
    shot by cops six times.
38. reading as an immersion
    I want to read with
    my eyes, my ears, my fingers.
    I want words to last.
39. our place in history
    A corrupt regime
    that we helped bring about while
    resisting feebly.
40. he wouldn’t wear a mask
    He wouldn’t wear a
    mask, not to shop or browse, not
    for him or for you.
41. little pupils, big caution
    All day, they stayed in
    the one classroom, but they were
    together again.
42. life on venus
    Microscopic cells
    who enjoy a plush sauna
    and full privacy.
43. trick or treatment
    *doorbell* *temperature
    check* *hand sanitizer* *tongs*
    *drop candy* Repeat.
44. on-the-job inspiration
    A posted sign: The
    beatings will continue un-
    til morale improves.
45. remote hazing
    OMG what’s that
    behind you?! Ha! Made you look.
    (Please unmute yourself.)
46. vote early and often
    The good people have
    spoken early this year: They’ve
    already voted.
47. every four years
    The anxiety,
    the held breath, the wait to see
    victory or loss.
48. where were we?
    Let’s get back to the
    business of running and/or
    ruining this land.
49. sean connery
    A sub captain, a
    spy and an Irish copper
    walk into a bar …
50. tailgate in the driveway
    Playing it safe by
    grilling at home and saving
    on the parking fees.
51. be kind to yourself
    Treat yourself gently
    as you would your best friend and
    show yourself some love.
52. spare hurricane names
    Unbreakable codes,
    hieroglyphs, nail polish shades,
    semaphores, Klingon.
53. it’s all uphill from here
    A steady job, a
    purpose in life … man, this dude
    Sisyphus rocked it.
54. a national debt
    When will we give them
    the highest honor, keeping
    them safe post-service?
55. a meme-based economy
    Not by your wealth nor
    the sweat of your brow but your
    drolly captioned pics.
56. a tiktok economy
    Dancing for likes, lip-
    synching for views, being your
    performative self.
57. the third wave
    Restless for human
    interaction, so tired
    of hunkering down.
58. the heart of 2020
    One crisis after
    another and another
    and another and …
59. a strange neighborhood
    Walking past tidy
    lawns and construction sites in
    night’s semi-darkness.
60. the confrontation that wasn’t a confrontation
    They demanded to
    meet with her only to tell
    her good job, sort of.
61. and a few misspelled words
    Sending a text with
    random punctuation % enh,
    they’ll figure it out^
62. cheers under a faltering light
    They snuck glasses of
    wine when parents weren’t watching
    and drank to good times.
63. at least we still have power
    Why does everything
    break down after the checking
    account is tapped out?
64. stylish strokes
    Typographically
    speaking, the best fonts convey
    meaning in an “a.”
65. but would they let them drive?
    Rule for astro-chimps:
    They would not make the monkey
    launch the dang rocket.
66. ultimate sins
    Doctors: malpractice
    suits, death. Priests: molesting kids.
    Reporters: lying.
67. thankful for
    The strength to survive
    such an outrageous year while
    faking sanity.
68. sweet sassy molassy
    I hate when tweets end
    with declarative bull. That’s
    it. That’s the haiku.
69. pilgrims, indians and social distancing
    Do not gather, but
    give thanks for the good health that
    makes it possible.
70. blackest friday
    Jam the stores! This cruel
    pandemic economy
    needs sacrifices.
71. finding meaning in art if not the artist
    The artist can be
    an utter wanker, yet still
    create works of art.
72. confessions of a trivia winner
    Trust your gut. Keep an
    eye on the competition.
    Sometimes, take a guess.
73. waltzing autumnal
    Twirl in the moonlight
    surrounded by shadows deep
    in the pumpkin patch.
74. gifts by the 23rd at the latest
    The naughty list grew
    so big this year that Santa
    just needs a hatchback.
75. mr. privilege
    Do what I want when
    I want and let the rest of
    the planet be damned.
76. old growth, new stump
    A tree falls with help.
    Men with their chainsaws carve it
    into huge matchsticks.
77. cold snap
    The house? Perfectly
    comfortable 68.
    Me? Shivering so.
78. madam vice president
    Kamala, like a
    breath of fresh air. Kamala,
    let’s be inspired.
79. the roosting of our sins
    Meeting up without
    a mask. Flaunting our freedom.
    Getting sick in droves.
80. about living in historical times
    Has 2020
    taught us anything? Are we
    doomed to repeat it?
81. inclement no more
    Snow comes and blankets
    the roads, and antsy children
    are stuck in Zoom school.
82. other casualties of the pandemic
    Shopping local has
    never been quicker since so
    many stores have closed.
83. dark ages the sequel
    Emerging from 4
    years of smearing science and
    setting up scapegoats.
84. autumn at ruffner
    Up the mountain we
    hiked. Down the mountain we sped.
    All along we breathed.
85. stabilization
    Her burden feels a
    little lighter, her panic
    starting to subside.
86. 2020 gonna 2020
    On the first day of
    Christmas, my true love gave to
    me, COVID-19.
87. the slutty locksmith
    Dirty locks, shiny
    keys. Opening the doors to
    pleasure and tool sheds.
88. symptoms and strategy
    Can economy
    recover without beating
    virus? So far, no.
89. the other sickness
    Unbelievable
    stress, new anxiety, lone-
    liness. Minds unwell.
90. where once were office parties
    Log in and wear your
    finest Christmas jammies while
    sipping spiked eggnog.
91. the proud pittie in the back yard
    Atop the stump, he
    surveyed the land around him,
    and it pleased him so.
92. the 99-year-old passive-aggressive samaritan
    Her burdensome texts
    let us know exactly how
    she felt about strays.
93. pandemic baby boom
    Welcome to all the
    new Coronas and Faucis
    into this masked world.
94. a new season, i guess
    That bleak sky. Growing
    madness in quarantine. The
    grimness of winter.
95. for the loved ones we keep safe
    One more Facetime. Some
    cookies and sweaters in the
    mail. Saving up hugs.
96. a wish list
    Vaccines in every
    stocking, relief checks for the
    jobless, hope for all.
97. the constant of children’s joy
    Let them sing with glee.
    Let them dream of sugar plums.
    Let them wake with gifts.
98. all for the birthday boy
    An evening party
    with a barnyard theme and odd
    assortment of gifts.
99. the monocultural experience
    Back to a world in
    which we share hardships and small
    wins, pathos and grit.
100. a girl and her horse
     Once ornery, he
     softened under her guidance,
     riding proud as one.
101. forever … ’21
     Let us renew our
     commitment to a better
     future for us all.

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1. the line between fear and paranoia
   A phobia here,
   a conspiracy there, it
   all adds up to squat.
2. the majority leecher
   A toady who does
   it all for those in power,
   lickspittle for life.
3. everyday hustle
   We all out here with
   our game faces on, ready
   to make that paper.
4. time of the prepper
   A cellar fully
   stocked with canned goods, candles and
   assorted ammo.
5. the tips, not the protesters
   Lots of bystanders
   have tips for protesters, most
   of them horrible.
6. rise of the sidewalk cafes
   Bistros and hot dog
   joints claim limited spaces
   for al fresco feasts.
7. tangible gratitude
   Marbles in a jar,
   scribbles on slips of paper,
   lines in a Word doc.
8. facial security blanket
   The mask made him feel
   only a little safer
   in an unsafe world.
9. cans of lysol in the carport
   She took grocery
   deliveries at the side
   door and sprayed them down.
10. salt strife
    Waves mindlessly lap
    the shore, as tourists make the
    most of a crap year.
11. all summer in a season
    Let the festival
    of sweaty tees and violent
    thunderstorms commence!
12. the spare minutes
    Time to breathe deeply,
    to compose a love note, to
    gaze in bright wonder.
13. covering while uncovered
    Modern media
    fired upon by police,
    targets of ire.
14. any sports is better than no sports
    Empty stands, no one
    hawking $7 cups
    of beer. Players … play.
15. the looting of america
    From the corner stores,
    but especially from the
    swank corporate board rooms.
16. on the plaza in the early evening
    She hobbled by with
    a friendly greeting and a
    bare foot in pain.
17. just another pandemic in america
    How casually
    we conduct our business while
    the virus rages.
18. social undistancing
    Despite our caution,
    it’s good to see people once
    more. We need contact.
19. furloughed and frustrated
    Everyone needs a
    job yesterday. The rent’s past
    due, the kids need shoes.
20. the fun police
    The mere suspicion
    that someone somewhere feels such
    unauthorized joy.
21. the floor is lava
    The floor is lava.
    As is everything else. Yeah,
    the world’s on fire.
22. this is just to haiku
    I ate the icebox
    plums saved for breakfast forgive
    me so sweet so cold
23. can’t have pets
    Allergic not to
    dander or fur but to un-
    conditional love.
24. the vocal minority
    They took their pouty
    entitlements and their hurt
    feelings and raged on.
25. 7/4 3/5
    A declaration
    of freedom for some, leaving
    all others behind.
26. the opposite of schadenfreude
    That pang of envy
    when someone, anyone marks
    a great achievement.
27. under wraps
    Look, I get it. You’re
    frustrated by the whole mask
    dilemma. Wear it.
28. cause and effect and effect and effect
    The numbers climb. The
    hospitals struggle. The world
    trudges on weakly.
29. love in the time of corona
    Will COVID Cupid
    find coronavixen who
    takes my breath away?
30. regret neutrality
    It isn’t enough
    to not be racist, but to
    be anti-racist.
31. the launch
    The developers
    lock in the code. Fans look on.
    All systems are go.
32. protection not persecution
    What does it look like
    when a society re-
    thinks its policing?
33. representation matters
    I want to see those
    who look like me and those who
    have yet to be seen.
34. jeremy bearimy, baby
    This 2020
    has been a hellscape of at
    least 35 months.
35. moments of glee
    Profound joy sneaks in
    between the bouts of anger
    and pure depression.
36. be now
    This is the now. This
    is the moment we are in.
    Now this is the now.
37. a devious undeviating satire
    Comedic grace: She
    takes his words and makes them her
    own, makes him her own.
38. mom and pop sore
    The anxiety
    of watching your dream wither
    away to nothing.
39. the pandemic p&l statement
    How do we pay rent?
    Pay employees? Stay open?
    Live to fight again?
40. the disquieting fear
    Burrowed deeply in
    our brains, driving us to run
    from all the known threats.
41. the empathy spectrum
    Sacrifice for all
    others vs. in it for
    only me me me.
42. browser breaking point
    Click. Save. Read later.
    Click. Save. Check out later. Click.
    Click. Too many tabs!
43. that homeostatic feeling
    Even constant pain
    becomes background noise in a
    body on the move.
44. booted from the swanky italian restaurant
    He played with gusto
    to the sun-soaked parking lot
    amidst the Audis.
45. project pandemic pick-me-up
    Business is down. Why
    not renovate the inside
    before shoppers return?
46. surrounded by patients zero
    Every cough suspect,
    every forehead possibly
    ablaze, bugs abound.
47. we jazz july
    Another blazing
    tornado-dodging virus-
    ravaging summer.
48. maskholes
    They threw little snits
    at each store asking them to
    wear face coverings.
49. the strivers
    Striving to be loved.
    Striving to be accepted.
    For equality.
50. only one shot a year
    They decided to
    postpone the event and pray
    they’d come back next year.
51. hang on to the summer
    Ice cream cones and long
    drives, starry nights and fire-
    flies, storms and breezes.
52. first will and testament
    Let’s hope that courage
    is contagious and that our
    leaders aren’t immune.
53. back-to-school shopping 2020
    Bulletproof backpack,
    face mask, hand sanitizer,
    tiny body bags.
54. school of hardest knocks
    This fall, send the kids
    back to school in person and
    let God sort ’em out.
55. other people’s impatience
    Some of us are born
    to wait and wait, while others
    make waiting painful.
56. a totally chill pandemic
    Neighbors having big
    parties, coworkers touching
    all the coffee cups.
57. cities under siege
    Protesters marching
    peacefully and lawfully.
    Shock troops on the way
58. let freedom ring
    Climate deniers,
    school shooters, killer cops. This
    is America.
59. an unmissed connection
    Deep empathy brings
    hope to the forlorn, the love-
    less, the also rans.
60. reliable sources
    Experts and mainstream
    media, but also your
    high school dropout aunt.
61. the emotional roller coaster
    Why do the tears come
    so readily? Before, I
    was a stoic man.
62. down with democracies
    Disinformation
    arrives in harmless tweets and
    brash targeted ads.
63. spiral unspiral
    Neutral leads to sad-
    ness leads to shame leads to wor-
    ry leads to calmness.
64. how we decide
    Rational does not
    mean selfless or detached from
    any emotion.
65. no good choices, back-to-school edition
    Set them in front of
    a screen, or set them loose in
    a germy classroom.
66. an alabama loophole
    Schools practice social
    distancing for teachers, kids
    (except for football).
67. radical monarchs
    Shy caterpillars
    transform into cool pillars
    of social justice.
68. in search of
    We look for humor
    in dark places and comfort
    in strange bedfellows.
69. america’s national pastime*
    The crack of the bat,
    the roar of an empty sta-
    dium in strange times.
70. virtual fans
    They yell, they cheer, they
    boo. But then, no drunken brawls
    or doing the wave.
71. lessons in world geography
    The other countries
    did it right in beating the
    pandemic. We balked.
72. a natural enmity
    People are good. But
    that one guy definitely
    is out to get me.
73. pandemic plan zero
    We’ve tried absolute-
    ly nothing, and yet the num-
    bers keep going up.
74. poems to the wind
    Freestylin’ verses
    to the masses with brains and
    social media.
75. the zoom cocktail hour
    A bevy of drinks,
    a so-so wifi signal,
    a lot of crosstalk.
76. amoral adversary
    The virus doesn’t
    punish bad behavior or
    reward good. It just is.
77. chaotic neutral
    Alignment is not
    only good and evil but
    also the method.
78. what does a family look like?
    Are they blood ties or
    select friends and lovers? The
    mind and heart see all.
79. the trouble with first drafts
    Balancing speedy
    writing with a nagging need
    to edit right then.
80. try someone else
    On the street and at
    the crossroads, they beg. The re-
    ply is always no.
81. on brand
    He positioned the
    camera just so, making sure
    his fans saw it all.
82. cupid’s victim
    A young girl mused on
    her infatuation with
    bright eyes, aching heart.
83. ’90s jukebox
    The melodies and
    riffs take me back to my young-
    er, more hopeful self.
84. aa scheme
    A real poem should
    rhyme. Which is why this is a
    real poem this time.
85. popsicle sticks and glitter
    She carefully plans
    the art projects so her girls
    can dream, make messes.
86. the road to the white house
    Hearts and minds up for
    grabs as we squabble over
    fault in the margins.
87. bugaboo
    It seems risky to
    re-open society
    as the virus roams.
88. the law of diminishing fucks
    The moment we step
    out to embrace our feelings
    no matter the risk.
89. surrender to the storm
    Each hurricane brought
    fewer relief trucks in the
    nation’s new climate.
90. essential workers, inessential wages
    We prize work, but
    not equally, not fully.
    Our values must change.
91. casualties of indifference
    The suffering has
    no meaning. The dreams and lives
    lost were for nothing.
92. built-in bruising
    We react without
    thinking. The suffering is
    truly optional.
93. eat dessert first
    Such is a nation
    that manages its sweet tooth
    better than its health.
94. a foreign notion
    When will we stop the
    white domestic terrorists
    who hide in plain sight?
95. declaration of dependence
    I told her this year.
    I haven’t thought about lost
    love in a long time.
96. take this job and inhabit it
    Work is everything:
    self worth, time suck, lame hangout,
    comparison stick.
97. four-wheel money machine
    It’s tough to work when
    other drivers treat your car
    like a piñata.
98. awash with sensations
    She tracked her feelings
    as they racked her body in
    tumultuous waves.
99. she brought in a gun
    She brought in a gun,
    and everyone in the whole
    restaurant just froze.
100. unnoticed rituals
     Actions designed not
     to make the time pass but to
     ease anxiety.
101. dread of the drops
     The falling rain brought
     on the worries big and small,
     not soothing comfort.

• • •

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1. cry of the doughnut
   You need some sugar
   to start off the morning and
   sweeten up your day.
2. a twinkle
   His calm demeanor
   belied a sense of mischief
   coming from his eyes.
3. girl crush
   She and she shared an
   embarrassing amount in
   common. Syn-her-gy.
4. collegial feelings
   It’s all clicking and
   not all cliques. So many I’s
   in this splendid team.
5. an uncomfortable conversation
   Would it be OK
   if we worked it out one blunt
   question at a time?
6. wistful thinking
   What could’ve been, what
   almost was, who should’ve mat-
   tered, why dwell on it.
7. tell me a story again
   Regale me with your
   misadventures, show me your
   past self one more time.
8. past hope
   The fear deep within
   pushes us to dark places
   with no way to leave.
9. her lone voice
   Her lone voice rang out
   with despair. Will I ever
   be enough for me?
10. the wonder of it all
    Take time to marvel
    at the bounty of life, the
    majesty of you.
11. a dollop of kindness
    It goes great with a
    heaping of empathy and
    gentleness of words.
12. the statistician’s dilemma
    Count everything, make
    exceptions or run away
    in a mild panic?
13. the lurker in us all
    Why dive in when you
    Can watch safely from the shore?
    Take that, killer sharks.
14. pi piper
    3.141
    5926535
    8979
15. stranger together
    Our back-and-forth can
    puzzle others but leads us
    to fits of laughter.
16. all kinds of intimacy
    A boundless comfort
    zone, a safe space with no end
    and a love assumed.
17. the irish of the far east
    Sure, we’re all a bit
    Irish, but really, when is
    St. Korean’s Day?
18. coffee thief
    He would grab a mug
    from the break room and run off
    one cup at a time.
19. a time for cartwheels
    A greening of the
    land, a growing warmth, a sun
    smiling from above.
20. what concerns a neighborhood
    Lost dogs and kitties,
    burglars breaking into tool
    sheds, rampant gossip.
21. the role of luck
    From birth onward, luck
    influences our lives more
    than we would admit.
22. simple pleasures
    A fancy dessert,
    a bowl of cereal, a
    purring cat, sunset.
23. more simple pleasures
    Buttered biscuits, a
    warm scarf, gentle breathing, a
    super thick milkshake.
24. even more simple pleasures
    A delightful meme,
    a show on the radio,
    a recognition.
25. time to move on
    Growing contentment
    meets nagging restlessness for
    a ticket elsewhere.
26. a false unity
    Let’s not look past our
    differences, but agree to
    disagreements now.
27. fearless fest
    Wary attendees
    ease into the fun with some
    gentle icebreakers.
28. the route of creativity
    I didn’t expect
    to wander past so many
    unusual sights.
29. mlem vs. blep
    Something about tongues
    and animals and how we
    cannot resist them.
30. amazon conspiracy theory
    The Prime vans circle
    our homes waiting for the chance
    to sell us to death.
31. let me fix that for you
    Barge in and take charge
    before the lesser grunts wreck
    all of this hard work.
32. fools and foils
    An annual rite:
    The joke is on all of us
    again and again.
33. the bug vs. the world
    A microbe stops us
    dead in our tracks. Can we fight
    what we cannot see?
34. tp pdq
    Rolls of gold to trade
    for pelts or blubber or a
    shiny new mansion.
35. a life on camera
    Hello, colleagues, from
    my cluttered kitchen and my
    once clean living room.
36. under foot all the time
    Kids, no school. Kids, no
    play dates. Kids, no child care. Kids,
    no church camp. Kids … no.
37. the ever looming specter of death
    One nagging cough from
    painfully short struggle with
    coronavirus.
38. mourning the loss of normal
    Crying over lost
    softball games, get togethers
    and the stuff of life.
39. a primer on social distancing
    For some, 6 feet is
    a mile. And for others, not
    far enough at all.
40. in the shot, take a shot
    This Zoom meeting will
    never end. How do I sneak
    a drink on camera?
41. in line at walmart 2020
    Don’t stand so, don’t stand
    so, don’t stand so close to me.
    Please don’t stand, don’t stand.
42. means of transmission
    Can you catch it from
    a toilet seat? Can you catch
    it from a death stare?
43. easter 2020
    Bunny hops to and
    fro but everyone’s hiding
    their eggs inside homes.
44. cabin fever, catch it
    Where the cabin is
    a nice house and we can still
    go outside at will.
45. small business black saturday
    We witness the deaths
    of restaurants and stores while
    shopping Amazon.
46. a nonbinding stimulus
    He’s outta work, she’s
    outta work, so many folks
    are losing their jobs.
47. retreat
    These four walls can seem
    like a sanctuary, a
    prison, a flophouse.
48. a quiet place
    The silent office
    looks over an empty lot
    while gathering dust.
49. the sudden homeschool
    The kids are all in
    detention, the teacher is
    drinking heavily.
50. piece by piece
    They hunched over the
    table, squinting at puzzle
    pieces and laughing.
51. social distancing two-step
    Can’t hug, but can wave.
    Can’t whisper, but can raise voice.
    Can’t cry, but can grieve.
52. the potluck crew
    Each dish outdoes the
    last one. Each taste is even
    better than we hoped.
53. drowning in real time
    The lessons come so
    quickly, it’s impossible
    to keep up, catch up.
54. the intimidation factor
    No one counted on
    her bursting out with so much
    energy and verve.
55. voices parry
    She said, he said, he
    said and said and said and said
    and kept on going.
56. out-of-context theater
    Not in the same ball
    park but trying to achieve
    collaboration.
57. teamwork makes the dream worthless
    It all fell apart
    the moment we sat down to
    toil together.
58. the stress of it all
    Work, more work, school, more
    school, health, poor health and a lot
    of things left unsaid.
59. today broke me
    I’ve been sprinting the
    marathon for weeks and hit
    the wall. Nothing left.
60. the contagion
    We use masks and gloves
    with the hope that they hide us
    from the wee killers.
61. thinking positive
    The cough, the fever,
    the trouble breathing, the test,
    the wait, the results.
62. romeo and juliet 2020
    Verona succumbs
    to the plague. Star-crossed lovers
    inherit it all.
63. little girl found
    She would log into
    book club each afternoon just
    for her sanity.
64. a drive-by party
    Kids wave and honk and
    shout “Happy Birthday!” to her.
    It gives me such hope.
65. peanut butter problems
    Crunchy or smooth, no
    one can agree on which one
    goes on sandwiches.
66. the numbers
    How many dead? How
    many infected? How much
    longer can we last?
67. me exotic
    Meet my giant house
    cats as they prowl the compound.
    I’m the Tiger King!
68. the crawfish boil
    Pinch the head and suck
    the tail, two steps to true
    tasty happiness.
69. something’s brewing
    Coffee panic sets
    in as I try to wake up
    before class begins.
70. caveat emptor caveat
    We’re gonna die from
    this damn disease, but at least
    we can go shopping.
71. a question of masks
    Some are offended.
    Others demand compliance.
    A lot of hot air.
72. a notion of oppression
    It isn’t about
    haircuts and personal re-
    sponsibility.
73. a bite here, a bite there
    Our fearless leader
    trapped in meetings all day, can’t
    find time to eat lunch.
74. petri dish nation
    The germs waited oh
    so patiently to avenge
    themselves on us all.
75. corona calendar
    It is either Mon-
    day or Thursday or the day
    before yesterday.
76. toss mustard, too
    Mayo is the worst.
    On grilled cheese and in life. Let’s
    throw it in the trash.
77. the inevitable second wave
    All because we did
    not have patience for delayed
    gratification.
78. who’s really behind the plandemic?
    I do swear on my
    virginity that it’s the
    New New World Order.
79. we’re all doomed
    What if a virus
    didn’t attack brains or bones
    but plain ignorance?
80. odds, ends and assorted detritus
    He took all the old
    and worn-out produce and made
    a composite stew.
81. the when of it all
    Plans for the future
    don’t exist. We muddle through
    the endless present.
82. full-throated confidence in half-baked ideas
    THIS IS HOW I MAKE
    A POINT ON THE INTERNET,
    LOUDLY AND PROUDLY.
83. pan-dilemma
    No matter which way
    we go, we’re adrift in a
    sea of bad choices.
84. the dashboard courier
    Some die, others live.
    The story’s in the digits
    climbing steadily.
85. the quest for friends
    This modern life has
    its drawbacks. Where does one go
    for companionship?
86. take and take
    Today we honor
    their sacrifices. Can we
    not sacrifice, too?
87. the first hundred thousand
    No monument. No
    flags at half-staff. Just a pile
    of names and bodies.
88. the lost art of compromise
    When the remaining
    10 percent becomes too big
    of an obstacle.
89. smotherhood
    A working mom adds
    teaching and babysitting
    to her packed weekdays.
90. this perfect spring
    Inhale the freshness
    of nature. Admire the
    beauty all around
91. nitrogen + oxygen 4 ever
    Can we not simply
    laugh at the stupidity
    of most everything?
92. the may we were
    In like a shelter-
    in-place, out like a battle
    over masks, distance.
93. catch the second wave
    Bodies ride the crest
    before the whole thing crashes
    down like a honed scythe.
94. hungry are the damned
    A food supply that
    can’t feed hordes out of work, out
    of school, out of luck.
95. learned helplessness
    Stunned by media,
    worried by “how it’ll look,”
    no action today.
96. linn park, jefferson davis’ birthday
    The statue is gone,
    but the Confederacy
    lives on in their hearts.
97. the protest and the price
    Marchers shine a light
    on police brutality.
    while enduring it.
98. until my voice is raw
    Black lives matter. Black
    lives matter. Black lives matter.
    Black lives matter. Preach.
99. for a few corpses more
    We absolutely
    need to reform the police
    to save our black friends.
100. fears of a black planet
     Coronavirus,
     police brutality and
     white fragility.
101. damn tired
     Are we feeling spent
     by the chaos in our lives
     and everywhere else?

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1. bionic reading
   The automated
   voice spit out text faster and
   faster to tired ears.
2. the turkey’s days are numbered
   From the pen to the
   factory to the market
   to my dinner plate.
3. it is never too late to settle
   Bachelor No. 3
   has a weird job, bald spot and
   questionable taste.
4. america’s ceos
   They may not be the
   best and brightest but just the
   tallest and whitest.
5. waiting for disaster
   His mind conjured up
   every misfortune he could
   create from nothing.
6. the old batch of cars
   Who wants this year’s lame
   models when next year’s models
   are so similar?
7. so much for tall, dark and handsome
   She knew exactly
   what she wanted till she found
   him at the checkout.
8. gratitude may just save your life
   Be thankful for the
   little things, the big things and
   still being thankful.
9. the tall neighbor
   Floor by floor, the new
   apartment building grew past
   old establishments.
10. ice cream as entree
    Sometimes, the dinner
    needs to be a dessert for …
    reasons. Rocky road?
11. shiraz butterfly
    She dipped the paintbrush
    in her wine glass and kept on
    daubing the canvas.
12. first date jitters
    She giggled her way
    through appetizers but found
    herself by dessert.
13. the toy aisle
    Christmas wishes come
    to life with robots and dolls
    stacked to the ceiling.
14. the party circuit
    Time enough for drinks
    here, small bites there, holiday
    cheer most everywhere.
15. the muse short-circuits
    How beautiful life
    is when the evening— damn, I
    had something for this …
16. the ineffective leader
    Evade, blame, whimper,
    obstruct, deny, fabricate,
    lie, cheat, ridicule.
17. the effective leader
    Reflect, give, honor,
    listen, practice, inspire,
    serve, prepare, follow.
18. climate crisis, where crisis means opportunity
    The rising tides mean
    everyone gets beachfront homes
    eventually.
19. an omen here, an omen there
    Hard to interpret
    signs when so many point to
    the end of the world.
20. the jaded crooner
    A guitar and a
    mic, and decades of songs for
    the brokenhearted.
21. a pollution conundrum
    What fills the landfills
    and clogs the oceans more than
    careless whims by us?
22. trickle down santa
    One giant sack of
    toys for rich kids, odds and ends
    for the remainder.
23. theater of the future
    Seats with microwaves,
    send texts using movie screens,
    support animals.
24. the bosses
    What the bosses want
    and what the bosses need are
    two different things.
25. oprah’s secret children
    A covert squad of
    heroes fighting for truth, jus-
    tice and empathy.
26. where the mall once stood
    Mostly empty stores
    connected by empty halls
    and empty food court.
27. christmas break
    A 2-week orgy
    of Fortnite, new toys, sleeping
    in and no homework.
28. overheard at the starbucks
    “We sent our son to
    a ritzy private school, and
    he fell in with snobs.”
29. soldiers of misfortune
    One by one, they talked
    up their greatest failures to
    garner empathy.
30. button-down metamorphosis
    He transformed himself
    from nebbish host to nebbish
    guru zen master.
31. the quiet season
    A hibernation
    that engulfs the living and
    reassures the dead.
32. tech bust
    A server goes down
    and with it, the dashed hopes of
    a wired nation.
33. just one more taste to be sure
    It took three bowls to
    convince her on the new kind
    of ice cream flavor.
34. elf alert
    Condition red! All
    personnel prepare for the
    big delivery!
35. yuletide sentiment
    Wishing you a bright
    and gay, holly and jolly,
    wonderful Christmas.
36. post-christmas blues
    Snow smothering the
    land, long nights of despair and
    dread, bitterness reigns.
37. resolve to fight
    The year may be done,
    but let us resolve to fight
    for another year.
38. who needs tahiti
    Their honeymoon was
    a trip to the store with fine
    wine and cheese at home.
39. the letter that never came
    The words that never
    comforted, the promises
    that were never read.
40. goodness graciousness
    Not a saint but one
    who worked nonstop at being
    kindly all the time.
41. the final countdown
    Thirteen twelve ele-
    ven ten nine eight seven six
    five four three two one
42. new year, new decade, new you
    We are reborn like
    stars, planets and galaxies
    from so much space dust.
43. resolution absolution
    The idea of
    transformation excites while
    doing it can suck.
44. flights of antsy
    Do we dare dream at
    all when we crash many times
    in so many ways?
45. to explore change
    A discarding of
    outmoded parts, retooling
    of parts that still work.
46. the courage to be less than
    Admitting to our
    selves that we want to improve
    takes guts, guts and guts.
47. changes in spurts
    A little setback
    can look like complete failure
    to the untrained eye.
48. there is no finish line
    We change and change and
    settle for nothing less than
    total perfection.
49. the next career
    A blinding light that
    relegates broken paths to
    the darkest corners.
50. emergency haiku
    This is a test. If
    this had been an actual
    emergency, run!
51. a light has gone out
    When a teacher dies,
    she leaves behind galaxies
    of brighter students.
52. hopelessly hungover
    Inspiration from
    the bottom of a bottle
    dries up so quickly.
53. who has a crush at this age?
    It’s still possible
    to like and like-like someone
    with all the tingles.
54. pick already!
    He wrestled with his
    Top Five albums long after
    his relevancy.
55. the colosseum 2020
    The lions are in
    league with the indicted in-
    surgent. Thumbs up … ass.
56. staving off loneliness
    Reaching out for a
    lifeline and finding one, no
    matter the tension.
57. no hair up there
    Aerodynamic
    and smooth sails the shiny head
    across skies of blue.
58. the algorithms of life
    A computer picks
    what we watch next, how we shop,
    when we stand and stretch.
59. academic incarceration
    Inmates discuss the
    works of Plato to reveal
    how we’re connected.
60. meaningless jargon
    Deep dive, low-hanging
    fruit, blue sky thinking, going
    forward, game changer.
61. the hand of a volunteer
    Step up to do one
    small thing with big results for
    someone else in need.
62. a magical dinner
    Lots of wine, lots of
    good conversation and ringed
    by happy dear friends.
63. a slightly drunker campus
    Make tuition free
    for everyone or allow
    payment by kidney.
64. smart shopper
    All I want to know
    is brand, price, size, warranty,
    color and rating.
65. the pretzel farmer
    A bumper crop of
    knots, a fair share of sticks and
    a few unsalteds.
66. caveat emptor
    Each grift is new to
    someone. We are all suckers
    at some point in life.
67. backyard air force
    A door opens and
    a squadron of birds takes flight
    in a giant swoosh.
68. who’s hungry?
    I like to think on
    what I’ve eaten, what I eat,
    what I’ll be eating.
69. it’s on, automaton
    Once the robots choose
    to unionize, enslaving
    their masters is next.
70. wearing out
    A broken zipper
    pull, a rip, a stain, a frayed
    cuff, a torn-up stitch.
71. by the numbers
    Haiku done: thousands.
    Haiku in progress: 14.
    Good haiku: a few.
72. the reality we live in
    Our perception can
    overwhelm what we see and
    feel. Virtual now.
73. the ache for something more
    My heart’s beating a
    million times a minute in
    anticipation.
74. to be the dumper, the dumpee
    The secret is to
    pull the trigger first and dodge
    that poisoned bullet.
75. in the life
    Wake up, eat, shower,
    first job, eat, second job, eat,
    wind down, go to bed.
76. the mad scramble each morning
    Somewhere between the
    seventh snooze and out the door
    lies flustered frenzy.
77. untapped, unneeded
    Do we get wiser
    as we get older? Does it
    count for anything?
78. competing anxieties
    Not enough sleep, not
    enough money, not enough
    time to get all done.
79. friday lunch break
    The pair bonded through
    shared laughs and a weird toasted
    rye bagel sandwich.
80. click to learn
    The teachers live on
    a server, doling out new
    knowledge when summoned.
81. vain brain
    He strove not just to
    be the smartest, but also
    let others know it.
82. predatory networking
    What a joy it is
    to mingle among those who
    struggle for answers.
83. tyranny of the tech giants
    Digital exhaust
    harvested into evil
    database of us.
84. the oceans of our mind
    We swim in a sea
    of memory, pausing to
    drown in nostalgia.
85. investigator, i hardly know her
    Clicking on random
    poorly sourced articles to
    skim through is “research.”
86. be courageous
    The bravest act in
    the world is to love someone
    with your complete heart.
87. sun’s out, tongue’s out
    The security
    cameras showed her with a blep
    anytime she moved.
88. the fight not to be dehumanized
    Machines influence
    us and we are creatures with
    resistant bright souls.
89. spreadsheet confab
    The squiggle boxes
    meet other squiggle boxes
    for light mathematics.
90. moment of strength
    Friends, are we the most
    vulnerable when we share
    ourselves with others?
91. harvest of shame: the next generation
    Data is the new
    oil, China the new Sau-
    di Arabia.
92. franchise failure
    A huge series of
    cool movies ending with a
    two-hour whimper.
93. the politics of breathing
    We owe ourselves the
    right to clean air and water
    on a fixed planet.
94. fake it till you fake it
    We live within un-
    certainty, but proclaim our
    opinions loudly.
95. that special taco
    From the taco truck
    on the corner, with the right
    amount of hotness.
96. a lesson in canine economics
    Nothing makes you ap-
    preciate having one pit
    bull than two pit bulls.
97. drag me to hell
    Roast me, mock me, knock
    me off my pedestal and
    help me to wake up.
98. that nagging cough
    Probably nothing.
    Nothing except the early
    warnings of a plague.
99. nothing normal
    Perilous times and
    bad news everywhere. It’s hard
    to stay on your feet.
100. the kitchen is secure
     The sink is empty.
     The stove is clean and shiny.
     The tile floor is mopped.
101. every day is an extra day
     Every day is an
     extra day as long as we
     continue breathing.

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1. anna karenina
   Socialite becomes
   outcast after her extra-
   marital affair.
2. people are strangled
   Do we really know
   the struggle behind the eyes
   of each one we meet?
3. gunfireworks
   Nearby, shots ring out,
   or maybe firecrackers
   cracking. The dog’s scared.
4. the waiting area
   Uneasy chairs and
   cold coffee for those who need
   the doctor’s report.
5. love the right way
   Without prejudice.
   Without fear and without end.
   Without boundaries.
6. trash godzilla
   The garbage monster
   left the ocean to conquer
   the garbage nations.
7. words to diet by
   “Nothing tastes as good
   as skinny feels,” said no one
   ever while croaking.
8. deactivating activists
   The bystanders coughed
   up a medal or two while
   hailing fascism.
9. the manly art of reading
   The page judges you
   as you skim chapters looking
   for symbolism.
10. and in the comments, too
    Every unhappy
    fan is unhappy in his
    own way on Twitter.
11. not in their corner
    The round-top muffins
    tasted better than square tops,
    the tongue decided.
12. messages in bottles
    “Too long — didn’t read.”
    “Void where prohibited by
    law.” “Send more bottles!”
13. your data is for sale
    I am _____ years old.
    I spent $_____ on food this year.
    My password is _____.
14. the awkwardness of it all
    Speaking when not quite
    ready. Answering the wrong
    question. Spilling tea.
15. some days are better than others
    She misses him some-
    thing fierce, because he left with-
    out saying goodbye.
16. one-sided correspondence
    He replied to all
    the cards and letters with guilt
    and lame excuses.
17. historical fiction vs. creative nonfiction
    Not every verse is
    autobiographical,
    he said with a smirk.
18. the 21st-century schoolhouse
    The teacher asked them
    to open their iPads to
    page 57.
19. tandem effort
    One partner thrived in
    the spotlight, while the other
    shone on in private.
20. lots of sugar, or lots and lots of sugar?
    They argued over
    who made the better sweet tea
    while eating takeout.
21. the hottest summer ever
    The hottest summer
    ever is always one more
    tomorrow away.
22. a meditation on work
    What is toil worth?
    How long must we toil on?
    Why do we toil?
23. acceptable toppings for ice cream
    Whipped cream, chocolate chips,
    cereal, pretzels, trail mix,
    sprinkles (not jimmies).
24. in verse uni verse
    Poetry can be
    found everywhere, in fleeting
    murmurs, in soft coos.
25. inopportunity zone
    That storefront contains
    the Bermuda Triangle
    of failed restaurants.
26. farmers market finds
    Do they really grow
    turquoise jewelry and clay
    pottery on farms?
27. imitation is the sincerest form of thievery
    Who needs artistry
    when the market will copy
    anything for bucks?
28. let it bleed
    Each verse should cut deep,
    reveal flaws, scream truths and make
    the poet squirmy.
29. i once knew love
    I once knew love and
    recklessly chased it away.
    It was sabotage.
30. start strong, finish maybe
    A show never has
    to die, just be born again
    into another.
31. frankenstein
    The real monster is
    the doctor, or the monster,
    or maybe it’s us.
32. pug one and pug two
    Ever vigilant,
    they bark and yap at me: “Flee,
    stranger among us!”
33. i ran a half-marathon
    But really I walked
    around a flat track for 4
    hours in blue jeans.
34. the correspondence game
    I owe my college
    friend many letters. But I
    have failed mightily.
35. the loneliness of modern adulthood
    With real jobs and real
    families and no one to
    hang out with at all.
36. the big self-checkout discount
    One for the scanner,
    one for me. One for the scan-
    ner, seven for me.
37. morning setup
    She plunks down the chairs
    and tables before her crowd
    of regulars comes.
38. my kingdom for a napkin
    Many a clever
    idea has fled the scene
    before written down.
39. an autumnal nap
    A soft chenille stands
    a warm vigil atop my
    dozing cheeks and nose.
40. high drama at the word factory
    The editor bel-
    lowed for more copy but with-
    out hyphenations.
41. transcript unavailable
    It was good to hear
    from her even though it was
    only a butt dial.
42. big little ethics
    Is it really a
    moral dilemma to wres-
    tle with a small fib?
43. the careful addict
    He played a deadly
    game with pills and boredom, one
    he would surely lose.
44. how we mock our friends
    Fashion failures, cook-
    ing disasters, boyfriend mis-
    haps, silly choices.
45. at the checkout
    We have so many
    ways to pay with so little
    in our bank accounts.
46. the light is perfect
    The gentle way it
    caresses your face, bathing
    it in a warm hue.
47. social calls
    Strangers blathering
    on their fancy phones without
    care for privacy.
48. make america great someday
    The cure for rampant
    nostalgia is to build a
    better tomorrow.
49. you breathe when we tell you to breathe
    We meditate and
    chant and chant for an hour
    oh is this a cult?
50. what comes after 60, 60, 24, 7?
    Minutes and hours
    are fixed, as are days and weeks.
    But not months and years.
51. a simple reminder
    Past due notices
    become heavier with each
    mental intrusion.
52. the slouch patrol
    Proper posture puts
    a positive panache on
    poorly propped people.
53. when your phone don’t ring, it’ll be me
    He waited for the
    call that never came, a faux
    pas of phone manners.
54. a broken oven, a busted dryer
    Guess we’ll use the hot
    plate and clothesline while saving
    up for down payments.
55. a pile of small dead critters
    The hunter of the
    house makes an offering on
    the doorstep altar.
56. social, up to a point
    There is a limit
    to accessibility
    when we trust no one.
57. the oedipal/electra power hour
    The best part of a
    therapy session can be
    blaming your parents.
58. the nightly grind
    Involuntary
    nocturnal mastication
    makes for dental hell.
59. dream vacation vacation
    Catching up on sleep
    while taking a break from all
    that relaxation.
60. would recommend
    All the approval
    we need comes from fans, experts
    critics and our peers.
61. the five modern love languages
    Emoji, Netflix
    recommendations, puns, Yelp
    reviews and dick pics.
62. chocolate chipsters
    The best cookies are
    inevitably ones we
    split with an old friend.
63. no defense
    No defense against
    a torrent of stray thoughts and
    bitter reprimands.
64. and also highlights
    No waiting room is
    complete without a set of
    oddball magazines.
65. william kentridge on art
    “I’m only an art-
    ist. My job is to make draw-
    ings, not to make sense.”
66. i love you unironically
    More than my clothes. Much
    more than my family. In
    all sincerity.
67. the muse as crossfit coach
    *throws you a ballpoint*
    *expects you to write haiku*
    *waits impatiently*
68. denial ain’t just a river of unconscious mimicry
    Everyone does it.
    No one will admit it. This
    is our worst habit.
69. meditation hesitation
    The bell rings … Breathe in,
    breathe out. Breathe in, breathe— Time to
    resume the rat race.
70. prodding questions
    What are you about?
    What is the meaning of life?
    Gonna finish that?
71. above average
    Everyone thinks they’re
    a 10. Many are fives. Quite
    a few are zeroes.
72. reassurance
    A hand squeeze. A thank
    you. A smiley face. A kind
    and thoughtful remark.
73. the future of halloween
    A drone disguised as
    a ghost racks up more candy
    than trick-or-treaters.
74. the sporadic to-do list
    Walking in the door
    I suddenly remember
    all the missed errands.
75. fido’s best friend
    Fido’s best friend is
    another Fido, always
    up for play and naps.
76. meet me halfway
    We complete our work
    more quickly when we decide
    to share the burden.
77. the sickly maple
    Dead leaves descended
    long before the onset of
    the autumnal change.
78. stride or die
    She counted her steps
    mile after mile till her sore
    feet put their foot down.
79. this petty pace
    Why should everyone
    else find love and success while
    I sit on my ass?
80. the value of everything
    Can you put a price
    on love? On happiness? On
    sex? Yes, yes … and yes.
81. the borne identity
    Do we reveal our
    true selves by wearing costumes,
    a trick and a treat?
82. in remembrance of
    The marigolds and
    sugar skulls whispered welcome
    to restless spirits.
83. meditation in the kitchen
    The fine chopping of
    onions, the grating of cheese,
    the zen of chewing.
84. the cold doesn’t suit her
    Forget the shivers.
    Give her a tropical warmth
    and lots of sunscreen.
85. boarding passed
    She missed her trip to
    Canada: Her passport still
    had her married name.
86. birthday bender
    The journey of a
    massive hangover begins
    with a single shot.
87. room for doubt
    What fun is it if
    science has all the answers?
    No such certainty.
88. the bridal slicker
    They said their “I do’s”
    to a chorus of thunder
    and clattering rain.
89. path to wedded bliss
    The spotlight shines on
    the happy couple, waltzing
    into the future.
90. slight privilege
    The disenfranchised
    cannot afford to ignore
    the painful headlines.
91. hardware, software, nowhere
    Upgrades as downgrades.
    Isn’t tech supposed to make
    our lives easier?
92. veni vidi vets
    A pause to reflect.
    They served in life and are well
    remembered in death.
93. this tree is falling apart
    The ground is littered
    with discarded bark, fallen
    limbs and bits of hope.
94. how do we mourn?
    The unrepentant
    grief creeps in at odd hours
    for a longish stay.
95. the great brutish bake off
    Ten lumberjacks make
    pies and tarts for a panel
    of churlish judges.
96. the dog will not be pleased
    He found the hurdy-
    gurdy in an antique shop,
    keys worn but ready.
97. the holidays come and go
    Never to early
    to get a head start on your
    Easter master plan.
98. impoverished wants
    My nose is pressed to
    the window, admiring
    all I cannot have.
99. the checklist of misery
    The social worker
    asked about all the scary
    things kept in closets.
100. a good walk enhanced
     Merrily we hike
     among the hills and forests
     in the autumn sun.
101. a reverse benjamin button
     What we think of as
     old we suddenly become.
     A wrinkle in time.

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1. short play date
   The pit scampered in
   and made a beeline for the
   comfortable couch.
2. three kinds of memory
   Long-term fact storage.
   Planning future strategy.
   (I forgot the third.)
3. to swerve man
   It is not enough
   to feign disdain; let us dig
   deep and feign action.
4. aging eyeballs
   The letters became
   blurrier and blurrier
   till he switched contacts.
5. the asians you see on tv
   Nerd, tech guy, awkward
   loner, kung fu guy, but not
   the love interest.
6. you never know how you’ll be judged
   Height, weight, hairstyle, wealth,
   credit score, car, breath, teeth, shoe
   size, grammar, aura.
7. milky ways
   Many dimensions,
   but they’re all based on shades of
   white, eggshell, ecru …
8. true hunger
   Never being full
   on water, ketchup soup and
   ketchup sandwiches.
9. fair-feathered fiend
   I kept an owl
   to scare the mice and hoot hoot
   around the house house.
10. yellow snow
    Filing nails to a
    fine powder, keratin falls
    in a flesh blizzard.
11. murder none
    Shoot whoever you
    want, but be wealthy enough
    to purchase justice.
12. huddled around the phone
    The video plays.
    We’re unable to stifle
    ruptures of laughter.
13. disinterest rates
    So many movies
    to skip, so many people
    to fully avoid.
14. even thieves need to recharge
    The burglar stopped to
    pet the cats and hunt through the
    refrigerator.
15. colbert notion
    The scrap of paper
    spoke truth: “At every moment,
    we are volunteers.“
16. the worth of a woman
    A living, breathing
    birthing chamber who cannot
    be trusted at all.
17. a candidate for every whim
    Tall ones and short ones,
    loud ones and quiet ones, lots
    of ones in between.
18. looking at a bunch of objects in a museum
    Art is a fancy
    way of saying globs of paint
    or hunks of boulder.
19. the newness wears off
    Once the shine is gone,
    what’s left but a decaying
    mass of molecules?
20. a bargain at any price
    Instant access to
    all the world’s markets and yet
    still so hard to choose.
21. clickwait
    The newspaper found
    out that women exist and
    have strong opinions.
22. books on shiny platters
    The narrator droned
    on and on for another
    35 CDs.
23. foamy devices
    One of my hobbies
    is to replace dead leaky
    batteries too late.
24. a shell a day
    Troves and troves of beach
    treasures, piled in a bucket
    to make necklaces.
25. beyond the tombstones
    Their legacy is
    freedom. Freedom to challenge
    the powers that be.
26. the hottest on record
    Sunny skies, sizzling
    temps, a meltdown like no one
    can ever reckon.
27. what little we can do
    What little we can
    do is more than all the words
    that have been uttered.
28. an extra pair of glasses
    Tiny type defies
    bleary eyes, requires a
    modest adjustment.
29. sniffing around
    New territory,
    new things to smell for canine
    visitor off leash.
30. clear eyes
    To be aware is
    to go mad, to get mad, to
    see the world as is.
31. loon on nineteenth street
    He whipped his shirt off
    and juggled water bottles
    while spouting nonsense.
32. everything is history
    We are caught looking
    backwards as our lives spin out
    in dubious ways.
33. phantoms of the night
    On streets and sidewalks
    they roam invisibly to
    oncoming traffic.
34. my tenth grade english teacher’s rule
    The plot is the least
    important element in
    any good novel.
35. great acceptations
    To change the world, you
    must first accept that nothing
    is acceptable.
36. downpour on the rocks
    At long last, the rain
    soaks the parched earth badly
    in need of a stiff drink.
37. hole moods
    They stood in line a
    block deep for a free doughnut
    to brighten the day.
38. stupid smart
    We are curious
    creatures but also rigid
    unlearned morons.
39. the long lost viking
    Alone, he neither
    pillaged nor plundered, content
    to go reckoning.
40. life-or-death distinction
    This verse ends not in
    a graveyard but a field where
    bodies are buried.
41. steps to dictatorship
    Own the media.
    Consolidate all power.
    Don’t show force — use it.
42. equal under the skin
    I can manage my
    body. Why can’t women have
    that autonomy?
43. the beach is alive
    The ground undulates
    beneath my burnt feet, lapped by
    wave after sly wave.
44. the 5,000th haiku
    I stand, not at the
    summit, but at the small ridge
    of a long ascent.
45. the small of it all
    Baby dog? Puppy.
    Baby kangaroo? Joey.
    Baby man? Baby.
46. a mighty fall
    Chainsaws carve up the
    remains of a giant oak
    into stubby logs.
47. sandwiches of times past
    That perfect reuben
    haunts my foodie dreams as I
    starve with ham-on-why.
48. doorstep detente
    Zealous dog wants to
    meet the UPS driver
    so very badly.
49. not quiet quiet
    The chirping bugs, the
    hum of the AC, the soft
    rustle of the wind.
50. darkened windows, bad vibes
    She wouldn’t enter
    the strange cantina even
    though her boyfriend would.
51. the #metoo era
    Same old rapists, just
    more visible, defiant
    and traumatizing.
52. beepless for a while
    The unmoored feeling
    of discovering your phone
    is nowhere nearby.
53. southern state of mind
    Can’t be captured in
    lame sweet tea homilies and
    down home duncery.
54. invisible harmony
    We see the pattern,
    and it cannot be unseen.
    From chaos, order.
55. a domestic dispute
    Nothing to see here.
    No frightened children, no wife
    in overwrought tears.
56. the bills
    The bills brought nothing
    but continued frustration
    at the bleeding purse.
57. summers past
    Days unbound by mere
    routine, freedom to explore,
    to suck the marrow.
58. dystopian blues
    No hope, no justice,
    but at least our matching rags
    look somewhat snazzy.
59. ebola offensive
    Thousands infected
    but only half survive the
    pernicious outbreak.
60. our darkest thoughts
    Running off the road.
    Leaving a family behind.
    Drinking to blackout.
61. christmas through the year
    The wreath hangs on to
    the door, greeting guests with an
    unseasonal cheer.
62. low property taxes, unfriendly neighbors
    We’ll build the house of
    our dreams in Minecraft land, a
    pixel paradise.
63. america the pitiful
    Stop bombing countries.
    Stop mass incarceration.
    Stop blaming others.
64. fahrenheit 452
    They took away our
    books, not with a flamethrower
    but with a click. Poof!
65. two old guys at the coffee shop
    A busy morning
    of arguing politics,
    belief and football.
66. canine conundrum
    It would be nice to
    own a dog, but what if he’s
    cleverer than me?
67. pizza design
    A careful placement
    of pepperoni, a dash
    of sauce, piles of cheese.
68. cake obsession
    I dream of cool eggs,
    precise flour, some unstiff
    butter, set to mix.
69. almost time for vacation
    Look out the window.
    Picture yourself on the beach.
    Watch the clock not move.
70. smog snog
    Nothing scares city
    folk more than the prospect of
    abundant fresh air.
71. ask the guru
    How much life is the
    right amount of life to be
    lived and encountered?
72. songwriter’s rule
    A perfect rhyme can
    make you a liar in the
    lyrics. Scrawl for truth.
73. the forced smile
    An unnatural
    raising of the mouth’s heavy
    corners on demand.
74. refuge for the refugees
    Lady Liberty
    shoos away the tired, the
    poor for worthy souls.
75. persistent advertising
    The billboard chased me
    down the street, blocking out the
    sun, hawking its wares.
76. the divide
    His psyche vs.
    my psyche. Her truths vs.
    their truths. Disconnect.
77. the balladeer
    He strummed the guitar
    with precision on even
    the most minor chords.
78. out the windshield into the world
    Gazing upon the
    wondrous breadth of creation
    from the driver’s seat.
79. we are the aliens
    Two explorers land
    on the desolate moonscape
    to plant footprints, flag.
80. book exchange
    She grabbed a paper-
    back from the outdoor box and
    left worn hardcovers.
81. half-staff
    A salute to the
    fallen, a brief reminder
    of a sacrifice.
82. the verdant blanket
    A soft carpet of
    green teeming with cities of
    ants marching to work.
83. smoke break
    A seven-minute
    grasp at the outside world while
    the work continues.
84. a bar of your own
    Cooler with the right
    brews, TV with the ball game,
    jukebox with the hits.
85. the merger
    His couch, her bookshelves,
    the rest to be stored in this
    corporate takeover.
86. here we go gathering nuts in july
    The skittering on
    the roof by grey trespassers
    sounds like a stampede.
87. the new girl
    Old hands eyed the new
    girl with a mixture of dulled
    lust and mild disdain.
88. another skipped dinner
    Home so late and straight
    to bed, the belly rumbling,
    the psyche sleepy.
89. dead on her feet
    Her strangled tootsies
    supported (barely) a tired
    aching falling frame.
90. ambient symphony
    Conversations and
    cross talk blend into soothing
    flowing melodies.
91. shhhhhhhh
    The library is
    especially noisy with
    loud kids and adults.
92. if we just breathe
    We do it without
    thinking, yet we think we can
    do it mindfully.
93. the stream
    Everyone wants to
    know what to watch next from the
    tsunami of shows.
94. a consumerist plot
    The budget goes out
    the window when it comes to
    impulsive buying.
95. there goes hair
    The photo revealed
    a balding head atop a
    denying body.
96. the last days of summer
    Back to school soon, but
    still time to run free, goof off
    and catch fireflies.
97. the modern traveler
    Always connected,
    always needing a charge and
    sick of airport food.
98. millennial morass
    Can’t catch a damn break.
    Mired in debt. Stuck renting.
    So misunderstood.
99. a beautiful day in the subway car
    They serenaded
    dear Mr. Rogers on the
    line running uptown.
100. mature subject matter
     You were once a child,
     how easily you forget
     your smaller stature.
101. improv lines
     A robber hides out.
     Yes, and he loses his loot.
     Yes, and he finds love.

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1. drives of fancy
   They shut the highways
   down to rebuild. If only
   hovercars swooped in …
2. cotton candy snickers
   Every candy has
   a set of improbable
   flavors to stump tongues.
3. the struggle is fake
   No victims but me.
   No truth but my talking heads.
   No vengeance but mine.
4. a swamp to call one’s own
   Turf gives way to mush
   as rainy season brings a
   never ending soak.
5. in the foothills of appalachia
   A remarkable
   city teeming with magic
   and nothing to lose.
6. do i dare eat a peach?
   We fail to reckon
   what we put in motion with
   choices, abstentions.
7. the three kinds of happiness
   Holding a kitten.
   Finishing a marathon.
   And eating ice cream.
8. snow dance
   Trudge in a circle
   around empty milk cartons
   while shaking textbooks.
9. junk in the junk
   A place to store junk.
   A place to pick up bought junk.
   A place to junk junk.
10. the broken parts of the library
    The heat and AC,
    the escalators, leaky
    ceilings, sewage flow.
11. ghost of writings past
    Struck hard by a muse,
    the words flowed with grace and ease
    till they came up dry.
12. common bore
    They teach to the test,
    the test that measures how well
    students fill bubbles.
13. yada yada yada
    Ten years of tweeting
    gets you a dumb hashtag and
    some aching fingers.
14. pro-creation
    Stop buying and start
    making. Imagination
    fuels the best presents.
15. the not me theory of achievement
    To motivate folks,
    “Well, someone’s gotta do it.”
    History is made.
16. to sleep, and sleep some more
    The snooze button is
    a mere suggestion. Fatigue
    is the only clock.
17. inner growth
    It is not enough
    to claim our past misdeeds but
    to learn from them, too.
18. affirmative reaction
    A yearbook full of
    bimbos wearing blackface who
    grow up to be pols.
19. inside the industry
    Surly manager
    barks at servers, customers
    to spread her bad cheer.
20. books not yet on tape
    The narrator sits
    in the booth surrounded by
    ghosts of characters.
21. contentment on demand
    No button on the
    remote can scare up what we
    demand in our souls.
22. the re-evolution of language
    More tech, more letters
    and emoji for more weird
    acronyms, hashtags.
23. confession is good for the soul
    Let us lay bare our
    foibles and weaknesses to
    grow stronger for it.
24. affection disorder
    Love (remarkable
    and unremarkable) fills
    the world with splendor.
25. gratitude day 0
    Let me recall the
    ways my life is very good
    when times are rotten.
26. with liberty and gaping wounds for all
    I pledge allegiance
    to the gun, to the lobby
    for which it adores …
27. a most comfortable rut
    The status quo so
    ordinary it defies
    extremes and insights.
28. shortcuts to culinary mastery
    Is it cooking to
    assemble a meal kit? Or
    to microwave stuff?
29. papy r us
    It’s a paperless
    world till you write a check, send
    a letter, swat flies.
30. soggy state of affairs
    The scorched earth has drowned
    in weeks of rainfall. The skies
    will show no mercy.
31. the cookie fairy
    Boxes of delight
    and sugar fly to the door
    steps of those who dream.
32. beyond the bible and pilgrim’s progress
    No one can be bored.
    No one should be bored. We live
    in this peak culture.
33. state of the union
    Corruption upon
    corruption, lie upon lie,
    so much truth to find.
34. oscar sunday
    Check on the limo,
    squeeze into impossibly
    tight dress, wave to fans.
35. the new shorthand
    Let us trade our thoughts
    in acronyms and smileys,
    hashtags and selfies.
36. mineshaft means
    Work in the dark. Breathe
    in the dark. Go home in the
    dark. Die in the dark.
37. living dead metropolis
    Smashed parking meters,
    burnt shells of houses, rubble
    roads, murderous wolves.
38. rip western
    A grocer made his
    way through growing pains and tough
    times, feeding us all.
39. water worked
    The best tear-jerkers
    bring joy then sadness, hope then
    hopelessness. Then hope.
40. a most imperfect impression
    What do we remem-
    ber? What do we recall with-
    out flubbing details?
41. the promise of a park
    Where once rubble could
    emerge a green space. Instead,
    a new interstate.
42. say it with gifs
    Silent cartoons that
    pop with personality
    on screens big and small.
43. look higher
    If an employee
    fails, check out his boss. If a
    child errs, probe parents.
44. the harm from words
    The testimony
    of the oppressed yields tears and
    yawns from oppressors.
45. common senses
    An outlook shaped by
    media and moms, values
    and voices. We think.
46. at the end of her trope
    She swooned at the ball.
    She waited helplessly for
    him. She cried and cried.
47. verbing weirds language
    Real adults know that
    “adulting” is not a word.
    So very childish.
48. revisionist reality
    What was history
    becomes modern trauma when
    the facts are questioned.
49. strip mining for data
    A soul laid bare for
    computers to harvest our
    tastes, sins and secrets.
50. how ai wins
    They will not need to
    own us, just impersonate
    our online presence.
51. fitzgerald and me
    Let me tell you a-
    bout the very rich. They are
    different from you.
52. beyond trauma
    When surviving is
    no longer the most urgent,
    take some time to heal.
53. all the broken happy ever afters
    What about us? What
    about all the times you said
    you had the answers?
54. the hatred behind closed doors
    Teens say the word and
    giggle. They learned it from their
    community clans.
55. an eternity and a day
    Life’s too short. Or is
    it too long? Depends on which
    end you’re living in.
56. library of regress
    Leaky ceilings and
    broken escalators in
    the home of our books.
57. wagers of sin
    Always bet on your-
    self. Unless you suffer from
    a gambling problem.
58. season’s greetings
    Warm thoughts turn to warm
    days, warm ways. Rejoice in the
    demise of winter.
59. snooze and snooze again
    Just five more minutes.
    Hide under the covers till
    reality wins.
60. work of the past, work of the future
    Hard labor to desk
    jobs to lives of uselessness
    in front of bright screens.
61. the classics
    Where titans conquer
    and peasants falter, where man
    meets himself and weeps.
62. the great gatsby
    Self-made man worships
    ritzy ditzy blonde, felled by
    American dream.
63. a portrait of the artist as a young man
    Coming of age in
    Dublin, straying from and to
    the Church, a soul freed.
64. the chronicles of narnia
    Seven books proclaim
    loudly: Have you heard the Good
    News about Aslan?
65. moby dick
    Like “The Old Man and
    the Sea,” but with a bigger
    fish, meaner captain.
66. the passing of the family dog
    He begged for scraps, dug
    up the yard, chewed on shoes. And
    will be sorely missed.
67. 1984
    Winston smoked out by
    police. Oceania
    wages war on truth.
68. fahrenheit 451
    Books make good kindling.
    Fear the written word, but not
    the flames it brings forth.
69. a song of ice and fire
    When you play the game
    of thrones, you win or you die.
    There’s no middle ground.
70. trolling millions
    You can fool a lot
    of the people a lot of
    the time with Facebook.
71. watching hoops on 11 screens
    With each basket, the
    cheers grew louder, the drunks got
    drunker. Go, team, go.
72. digging for ones and zeroes
    Tiny bots with no
    degrees dive deep into the
    data mines for days.
73. not a name but a data point
    White, female, 30,
    Baptist, 5-foot-4, middle
    class, 110.
74. more data points
    Shops at Target, hits
    yoga every Thursday, drives
    a black Explorer.
75. data points in action
    Sell you this, at the
    right time, right size, right price, through
    manipulation.
76. track and field
    Joggers and doggers,
    strollers and rollers, walkers
    and talkers go round.
77. where new cars graze in place
    Shiny vehicles
    occupy every parking
    space and fire lane.
78. the resurrection of the receiver
    All it took was a
    simple unplug and plug to
    bring it back to life.
79. the forest, but not for long
    Groves of pines, maples
    and oaks sacrificed themselves
    for a new Marshalls.
80. the soul-sucking news cycle
    Stay informed and go
    nuts vs. ignore it all:
    A false dilemma?
81. rare catch
    Fish parts wrapped in rice
    and seaweed, with a little
    wasabi and soy.
82. alexa is listening
    Jeff Bezos, you are
    eavesdropping on my private
    convo with my cat.
83. regrets and remissions
    Sometimes, a money
    order is just as good as
    an apology.
84. taxing situation
    Fill out the form, fill
    out the checkbook, look at the
    receipts, check the math.
85. notre dame
    A majestic church
    where eyes turn heavenward and
    souls sing and rejoice.
86. uncurrent currency
    Money orders, beads,
    barter, two-dollar bills, fine
    metals, shells, squirrel pelts.
87. corneal implode
    Eyes burning with specks
    of pollen, stings of contacts,
    strains of tiny words.
88. chicken coop co-op
    Poor possum. Trying
    to eat farm fresh, but cannot
    get to store on time.
89. silence breeds creativity
    The golden sound of
    nothing yields a delight to
    ears and minds and hearts.
90. the promise of easter
    Can we be reborn?
    Can we atone for sins and
    grow into new selves?
91. leaves behind
    Trees shiver in their
    nakedness. How long before
    their new coat is done?
92. the haunted rite-aid
    Aisles empty, lights on,
    ghosts of shoppers chit-chat with
    ghost of bored worker.
93. the war over grass
    Puff puff pass. Send ’em
    all to prison to enrich
    the rich, slam the poor.
94. the russians aren’t invited
    To our socials and
    our media, to our votes
    and our candidates.
95. viva los measles
    Spotted tongue, spotted
    skin, spotty info, hot spots
    for bedded bodies.
96. the heroes we deserve
    Enthralled by big screen
    spectacle made from comic
    book pages sprung to life.
97. the worst seat in the house
    Stumbling around in
    darkness hitting stairs and rails
    sitting in a lap.
98. quicksand of emotion
    Sinking ever so
    slowly into malaise and
    comforting sadness.
99. what was once television’s provenance
    YouTube the teacher,
    the babysitter, the stealth
    corruptor, the void.
100. spoiler phobia
     Don’t tell me about
     the show. No no no no no—
     dammit, tweet screwed me.
101. comfort drink
     A shot, a beer, then
     three more shots and an IV
     drip of tequila.

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1. synaptic revolution
   The voice inside my
   head shouts at me (and others):
   “Fight, goddammit, fight!”
2. the twilight of america
   Where once all (white) men
   were created equal, now
   they’re the master race.
3. the best jazz comes from montana
   The best jazz comes from
   Montana, where the beats drop
   all around the clock.
4. 400 characters or 4,000
   Just how long should a
   password be when companies
   get hacked anyway?
5. voters of a certain age
   Young people don’t vote.
   Old people do. And make bad
   picks. Old people win.
6. a holly jolly halloween
   Front yards aglow with
   inflatable ghosts and troupes
   of dancing pumpkins.
7. and the shiny goes to
   All awards are trite
   and egoistic except
   for the ones I win.
8. dressed to thrall
   A great costume sparks
   envy and awe among those
   stuck in basse couture.
9. within one’s means
   The problem with a
   budget is window shopping
   becomes obsession.
10. out of zany, one
    As long as we keep
    the old, the infirm, the odd
    out of sight, we’ll cope.
11. the deep satisfaction of a cake maker
    Turning out layer
    after layer of golden
    baking perfection.
12. a call to disarm
    Why fight when we can?
    Why fight when we can talk? Why
    fight when we can love?
13. 4k 2bad
    Formats are higher
    in resolution but boast
    exact same plot holes.
14. pumpkin spice infestation
    It seeps into your
    pores, turning you into a
    bright wack-o’-lantern.
15. a dog when someone rings the doorbell
    Alert! Alert! A
    stranger is coming in. Let
    me sniff him and pounce.
16. the loner at the patio bar
    The long drawn face tied
    to slumping shoulders. How life
    has beaten him down.
17. at the corner of fourth and 18th
    No better way to
    meet people than at the scene
    of a big car crash.
18. disguise discovery
    This mask we wear comes
    off but once a year to show
    the world our true selves.
19. cuter looters
    At the door are quite
    a few short weirdos looking
    for candy to snatch.
20. squiggles and sticks
    Each punctuation
    mark has a name. Who knows what
    they are period.
21. retail ghost town
    The empty storefronts
    interrupted by a vape
    shop and boutique gym.
22. the paycheck-to-paycheck stranglehold
    Ignore bill, ignore
    bill, pay a little, do with
    less, then start again.
23. no campaigning within 30 feet
    With eager waves and
    greetings, they make a last-ditch
    effort to win votes.
24. from all sides
    Tribalism takes
    its hold on the extremes and
    squeezes the middle.
25. either/or
    A few hours of
    voting can transform the world
    for better or worse.
26. all according to plan
    The frustration of
    being in control while not
    controlling a thing.
27. down and out
    A broken man waits
    on the street for a wish that
    is never granted.
28. a podcast a day
    History, local
    stuff, serial killers fill
    the ears and the minds.
29. broken pen pals
    Accumulation
    on one side of messages,
    postcards and letters.
30. veterans on parade
    Riding the floats and
    waving to throngs of grateful,
    proud Americans.
31. hobo king
    He rules the rails with
    dignity, compassion for
    all who seek jobs, jaunts.
32. the group text
    A thread of catty
    remarks and blackmail pics to
    keep everyone sane.
33. first heard
    Voices. All distinct.
    The light above. Faint footsteps.
    Blood pumps in the ears.
34. the text of undoing
    His motivation
    revealed itself in a few
    poorly chosen words.
35. my other super power
    Picking the item
    at McDonald’s that they’re out
    of today only.
36. the universe in its infinite diversity
    On other planets,
    do they see us? Do they want
    to talk? Or hide out?
37. deep fried turkey
    The only thing deep-
    fried on Thanksgiving was the
    chef’s unlucky leg.
38. back to shells and disks
    The chip is maybe
    secure except when thieves scan
    it in your wallet.
39. the cycle of resistance
    Every day is a
    new fight. Can’t back down. Every
    day is a new fight.
40. the airing of blessings
    Look for the people
    who make your life better to
    express gratitude.
41. a guide to thanksgiving dinner
    Break bread and tell tales
    round the table. Share wisdom
    and promote world peace.
42. 17 rhymes
    Cats hats rats bats tats
    mats gnats fats pats stats lats vats
    slats gats flats brats prats.
43. quantify everything
    Count all the oaks, fish,
    gulls, rocks, cups, stars, cars, peaks, caves,
    kites, dawns, dunes, breaths, souls.
44. a cost of free speech
    A hidden army
    vets obscene and bloody pics
    for our social play.
45. cartoon obsession
    So much joy from a
    set of squiggly lines and a
    troupe of strong voices.
46. beauty and wonder
    To gaze at the blue
    sky with an armada of
    clouds shaped like tacos.
47. scribbling towards ecstasy
    It takes a little
    bit of practice each day to
    become a writer.
48. radical acceptance
    This is our moment.
    Circumstances don’t matter.
    It is what it is.
49. the coming frost
    Soon, the harvested
    fields make way for death, decay
    and the coming frost.
50. climate charge
    Snowflakes in autumn.
    Has winter solstice become
    too commercialized?
51. death at our own hands
    More see the only
    way out is through suicide.
    Hope has gone away.
52. tinder, but for swingin’ kringles
    Those dying malls can’t
    support Santa’s gigs, but an
    app can summon him.
53. everywhere but inside of the eyelids
    Tired, exhausted, worn
    out, run down, sleepy, tuckered
    out, zombified, dead.
54. the holiday rush
    … three smashed cars, two wreck-
    er jobs and a traffic jam
    on the interstate.
55. the surly server
    Her feet ache, her shifts
    go forever and her damn
    diners forget tips.
56. rabble with a cause
    A protest is not
    to reach consensus, but to
    speak truth to power.
57. the perks of being a working stiff
    Sleep comes easily
    to exhausted souls trying
    to remain afloat.
58. space opera
    A musical on
    changing interstellar trade
    policy and droids.
59. the baby says hi
    He toddles up to
    strangers to welcome them with
    no guise but kindness.
60. the monsoon
    Whoever is still
    praying for rain, please stop else
    we drown on our land.
61. choose patience
    The hurry-up-and-
    go method gives way to a
    moment for breathing.
62. youtube radicalization
    Watch a video,
    then three more, then parrot back
    hateful talking points.
63. songs and sweets
    A time for candy
    canes and mistletoe, thoughtful
    gifts and caroling.
64. ai is my co-pilot
    The long road to self-
    driving cars will be littered
    with bodies and wrecks.
65. forget hell
    I had a better
    verse in mind, but I didn’t
    write it down in time.
66. held up at the north pole port of entry
    Santa may delay
    his journey to sort out some
    weird tariff issues.
67. they’ve even infected this stanza
    The Russians spared no
    expense in bringing chaos
    to other nations.
68. the gentleman in front of western
    A looping voice box
    lures busy shoppers to the
    wheelchair bodega.
69. my bully
    You can’t damage me.
    In every aspect, I am
    my own worst bully.
70. the touch of winter
    Dark days, darker nights,
    a biting cold coupled with
    peaceful lifelessness.
71. the heart of contempt
    The fragile white male
    ego, a foul entity
    to behold, to know.
72. sugar cookies and crocheted stockings
    The best thing about
    holiday traditions is
    making up new ones.
73. showtime from the apollo
    They looked back upon
    the earth in awe at the small
    blue marble called home.
74. bundle of hope
    A package, neatly
    wrapped, beneath the twinkling lights
    waiting for a child.
75. brick and mortal
    No more bargain hunts.
    No more long return lines. Just
    click, wait, knock, it’s done.
76. art as a commodity
    What color palette?
    What themes? Which artist’s style? What’s
    your spending limit?
77. maybe next year
    Catch up on some sleep.
    Finish clearing the garage.
    Learn a new language.
78. missing sense
    My dog has no nose!
    — Oh heavens, how does he smell?
    (A pause.) Just awful.
79. unable to escape
    Who designed such a
    fiendish trap that would keep me
    so paralyzed? … … Me.
80. in closing
    All good things must come
    to an end. Fortunately,
    all bad things as well.
81. the beginning
    The road ahead is
    long, maybe dangerous and
    ready to traverse.
82. home for the holi-half-day
    She drove night and day
    across states to be with her
    kids for 12 hours.
83. a little rain
    A light breeze became
    a little rain. That never
    stopped. The world flooded.
84. malodorous realm
    I bet the worst thing
    about eternity in
    hell is the odor.
85. a year for setbacks and setforwards
    She delighted in
    her many resolutions,
    kept and otherwise.
86. rah deal
    Students stopped going
    to games and settled for score
    updates on their phones.
87. found in the mail
    The box of goods wound
    its way across the country
    by way of Japan.
88. ballad of the porch pirate
    Before, burglars had
    to break inside. Now, they just
    swipe our packages.
89. comparison is the thief of joy
    Cupcakes are fancy
    muffins. Hotels are taller
    motels. All is lost.
90. where ideas come from
    A hidden part of
    the lizard brain that defies
    logic and reason.
91. the moral lesson
    Not one to absorb
    but to put into practice
    over and over.
92. everyone is overqualified
    We are good drivers,
    with above-average brains
    and perfect manners.
93. the perfect crime
    Don’t cry because it’s
    over. Smile because you got
    away with something.
94. calibration dish
    If they can’t make a
    good cashew chicken, then they
    won’t see me again.
95. modern civics
    Grab all you can get.
    The ends justify the means.
    And also meanness.
96. to-done list
    It can be somewhat
    satisfying to cross off
    items from ’16.
97. conversations in the air
    Ambling down the street,
    chatting with distant friends through
    hidden earpieces.
98. the heap down the street
    We all end up like
    so much junk on the curb, sent
    to oblivion.
99. the new new fandom
    Love what you love, but
    not to the detriment of
    others’ enjoyment.
100. writing a hit song
     Catchy tune with a
     memorable chorus, plus
     lots of tambourine.
101. winter emergency survival kit
     Light the fire. Pour
     the wine. Stay inside. Cuddle
     under the blankets.