In a Yard with Roses

Wayward poppy seeds 
on flimsy paper plates,

the empty 
macaroni salad bowl,

green peeling paint 
on metal chairs,
a chipped blue veil 
on the Virgin Mary's head,
in a yard with roses, 
looming rain clouds, 
a spider
and broken statues, 
in a yard with bees 
that hover too near me 
and this, my amazing 
bratwurst sandwich,
we eat, 
though it is raining on us, 
we eat, 
though we'd rather eat inside.

Rainbow

After the rain 
here in the parking lot 
that's paved with broken 
windshield shards 
sparkling back 
a million hard sunsets 
like crushed orange and lemon 
stained glass candy 
where deep dark puddles 
act as mirrors
to just washed liquid skies 
here, a real rainbow occurred 
a real rainbow
wordless as marquees go 
a silent disco shoot
a bright loopy slide 
stretching universe to universe 
a rainbow 
a real rainbow
spilling out of the sky
and I felt super lucky
and secretly happy 
as I collapsed my umbrella
and saw everyone around me
reaching for their phones.