i watch you with blood shot eyes
by t. zoEy benally

i watch you with blood shot eyes
left leg folded over right, a large "P"
quietly read the Japanese movie on television
remote uncharacteristically discarded
it must be a good movie

my red eyes purvey the dishes, dirty rice
steamer, piled on the table, lunch stink
sesame seed and peanut oil, sea salt
frightful mexican hot sause
all waiting to be lead away

i can finally tolerate the internet, sunlight
with my sparkly, voodoo, zombie eyes
stained crimson by a "bad migraine" (doctor's words)
or maybe viral meningitis (my idea), no, not self-diagnosing
not a hypochondriac, or dressing above my station
just comparing lists of facts, but who am i to say
that i'm not just having a 7-day migraine?

breakfast
by t. zoEy benally

if i could travel to Scottsdale in 30 minutes
i would devour a Protein Pancake
sit on cool blonde wood benches, elbows
rested on sanitized matching rectangle
pour water and tea out of sweaty carafes
stir in aspartame, sucralose, saccharin
or maybe even a packet of sugar

i would need someone to talk to
i enjoy laughter, drizzled over breakfast
brand new ideas shaken out of brains
Tabasco red flecks on eggs, hash-browns
humorous stories embellished and shared
over crunched ice, partially melted best
a brave soul unafraid of dewy morning sun

if i could talk a friend out of warm bed, into
icy cold car, onto frost lined roads
convince a friend to waste gasoline
i would be gone, disappeared to Denny's
and this time i would order a veggie omelet
i promise i would give them time to wake up
hold back my best ideas until caffeine kicks in

i would like to savor tea over dreams
with the most avid dreamers, watch them
pour cream out of tiny white plastic drums
listen to bizarre tales from night journeys
to other realities, dimensions, realms, planes
butter melted into toast, or jam pried from
square tubs, smeared into rough bread landscape

one word: pane
by t. zoEy benally

water drops crusted across
a thin silicone pane
green bug gut smeared
from injury to demise
fairy spinkles dragged by winds
my only protection from
insect protein and rain water