weekend away
by t. zoEy benally

we disappeared into the garish depths
of the glittering world this weekend
waded-in the shallow end by Sandia Star
held our noses, wet our sweltering heads
predicted to be permanently overheated
lips parched and cracked by inaugural
greenhouse conditions, hatched in our
small desert, unwelcome visitor imposed

we continually pay for the televised world
so it's only fair that we be allowed in
mustard layers billowed out of ash stacks
under fluffy white emission disguise
ocher air, brimming with ozone, but not
the kind that would patch the hole
over antarctica or the rain forests
another people that pay for shiny lights

we wandered the malls, checked out excess
marked down, 75% off, unsold piles
of Christmas decorations, ornaments
dug from our hillsides, sucked from our land
hydrogen sulfide gas released, pooling
around hogans, corrals, dense black
poison earth flatulence, vented
excess cooled and washed with our water

we drove streets and admired houses
where families "do their part" in hopes of
"saving the earth," plastic containers sorted
cardboard allegedly recycled, relieving
them of guilt so they can swim Wal-mart
parking lots, silently tail pedestrians back to
their vehicles, dorsal fin poised prepared to attack
and claim a really close parking spot

we disappeared this weekend, watched television
took showers, flushed the toilet, washed our hands
and faces without leaving the warm hotel room
the floor was carpeted, no gritty sand duned along
window sills, a faux grass mat welcomed us

we disappeared for a weekend, but we are back
hooked up, rubber needles sunk again
into our arms, eternal plasma donors
funding the glittering world with our father,
mother, imprisoned by the gambler, pleasant
in his white marble pueblo in the east
oh, and he sent email while we were gone
to let us know he cut our medical care by 33%

where ever you are now--stay there
by t. zoEy benally

where ever you are now--stay there
eyes awash in liquid crystal display glow
stay, and answer that phone call like you always do
chatter happily with important colleagues
continue networking, power elbow rubs
stay, and pass a little more judgment on so called
team members, relax, gossip, plot, scheme and breathe

whatever you are now doing--keep at it
recklessly drive, speed, 70 MPH, your important
self toward that urgent email box, spewing
alerts like so much volcanic lava and ash
dial that cellphone, shift your eyes from the road
half mile inattention increments for each number
don't let my passing alter your activities

if you didn't give me petals from your heart
bouquets from your mind and soul
precious jewel minutes, intact, unfractured
if i wasn't important enough to merit
an answer to my emails, messages, questions
then keep your cheap plastic flowers
selfish tears, filled with your secret minerals

i am not needed where you are now
so when i am gone, remain there
continue to perch, vulture, on dried juniper
do not circle my empty corpse
once it has been abandoned by this spirit
my ebullient intellect, ideas, creativity, that you fear
stay in your tree, head hooked over pebble heart

i will have no need for your tardy tears
will not appreciate embellished stories
of times we never spent together, shared
i will not even acknowledge ATP expended
body moisture lost after i am dead
so where ever you are now, while i am here
stay there, when i am dead

cardboard
by t. zoey benally

indian designs traverse box edges
sweet dust puffs from frayed corners
brown fibers possess boiled grits flavor
and when you tear taped seams, hollow
sounds vibrate through this conglomeration
of ninety degree angles

rant
by t. zoEy benally

i just carried a box full of records
2 miles from the post office
home in the rain, semis throwing
small chunks of mud at me

i watched my significant other zip past
one mile from home, and i knew
deep in the aching muscles
of my shoulders, forearms, biceps
tired hand tendons, no relief
that i am no more obvious to him
than a mangy stray dog
and these are HIS records!

and before that, i exchanged emails
with an instructor that scheduled
THE MOST IMPORTANT CLASS
the same day we are performing
at Sparrows Poetry Festival
despite my having informed him,
links included, several weeks before

i can see the wimpy dominoes
crashing into each other in a massive
tsunami that will wash all my work
towards graduating in May
down towards life's floor drain
where it will swirl, gathering
lost pubic hairs, dried snot
and swallow down crusted pipes
i will lose elective credits
my University of Michigan biostatistics
credits will expire, and i will end up
driving back and forth to ABQ
to retake these units, increasing
my risk of being taken out
by a glaanii, speeder
or sleepy person
on NM 550...

...and i type this trying to beat the clock
trying to slip under the wire
of the scheduled blogger outage
at 4PM PST!

one word: click
by t. zoEy benally

ninety degrees of metal bites 90 degree metal
silver teeth slide and click, crystal structure shock
corners pinch together, cubist shoulders rub
descend right angle staircases, 11 by seven

one word: pane
by t. zoEy benally

green bottles, brown bottles, clear bottles
recline atop rough cedar tree shade house beams
no doubt chopped, axe nibble, round and round
hands blistered, dribbled sweat burned eyes
now sun shines through improvised skylight
red and amber bottle pane watercolors
tortillas, roast mutton, chili, soda pop and salt

it's freaky that this word came back up on oneword again! fortunately i wrote something totally different than before.

sand under the guardrail
washed down from the hill
presumably headed to the river
small, dirty beach pooled
on concrete at the bridge edge
little pebbles and sticks lounge
no ocean waves lap, no wetness
for the pile of sand trapped
under the guardrail

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