Salamanders by Valerie Deus

No good dreams to report this time
except that a friend described time as moving along
glacially 
but life was passing her by at sleeps’ pace  
We could be fucking in Ohio instead we do it through
email. 

Think of all the time it would take to forget
ourselves and sleep like we mean it - unafraid

I've been having the best sleeps recently
sweetened by them 
I've taken to dancing in front of the TV during the news
As to avoid listening to all the emptiness 
You with you dresses, stories and slow dreams, of all people can appreciate that 

I saw myself today 
She teaches the class before mine
She’s the one who exits when I'm entering
and today for the first time 
I think that she's the future
version of me if I just put "it" in neutral for the
next 12 years  
If I die here, maybe.

She's a defensive dresser, sort of
becoming shapeless, round, soft 
and nice and "interested in teaching," some chalk on her blouse or face, next time
it'll be deodorant or toothpaste, groan, 1988 hair, groaning eyes
Not the worst future for some
Tomorrow I'm going to talk about salamanders and lovers in class
I was hoping that I'd have SOME connection to what
we're working on or at least to relax everyone's sense of

loneliness.Clouds by Domini LeNoir

Fluffy, puffy little cloud
up so high in the sky 
crying out so loud
thundering through the night
Sheets of rain, they do water the flowers
But who's gonna cover me

Up so high in the sky 
fluffy, puffy little cloud
Thundering the night
Crying out so loud
Bu who's gonna cover me?
Sheets of rain, they do water the flowers

Winter 2009
~This is actually a little diddy, and I’ve drawn pictures to go with it.