The council on free coffee convened
Houseless, their energy and mine
Rattling off the officer stationed
By the locked door.
A large man stumbled in
And when he tried lay down
You could hear his veins shatter
Like a brittle rotted oak
Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48, 2023



I'll write (generally, fires)
 Acrylic on Canvas, 36 x 48, 2022



New Bern Clock Tower
Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48, 2022



Trick me into dancing again 
In a dark kitchen 
Convince me to run across the freeway 
I brought you a sign — blue feathers 
Criss crossed on the sidewalk 
so We’ll quietly blackout together 
Sipping each other’s eyes 
I’ll keep calling 
While you drive West through The mountain 
With river and your notes
 On your mind turned inside out 
Fossil hunting, fantasy humming 
Tune a string, and stick hymns 
On your dashboard 
I’ll be East across the Appalachia 
By now, 
Painting you from memory
Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 48, 2022




Two years ago, 
I saw her leaning up against some rock 
In the summer sun, 
her face red 
Short cut blonde hair 
and straight leg jeans 
Jack had brought her along to the river 
Which was slow and glittering 

I took off my shirt, embarrassed but 
Trying to not be embarrassed 
And sat on the beach 
Thumbing cider and Marlboros 
Watching them swim out to the island 
Against the current 

Jack never did take off his shirt 
She wasn’t interested in Jack 
Or anybody else really, but 
We were both wondering 
If she would fall in love 
With either of us 
Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48, 2022




Got off shooting him in the knee 
My grandpa bent the gun in half 
I’ll never learn all the songs 
He used to sing us you see 
They’re buying up all the iodine 
With a bull moose staring back at me 
My dad broke all the glasses 
And Jack still sings alone 
Steal it all off the line 
I keep stealing your eyes 
I need em you see 
To lie down and sleep for awhile 
I’m broken memory 
I’ll paint her 
On the wetland 
What was she praying for? 
Diptych, Acrylic on canvas, 48 x 72, 2022




Fortune Cookie #1 
A distant friendship could 
Begin to look more promising 

She said her body doesn’t 
Want me to move to North Carolina 
Half price cigarettes 
And $900 for a two bedroom 
But what’s the use for second bedroom? 
She keeps weaving on a loom 
When’s she going to cut it off? 

Fortune Cookie #2 
You have the makings of a Leader — 
take charge 
I can only take charge of my life 
Between the hours of 10 am - 1 pm 
Tuesday through Thursday 
The rest of the time 
I’m recovering from my decisions 
On a few 
Drunk dials 
With my father
Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48, 2022




Figures smack of being aimless
Look at red wildflowers and gross war
We’ll ignore it too
Years ago,
Of the suck of the hollow
Beneath her knee
God came and went when I was 14
Because the church has dealbreakers
Spring spits up color like a drunk
To be alive is to suck air and silt
At the very least,

Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 48




I keep painting those I love 
To keep them around 
A little longer
Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 48, 2022




Father
Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 48, 2022




   
Sister smoking in that damn garage
Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48, 2022




On the bus outside Portland
Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48, 2022




Maddy and Jack
Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48, 2022