[PancakeBrah]

i've become what we had
feared the most, expected at times
Marquette & 79th, my treasure to find
Western Union me a breakfast to dine on
camel smoke and a smile, coke in a vial
stoned denial, roll my Denali over median, watch
driver's side window spiderweb like Wilbur & Charlotte

The line break at the beginning is a deadman specialty. Myself and other people who peruse the OM are conditioned to read each line like a complete thought. Or, better said, we're so used to the typical OM piece doing such. And you're so known for these beautiful non-sequiturs that someone jumping into this piece reads the first line and begins chewing on it, mulling over what it means for a single person to become what a couple had. But it's an unfinished sentence that continues. A use of form and punctuation. It's not in service of a rhyme so it all seems intentional. And it's a normal thought. Discussions about fears between two people, and the 'as expected' both undercuts the ghost of this relationship and hints at the general tone, which is past the point of acceptance and into the examination. Then the cross street and 'my treasure to find', which means nothing to me but a reference, but obviously has personal meaning, which flavors the broader, more relatable emotion you're emphasizing. Which works, to make the work more human. The simple Charlotte's Web simile would get an eye roll check, but you embed it in the same thought that was kicked off by the streets, weaving it together with the noticeable ampersand connection.

figure it out, she says. we sit in heavy decay
shelf-life evaporated powderkegs we stored in our basement
for a rainy day, if we relate it's moments at best
i grabbed your throat and asked a question, did you ever respect me
sweat glands oil lantern light woodpanel the wall
dreamt destroying each utility you paid to install
candelabras smoking as their flames are neglected
i've wept appreciating this dramatic effect
the world is stages, pages, patience, latent repressed
take your shot, make it count. hope it kills me or better
yet, ends it all for certain. mercy me, what a ride
i'm only here to paint a wall and stare at it dry

'Shelf life' to 'respect me' was the highlight of this, to me. The powderkeg thought/lines is just a great way of wording that idea. How you can feel safe in the present with someone because you know the future is bright, and if it isn't bright, you have the reserve(s) to fight through anything. But of course that's not true. Then the transition from this metaphysical wordplay abruptly into something intimately physical is great. A snap back into focus. I liked the dramatic effect line the most out of the ending after that section, but the last three lines were strong as well.

Just really good. I had read and enjoyed too many of your pieces without commenting. Thanks for the read.