10 Short Poems in the Comfort/Disaster of my Bedroom Desk

1. Gesso

Acrylic white paint used to make surfaces

on objects other than canvas, prevents bush destroying

simple transformations equal wood and cardboard paintings

2. Litter Box

Blue box filled with liner and litter for easy cleanup

Cat is too enthusiastic a digger, destroying the plastic

Piss and shit everywhere, liner rolled over, big mess

3. Book

Inferno by Eileen Myles sits lonely on my desk

I’ll probably never read it, though I tell myself otherwise

A wasted purchase of A Poet’s Novel collecting dust

4. Pens

In a purple cup on my desk, black pens used for art

The cat is filled with mischief, takes a paw knocks over cup

Pens take too much snuggle time away

5. Paint Brushes

Brushes long, thin, small, round, in a plastic case

sitting on desk waiting to be waved onto canvas or wood panels

The palettes and pallet knives are jealous

6. Empty Pill Bottle

Acetaminophen sucked down like Jolly Ranchers

500mg tablets for the ankle and knee pains

Wish it could cure the rod in my leg

7. Xacto Knife

Sharp artist knife used for the visual arts

hand-made clocks, cutting shapes on foam board

Cardboard sculptures do not last very long

8. Hangar Wire

A small silver circle out of my curating kit

Wire to hang up heavy art frames

How can thin silver wire be that strong

9. Grumbacher Paint

Blue, Red, Cadmium Yellow, Titanium White, Burnt Sienna.

Primary colors next to white and a composite color

They keep the paint brushes company when they get lonely

10. Canvases

16x20 white canvases waiting for splashes of color

Standing next to my desk waiting to be used or attacked

The cat pummels head first into unfinished pieces