Malfunction

This   poem  was  originally  entitled  How  to

Survive   After    Obtaining   the   Four   Year

Degree but  then  I fell asleep  & upon waking

I entitled it something else. Sometimes I have

dreams  where  February  comes early & I am

left  standing  out  in  the  middle  of  a frozen

lake.   Sometimes  you  glance  at  me  with  a

funny look in your eyes.  Sometimes you  tell

me    to    carpe    diem.    Sometimes    I    do.

Sometimes nobody compliments my jeans so

I buy more pairs of jeans. Sometimes nobody

says anything so neither do I. Sometimes it’s

raining & sometimes it isn’t.  Sometimes  we

step outside & our footsteps are engrained in

the dirt. Sometimes we bathe ourselves in the

river. Sometimes you ask me why my poems

are arranged in columns like obituaries.