VOICES FROM THE FIRE: Marc Olmsted

Busted

Busted the zipper on my jeans, fatso 

blue hair fading growing out grey-black 

beard already snowy – 

66 maybe 20 years left. 

“We’re building a community 

of health and wellness” 

– the billboard promises – 

while here comes Homeless Dirty Hands 

with his label’d 

Zombie Survival Kit bag

Was the girl in the 

faux snow leopard coat 

speaking in tongues 

or just really 

fast?

ONCE AGAIN

Once again Los Angeles 

and Richard has a new way to make coffee – 

the coffee maker broken. 

“Turn on the gas & light the stove 

you’ll probably need a flashlight” 

handing it to me 

the Japanese screen at the window 

torn methodically by the cat 

one big gash 

lets in the gray brilliance 

of Mar Vista morning fog 

not yet burned off from the beach 

the smaller tears 

a pattern of strange beast poetry 

feed me that was good touch my belly

MOTEL 666

It said “near the airport” 

– it wasn’t – 

“Non-smoking room” 

– stench of cigarette decades. 

– Free wifi down  

TV broken 

I hurried back to Terminal 5 

after broken sleep –  

bus to first day of retreat