I can't believe how much I love picking the scabs of so many drafts.

These are a few finished(?) works from various Chaple classes.

A Wake

After the waves of the mildly concerned
Have come and gone,
The casseroles, aligned on the counter,
Sit side by side congealing.
There is no more room in the refrigerator.
It is just us now; we group of kids
Standing around the island in Jake’s kitchen.
Our heavy shoes kicked off as we crowd around
The shot glasses, shoulders bumping.
We squeeze to get close, pack ourselves in tighter
As Jake pours each shot to precision.
Little flakes of gold swirl and catch the light.
Then, he raises his glass the highest.
“Drink up,” Then, all at once,
We feel the burn travel down our throats.
We make it a game of dousing our hearts.

Weird Fishes

It read,
“You are my spine, a borrowed or a stolen thing.”
I watching this documentary on fish,
But mostly, I was rereading your letter.
The envelope’s area code was smeared
(I wouldn’t have recognized those numbers anyhow)
The off-white paper was smudged and crumpled.
The most eloquent “Thank You,” I ever received
Came just after I helped you escape
This bible town, belted to the tightest notch.
And these queer fish, can you believe?
Change their sex like you
Change brass cuff links.