How to Disappear

1

You had been swinging restlessly
between the appearance of spontaneity
and the appearance of serious thought.

You had been changing lanes
after a glance
in a mirror honest about
its tendency to distort.

What choice did you have?

It was soothing to watch
wisps of smoke
from a nearby chimney
disappearing
one by one.

2

Do you like pulses,

ridges, ripples
stretching into obscurity?

Would you prefer a flicker
to a steady light source?

This one stutters
slightly,

hesitant,

as if it could hold something
in reserve

Source: Poetry (July/August 2020)