Road Blocks

I come upon
every red light
and road block
along the way.

If you are in a hurry,
prepare for adversity
and all the obstacles
life can throw at you.

Monkey wrenches,
pins and needles,
that voodoo doll,
and the worst traffic
you can imagine.

Break-Up Song

A message from the radio.
Oh, it’s just a song.
Some break-up lyrics and
a bit of pleading.

I turn the dial for something
else less desperate.
I find nothing to my liking.
The radio just offers

the same old songs that get
stuck inside my head.
A message from a songbird
just outside my window.

I tune in to that for a while.
The bird lyrics soothe me
this morning. It’s probably
just another break-up song.

Give Me a Tree

Give me a tree.
That’s enough for me.
Rain in the evening.
Snow once in a while.
In the nest of the
tree singing birds.
Summer in winter
and sun in the day.
Give me a sweet smile
lovelier than any tree.
Give me a time to
see you once again.

Growing Greyer

The hair is not growing,
unless growing greyer
counts. The belly is growing.
My shirt buttons complain.

I am slowing down all
the time. I get so tired.
I need to get in shape,
get fit, and lose the pounds.

The hair is gone for good;
the excess hair from youth.
I grew a beard but shaved
it away after a few years.

I just could not get used
to it. I am sure it would
have made a good mugshot
if I ever got arrested.

Eight Minutes

In eight minutes
I could walk
to the Thai restaurant
and order take out.

In that time I
could start on
the laundry, make a sandwich,
and take my medicine.

In eight minutes
I could just
be a vegetable, drink some
wine, or run in circles.

In eight minutes
I could take
a power nap or write a
poem like this one.

Luis lives in California and works in Los Angeles. His poems have appeared in Blue Collar Review, Mad Swirl, and Unlikely Stories. His book, Make the Water Laugh, is published by Rogue Wolf Press.