Don Kingfisher Campbell

Break Up (1981)

(1) 

Tonight, I lie alone 

for the first time 

contemplating slow 

carpet 

suicide 

between the rolling verticals of Johnny Carson. 

Outside my window, 

an automobile applauds my decision 

through the wet driveway. 

My Anchor Steam upset 

stomach reverberates acknowledgement 

pounding rainsounds on the bed. 

My heart has reached the 49th level; 

the state of Alaska, the 

wish for another 1964. 

(2) 

I feel like an ex-Beatle. 

Everyone keeps asking me when we'll 

Get Back/Come Together. 

Hey! 

I'm still recovering from her 

neutron apple, 

which left me intact but changed my thoughts forever. 

Alone, I have become aware 

I am a descendant of Adam. Man, 

I hurt. 

There is this pain in my side that 

just won't go away.

Only Two People / The Big Bang (07-24-2011)

when we stand

outside on the sidewalk

when we walk

on the planet Earth

when we lie down

you turn to me

you wrap your arms

around my torso

your chin rests

on my chest

my right arm takes in

your shoulders

I feel your warmth

is a feeling

that makes me

one with the stars

then we kiss

lips on lips on lips 

and I know how

the universe was made

“Breaking Apart the Well-Wrought Object" (06-16-2012)

--title of a lecture by Arthur Sze

A boy jumps around placed purple flowers,

but only to hear his sneakers hit concrete.

He is called away.  Framed windows reflect

rectangular room fluorescence. Inside, a cough,

along with occasional creaking chair, or

rustled sleeve on plastic arm indicates

there are breathing bodies, minds composing

in earthy space, as unseen freeways roar

in the nearby distance, waves try to overwhelm sand,

sky reaches to heaven, not quite making it.

The same for this planet's solitary life;

because infestations grow on surface, deep

in the core, a small sun waits to be

born, to throw light on inner darkness;

to reveal creation continues to create bowls

to crash and repair; gold filling gaps; evolved art.

Big Bangs (01-25-2013)

out out out out out out out out out

out with bombs and incendiary devices

out with rifles and guns

out out out out out out out out out

out with arrows and bows

out with knives and sticks

out out out out out out out out out

out with humans and apes and animals

out with fucking, violence and aggression

out out out out out out out out out

out, out… start, start

start over… over start

split atom

rock hurl through universe

plant push through earth

Thirteen Ways of Looking at Poppies (04-15-2017)

Poppies! Poppies! Poppies! Poppies!

Blown around by the breeze

Like citizens by politics

If Moses had hiked this hill

He would have said the clusters of

Orange flames were beautiful signs of God

Walk as a tee-shirted giant

In the land of the poppies

Swaying by the passing wind

Open petals take in

The sunny flow of air

Fed the feeling of being alive

Shadows pass over the poppies

Shoes temporarily knock flat the poppies

The poppies bounce back up lifted by the following 

A field of orange and yellow and purple

Brings delightful color to the brown hills

The cloudless blue sky

Kneeling amongst the poppies

Get close to pure beauty

Fitting right in

Spotted desert brush

Enhanced by orange and yellow and purple clumps

Such harmony in the variety of colors

The sign says Poppy Festival

April 22nd-23rd but

It's already here

Bearded and unbearded men stroll

Surrounded by poppies

Smiles all around

Buds hang together

Like a group of poppies

Grow to love the company

Outside with the wind dancers

Sashaying to the music of the breezes

Twenty-four hours every day

Put anything next to a poppy

And it's livened up

A bouquet of flowers and object

You are one of the flowers too (08-01-2017)

It’s even easier to acknowledge Veteran’s Honor when it is a lush magenta rose as well.

Take a walk to the Rio Samba, see dresses swirling yellow, orange, and pink.

The Gemini, white center opening out to the sun of red outer petals.

Mardi Gras, you know the brilliance of an electric pink dress touched by frayed brown edges.

Belinda’s Dream, the face in the softest hint of pinkish cream that has more layers than you’ll ever experience again.

A bunch of delicate white rose petals clustered around each other, Pillow Fight! (Radiating suns in the middle of every pillow.)

Scattered white flowers, near pink ones, next to yellow, a Rainbow Knock Out.

Midas Touch is the goldest yellow imaginable; if roses were money….

Royal Amethyst has cornered the market on lavender, such a feast full of flora.

What’s left but yellow heavily tinged with pink, Love & Peace, a perfectly shaped rose.

No, look down at this! Small roses blushing to white…just like Passionate Kisses!

The ultimate coupled rose? A Double Delight of sun yellow vortex and bold red ends.

But what makes this garden complete?

The petite beach-tanned cellphone photographer in her white dress artfully filled with black paisleys, sandal-exposed white-out painted toes, her fragrant smiling face framed by an auburn hairfall.

Fireworks (08-31-2019)

a street tree

exploding with magenta

flowers, each like a fourth

of July fireball in August

spiraling out of the green

held up by brown trunk

on the smooth grass

of a traffic meridian

--and look--there's

another one on

a different island

and again, over here

boom boom boom

bloom bloom bloom