Barely Breathing

The Poet Spiel

these are perilous times—

—when you don’t know

if you should
teach
your little ones
to sleep standing up
with their backs
to the wall
and their running shoes on

or if you should
benevolently
slip quietly
into their bedrooms
to place a pillow
over their faces
then press it downward
til the frantic kicking ceases

ISBN 1-59661-135-9
190 pages/$9

The poet Spiel's Web site is www.thepoetspiel.name.