Three Poems by Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozabal

 

Heavy Machinery 

 

I brought out the heavy machinery, a

sharpened pencil, many pencils. I 

brought out two notebooks. I wrote

the same poem many times, changing

the words around to make them seem

better. I always rush things. I am an

economizer of time to the detriment 

of everything I write. This time I thought

I would take my time. A lot of my poems

are a race to the finish. I give myself 

a couple of minutes. Times up in less

than five minutes, sometimes in two or

three. Hence, many short poems with

bare branches. I am content doing 

it this way. I do not have centuries to

write. I consider myself lucky to have

any time at all. Poetry is the world to me.

I am fine without the heavy machinery 

and revision. Besides I do not know 

how long I have left to say.

 

 

Follow the Clouds 

 

I gazed with open eyes

at blue grey cloudy skies.

I thought of ancient times.

I kept an open mind.

 

The past is on rewind

time and again with 

death’s gaze falling on me.

Still, I pretend that I 

 

will outlive everything.

This keeps me hoping for

better days and so I 

attempt to rewrite what 

 

history has in store

for me. I follow the

clouds disappearing. I 

will join them one fine day.

 

 

Slept Like Death

 

I spent the night away.

I spent the night so far away.

I slept like death all night

only to return to life.

 

I slept on and on in

the clothes I wore to work.

I took the hands off all clocks.

I thought that I could cease.

 

I slept in ruins and

wore a death mask all night.

It was so dark in my dream.

I slept like death itself.

Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozabal lives in California and works in the mental health field in Los Angeles, CA. His poems have appeared in Blue Collar Review, Lothlorien Poetry Journal, Nerve Cowboy, Red Fez Publications, and Unlikely Stories.