This post starts with an ugly confession. I found this guy while I was looking at American Apparel’s new 2009 sun glass line (don’t bother looking, they’re garbage anyway). Apparently he wrote an advertisement for them, and, being at work, I clicked and followed the links. I stumbled upon his site, and then stumbled upon his blog (I’m a great employee!). I found these poems. I want them to speak for themselves, but I found them to have some spark beyond the regular amateurish poetry I read in magazines etc. Anyway, I wanted to share this find with you. You can sort through his archives at http://dallasclayton.com/archives/. I’ve grabbed a few of the gems. He’s the kind of guy who you would think would think in iambs.

PASSING TIME

I’ve been washing the cement
on this same parking lot
every day for the past six years.

No one pays me.
I just like doing it.

It doesn’t get much cleaner
than it was the day before.

But the smell is nice

And I get to wave to people
on their way
to whatever jobs
they’ve been cut out to do.

I don’t know who owns this parking lot
or where this hose is connected
but I like what I do.

And I don’t have to dress up for it.

PATERNAL

Did you know
that sometimes
late at night
your father lays on the floor
in the kitchen
in his robe
and tries to remember
which corner of the house
has held the greatest number of happy memories.

Once he has figured it out,
he goes to the other corners
one at a time
stands there
and thinks of you.