more/less

and when the world

comes crashing in
like it always do
I’ll

every time the sun rises
paints the sky
I say
Hey, God
well done
love you
too

hold you tight
in my mind
if nothing
else
dreaming
of into for
the reality

orange-maroon globe
this morning
perfectly round
delicate
strong
and set
in hazy summer dawn
sky
misty gray-pink

eight bells

that

cussed white dress
lulls me into
security
by standing
so quietly in the
corner
of my mind
hands folded
behind her
back
until the odd
bewildering
moments when she
leaps
forward
voluminous
skirts flapping
and fluttering
to remind me she’s
there
and isn’t
going
anywhere

one very long measure

soft promenade

graceful

circle

(dancing)

eloquent arms

yearning
reaching
poetry of all, of none, of this
(strength)
fast, slow
in, out
up, down
around, around, around
and hold
stretch
(weakness)
graceful fingertips, wrists
arch of feet, of spine, of neck
whirl
tilt
revolve
leap
(bittersweet ache)
to make you feel
to make you feel
to make you feel
(my love)

wants and wants

I bash her on the head

and sink her

into my deepest, darkest dungeon

but she rises

oh
she rises
again, and again
her times of slumber
shorten,
her strength grows

again she rises,

awakening again
and again
I swallow her
with all my will
I push her down—
not yet, not
yet again

could I but promise her

soon
soon, my darling, soon

oh my darling

will soon ever come?

will she ever

fly free?

or must I

deny her an existence

again and again

and again

and oh—

again

once more

Sing the golden song

Sing the light that gleams along

that gleams along the curves

the curves

the curves

Sing the kind warmth

the gracious warmth

the mellow, mellow warmth

Sing the sinking orb of sun

Sing the blue, blue, blue of sky

Sing the golden song

Sing the loving song

Sing, and sing, and sing

band

open a bottle of wine,

listen to Over the Rhine
we’re going to pull through,

Karen tells me

we’re going to pull through

let the melancholy meld to beautiful

let the song sink down in

let the possible stay possible,

unburdened by the probable

juxtapose your ordinary self

with your extraordinary soul

feel the tension humming on the wire

feel the piano play

we’re all late bloomers

when it comes to love

upon others

hindsight
should be used
with great care
with great mercy
and
as sparingly
as possible

instead
stick with
rocket pops
on especially hot days
and
still-warm cookies
otherwise