An eye for an eye
a tooth for a tooth
for all of me
I'd only accept
all of you

They enter as animals from the outer
Space of holly where spikes
Are not thoughts I turn on, like a Yogi,
But greenness, darkness so pure
They freeze and are.

O God, I am not like you
In your vacuous black,
Stars stuck all over, bright stupid confetti.
Eternity bores me,
I never wanted it.

What I love is
The piston in motion ----
My soul dies before it.
And the hooves of the horses,
There merciless churn.

And you, great Stasis ----
What is so great in that!
Is it a tiger this year, this roar at the door?
It is a Christus,
The awful

God-bit in him
Dying to fly and be done with it?
The blood berries are themselves, they are very still.

The hooves will not have it,
In blue distance the pistons hiss.

O, Traveller
They were glorious
Our boys in gray
Tho the blue carry this day
We shan't forget
No, never.

O, Traveller
Did you see them march
To beating drum
To smoke and fire
Our boys in gray
We shan't forget
No, never.

O, Traveller
This rain and mud
Virginia awaits in sorrow
The day is gray
For our boys
We shan't forget
No, never.

r ~ 5/26/14

I live for the moments of pure joy. Those moments of sheer ecstasy.
Where everything is not just fine; it's borderline-perfect.
It reminds me that I am alive and well.
That hope still lies around the corner no matter how many times I trip on this uneven sidewalk.
I cherish every laugh and smile my loved ones bring me. And I want them to know that they are the
only reason
I still wake up in the morning.
A thank you just isn't good enough and will never compare to what they have done and still continue to do for me.