Somewhere out there...
In all that cold...
All that
D
          A
                     R
                               K

Is a good woman
Ready to be loved
By a good man
If only
She’d let me go...

An officer is
Educated in war
Combat
Conducive to Compassion
Leaders among men
Knows even when he doesn’t
Delegated
&
Dedicated
To the cause

The dead were many
On this side
And on theirs
One stood out to the
Officer
As his enlisted ripped
Toiled
&
Dismembered
His lifeless
Body

Arm broken
Skin under his nails
Riddled with bullets
Innumerable number
Of the officer’s own
Around this enemy soldier
Face covered in blood
The officer wanted to know
Why

Then it came out
The Letter
Written by him that morning
The officer unfolded

‘By the time you read this it’ll be a week until you are my Mrs., my have and to hold...my forever entrenched...’

The officer folded it neatly
Placed it back where it fell
&
Ordered his men to clean the
Soldier
As if he were his own
Who fought
Valiantly
Not to leave this world
If
Only
For
Love

‘I wish we could all fight for a love as beautiful as this...’

What if we don’t get up from the bed today?
Don’t call in sick
Don’t go to class
Don’t notify anybody
Who would come for us?
Would there be any concern
For days?
Hopped out of the fray
Swam to shore
Out of this
Raging River
After a week
Your employer
Your mom or dad or siblings
Would be asking if everything
Is ok
Then the bill collector
Power company
Mortgage company
After a month
You just simply decided to leave
Without telling anyone
What freedom did you achieve?
We weren’t programmed for this
To work 12-14 hour days
To die tired
&
Yet we do it everyday

Hitting snooze 5 times this morning is my only victory

I’d caught your eye off Broadway
One evening
Your hair pulled back
The sweat from the streets

Followed you up to
Washington Square
In Autumn leaves
You turned around and smiled

That upright bass was pumping
Crowds were swaying in
Harlem
I had my best gray suit on
Polished Florsheim wingtips
Electric maroon tie

That lipstick of yours
Made your eyes
Glitter so much goodness
The floral print of that dress
Forever
Tattooed
Upon my memory

‘It’s nice to meet you...’
And we couldn’t take our eyes
Off each other
That first night
Jazz trumpets
Trane hitting that sax
Moonshine
To go with
Moonlight

3am
Walking back south
Through the park
Your hand disappeared in mine

‘I want to see you tomorrow...
I say
‘I want to stay with you today...
You say

‘I’ll never kiss another...’

Good medicine or bad medicine
You protected me
Like a mother would
Shielding me
Even if my clouds were dark
My eyes red
My skin made of scales

You still made something
From me
Saw the good
Even when I didn’t want to be

It’s okay to ruin someone
With love
It’s never okay to ruin
Their trust
In people

If she says it first
Believe her
Ruin her with love

All those wanting your
Attention

Let them fall into the abyss
Ruin her with love

Not just flowers
But everlasting
Devotion
&
Compromise

Dedicate with impunity
Kiss her little toe
Let you be her drug of choice

ruin her with love

Cry with her
Argue with her
Make up for days
Hide things for her heart to find

RUIN HER WITH LOVE

And if you can’t do that
Then leave her where you
Found her...

&
One day you’ll be too much for them
&
They’ll leave and never come back
&
They’ll delete you from their life
That idyllic
Romantic
Notion
All of it

&
You’ll be tempted to go after them
Let them go
Set them free
Unlock the cages
You’ve put them in
The Empty Promise Cage
The It’ll Get Better Over Time Cage
The There Is No Other Love Cage

Be happy for them
&
For yourself
They’ll remember you fondly
As no other
Perhaps a song
Or a verse you wrote
Especially for them

&
Get used to one meal checks
Wine down the drain
Unanswered pleas
The smell of them in your clothes
Their pillow you can’t part with
&
Realize it was your uniqueness
That made you different
What they fell for
&
What tore
You
Apart