Sweetgrass

The antiquity of efficiency
upon meager means recalls

the struggles of necessity giving
Rise from one's ancestry does fall

amongst Sweetgrass & Sassafras.

PsjWebber
(11 Oct 21)

I Was There, But not There

I remember when you:
When were born
When you first crawled
When you first talked

Eyes water.

You fell
You ran
And then you charged ahead.

Throat dries.

You were really good
Then you were really bad
And we all laughed

Lips quiver.

I remember when:
You learned how to learn
You celebrated
And you graduated.

Chest swells.

I remember when:
You were sad,
When you grieved
And when you cried a lot

Heart pounds.

When you loved
Then you cherished
And then you gave life to your very own.

Blood races.

When you had birthdays
Then you had holidays
And then there were the Little Ones.

Lungs collapse.

I remember when:
There were hugs and kisses;
You needed me
Until you didn’t need me anymore...

Body shakes.

I should be easy now for me to
Understand why
You do not need me anymore
Because the Time
Has passed and I was there,
But not really there for you.

Tears fall.
(12/31/20)

Afternoon Prayer Mosque

Glowing midnight skin
those dark eyes promised
& sprinkled upon velvet,
like stars.

Her whispered
'Sub-hannal-lahs'

with sublications upon fingertips

'Al-hamdu' lil-lah'
pantamining movements
where hands could speak no words,
or gentle hellos.

We prostrated ourselves kneeling
& looking outside windows across the sky,
the clouds white as snow
& pedestrians,
like ants a thousand feet below...

She asking Allah,
like her grandfather
to grant upon us too favors.

(11 November 2007)

My
Southern Violin

Southern sounds
carrying across the wind,
My heart sings
at your voice
making music like a
Violin…

I hear Ya' callin'
"Itsa' Yo Woman, Cara'lyn!!"

Our feet naked
against the cool, lush and thick green
washin' pleasure
up between our toes
wit' yo' carefree twang
hummin' in my ears…

I hearsa' girl playin'
but nutin' else is sweeta' than
seein' a woman in full swing,
or the smell of tha' honey-suckle rose.

There's Jasmine flowin'
gently through the breeze
& watchin tiny humin' birds
dancin' in the summer trees;
It's just womanfolk laughin'
out loud, "Girl stop, Girl please!!"

I calls you, "My Funny Face Girl"
with those teeth
full lips open wide
against dark, glowin' skin…

My cheeks rise
effortlessly,
Eyes lay upon yo'
Full figure swirl
Claimin' pleasures
Like the original Sin…

It's just our Souls
Touchin'
before our senses
can begin;

I'm takin' you all in
"You're mine!!!"
I know, no one coulda'
ever own ya'
because your Spirit
is Free & your Wills
too strong…

I'm just claimin
my Desire
for ya'
& You done told me
that ain't wrong…

My "Funny Face Girl"
gorgeously You laugh
layin Your head upon my shoulder;

Leaving me caught up
in the rapture
of sights & sounds of our shared
Memories of a life belongin’
to the smells, sights & sounds of
De’Jevu lovin’

(Psjwebber 08/12/03)

20/20
Hindsight
Always wishing,  
seeing & hoping for
something
anything
more ...
that never came
because of daring
neither to try,
nor the courage to fight
for Love...

An unwanted Son
shines upon the back doorsteps,

Once left behind
like scattered newspaper parcels
inside a morning dumpster;

as she laughs
without candour & smiles
without remorse,
evaporating the panic
to dry up the tears.

The numbness becomes
trapped somewhere
between two seasons,
the present & the past;

remembering that seperation
burns like tearing skin
across the surface & uneveningly deep

As shock beckons truthfullness
& begs for meaningful clarity,

he pushes her away
& tosses her aside

like a cigarette ****
held floating in Time,
once finished,
is flung across the air
& beside a dumpster
like an unwanted Son.

Psjwebber
(16 April 2004)