there is a small fire,
a flickering light,
akin to a firefly lost
in the cold mists of night,
shining bright where
my joy should be.

there is a deep well,
a profound darkness,
akin to a cavern flooded
with frigid dark waves
echoing eternally
to the sound of loneliness.

there is a lackluster wreckage,
a broken trireme,
akin to a kingly one
that sailed out of Ithaca,
bleeding memories through
a gashing wound.

there is a rhyme,
a shattered syllable,
akin to a muffled shout
that reverberated throughout
those splintered blinks
of a forlorn childhood...

motherless.

to be sheltered in loving arms,
to be held in sunlight above the crowd
so they may see you bask
in radiance.
to be nurtured.
Would I ever know what it feels like?

fatherless.

to be sheltered in a brave heart,
to be held in moonlight above the crowd
so they may never hurt you
in darkness.
to be protected.
Would I ever know what it feels like?

loverless.

to be sheltered in adoring eyes,
to be held in starlight above the crowd
so you may know truest love
in purity.
to be enamored.
Would I ever know what it feels like?

childless.

to be the shelter.
to hold above the crowd.
to be kissed by a rose on the grave.
to be missed.
Would I ever know what it feels like?

Scorching,
her lingering gaze.

If only I could bathe
in her greying clouds,
in that black vortex
hidden in the storm
of her restless soul.

Torrid,
her warm embrace.

If only I could swim
in her pale downpour,
in that chilling curtain
hiding the world
in her summer storm.

Sweltering,
her mouth caressing.

If only I could drown
in her torrential descent,
in that ephemeral beauty
hiding nothing
of her thunderous lust.

Parching,
her heaving breathing.

If only I could sink
deeper into her,
into that fathom
hiding so much
of her carnal delights.

Searing,
her thrumming hips.

If only I could float
atop her wanton storm,
into the crackling light
revealing the droplets
on her undaunted curves.

Hot,
her body on mine.

To try to sing when all your rhythms are loneliness and decaying forests.

To try to speak when all your words are fragility and pungent mires.

To try to write when all your rhymes are complacency and murky waters.

To try to get those thoughts out when all your mind can shelter are words without rhyme or rhythm...

To try...

When the wind is blowing
with the voracity
of a hundred love songs
that tear flesh from bone,
You have to flow with the whirlwind.

Life doesn't wait for you.

When the earth is breaking
apart beneath your feet
with the fury
of a thousand guttural cries
that freeze the marrow in your spine,
You have to crawl through the gravel.

Life doesn't wait for you.

When the forest catches fire
all around you, burning
with the hunger
of a million weeping mouths,
You have to breathe through the smoke.

Life doesn't wait for you.

When the flood pulls you under
with the tentacled might
of all your failures and sorrows,
with the darkness
of a billion dead suns,
You have to be the light
that burns brightest.

Life doesn't wait for you.

I remember that day we met.

I remember that spark
that ignited the kindling
of my hollowbark heart.

I remember how much
your fire grew, engulfing
the forest in smoke.

I remember that forest fire.

I can see the thunderstorms
overhead, as your soul grew heavy,
ladened with all the sorrow and heartache.

I can see the rain drops
hit the burned leaves and ash.

I can see the storm darken the horizon.

I can see the stormlight
shine through the murk
of your weeping mind.

I can see the sparkling.

I remember that forest fire.

I remember when
you wanted to burn it all down,
all that we built in the forest.

Together.

I remember that first spark.

A taste in my mouth
that lingers on,
even though I have not
shared apricots with you.

A smell in my lungs
that soaks through,
touching my heart,
although I have not
shared hyacinth petals with you.

A tingling in my fingers
that radiates always,
in spite of the fact
I have not caressed your skin,
nor shared any pleasure with you.

A melody in my bones
that thrums in every part of me,
albeit I have not
shared any poems with you in decades.

A mirage in my soul
that dances forever,
yet I have not
shared my essence with you...