I find myself staring into
the mouth of memory,

wet cotton, fine needles
and wine

my mouth turns wet at
the thought of it

to hold such history
in my mouth

and twist the knives that
my teeth make

into it

May you always be glad
And all your steps be light
All your nights be merry
And all your days be bright

This wish I have to spare
This prayer I pray for you
May your skies be sunny
And all your oceans blue

With every shooting star
You dare to wish upon
I pray that all your dreams
Will always meet the dawn

But there is one thing that
I wish with all my heart
Something I've felt for you
Yes, from the very start

I hope that one day when
Your heart is wearing thin,
Your sight is all but gone
From the places you've been

I hope that you can say
With utter certainty,
A lifetime of adventure
Is all you'll ever need

I hope on your deathbed
As your breath leaves your chest
That you can say Surely
That you did your best

That everytime you spoke
You left a little smile
Upon the lips of those
You'd talked to for awhile

Everyone you spoke to
Left a little better
No longer prisoners
But shedding their fetters

For every smile you cast
And every hug you give
May cleanse the souls of those
Who find it hard to live

And isn't it better
To smile and save a life
Than quietly pass by
And leave them to their strife?

Pigeon holes in parkay
Table manners setting Time to
Silvery blades tuning the leather
Strap by the cackling fireplace
Spitting as it speaks,
Slapping his back
Dear God, she rasps
Her dismembered finger
Wavered above the page
The sage thickening the air
To a sack with no end
And no way back
There is no saving the Flesh,
And this, sung
Hung above his ear
Left on the floor
Revelations 3:16
The moon drifts past the door
The Roar of the minister
His arms settling thunder
Shivering burlap wraps
And more buried under
The scepter fern
Burn these pages, she skeets
Between pulled teeth
The rot of breath
Eating its own meat
Creep, the Time and
So her biding
The knots grow, and tighter
The Blessed Unkinding
A rhapsody, not a Hymn
Begun with Amens
Ending with a *****
Soil, and my arms in

The first night of 2017,
Hearing some of Gary Burton's tango,
Reminiscing of 2016,
Shaping the perfect atmosphere of night,
Accompanied by this candle who's bright,
Flickering because of the music's vibe,
While seeing me reminisce, describe.

How sad a world would be
If we had one second chance
Fail twice and that would mean
No way to now advance

Come in once late to work
And now your warning is acquired
Turn up late again and well
Pack up your things, you're fired

Miss that book deal deadline twice
Time to find a new career
After every small mistake
You would live in constant fear

But as I sit and ponder
How sad this life would be
I can't stop thinking of the pain
That you have caused to me

The seventh time you broke my heart
The hundredth time you lied
In a world of second chances
I could push you to the side

In a world of second chances
We'd be forced to stay apart
And now you could no longer toy
With my damaged broken heart

A world of second chances
Would spare me all this pain
But I guess I'll give you another shot
For you to break my heart again.