Could this god grow as bold
As a prince kneeling to kiss
The parted lips of a peasant?
Could this god kiss even me?

And if he did
Would ancient Roman marble ridges
Meet my mouth
Or would I taste trembling fleshy hills?

I drink from a cool stream.
Would his breath be sweet like expensive perfume,
Or strange like fresh paint?
A breeze blows through pines and I smell dust.

If I followed with my hand his chin to cheek to jaw
Would I trace a landscape of healthy skin cells
Or silver-plaited silken threaded locks?
I grasp at a thousand baby saplings’ roots.

Would his embrace be warm as mother’s
Or cold as grandfather’s father?
Dirt and beauty cover me
As I join grandfather’s father.

Men are falling.
Did you know it?
They just tumble and plop
Into mounds of men
On floors in schoolyards,
In kitchens and beaches.
Beached whales some of them are.
White.
They’re piling up on every surface.
In spirals they fall
From huge heights.
Even from heaven
These men fall
Down to the depths
Inside each of us.
Think of your own depths.
How deep do you go?
Go there.
How far down does the light begin to fade?
Where does it grow dark?
Imagine a dim motel and you’re a child.
“Mom,” you say,
“Mom, where are we?”
“In a mo’ tail, child.”
And in your mind you’re in
The tail of a mouse,
Half wondering if you’ve left anything at home.
You always do
Leave something
Behind.
And in an instant you’re reminded of all the men that fell.
It’s your time to help them.
To run in,
To dive in after them.
“You’re falling in to fast,” your mom tells you
As you gasp for a little tungsten light.
Emblazoned eyes stare on.
Blind gazes catch *****
Of men injecting dust,
With futile infectious lusts.

Then let us walk hand in hand,
You and I and all our noise.
Let us build up noise with every step.
Let us scare away the wildlife, the wolves.
The jackals with their blistered pants.
Let them all take their leave.
Let us level the place
So that nothing obstructs our path.
Lets let life abstract itself around us,
While we maintain our poise
Hand in hand.
If you’d give me two minutes to talk,
I’d likely laugh them away.
But I’d show you a lot,
Like all the things god bought with his mom’s money.
But let’s *****—We’ll get it faster.
We may shatter hearts like glass,
But we’ll get it quicker.
Let’s waste our time with the diseased swine of the land.
Let’s never go hungry
Let’s all but dizzy dine.
Even if they disguise the kitchen and the foyer.

You think you can just enter and speak love
Then leave like nothing stays your feet?
I’ll not have it.
I’ll grip you firmly by the arm
And with luck and charm
And little gilded gifts I’ll sway you.
I’ll have you know, no one just gets to
Leave beauty all around these places I keep
Like fallen flower petals.
I’ll have you know no one disrupts my thinking,
Usurps my muses so without quick consequence.
So prepare thee thy heart for this squeeze,
This embrace ten fold that of other lovers.
Sigh for a life lived alone,
Now you share it with me.