-

Strolling down the naked street,
I follow brick facades and paint chipped doorways,
listening to music from open windows above,
static to the sleeping trios
with silenced violins in cases of quarters

Whiskey bottle wind chimes
****** on the curb in high pitched sonatas
floating on waters from washed dogs and cars,
denting front lawns in tread mark stupidity
as the city pulls out the stops

Sirens join in the festivities,
out of tune with hopes for happiness,
but running red lights just the same
as envious teenagers fall from death metal
logo’d skateboards, tearing already torn jeans

While wondering why no one smiles anymore,
a yellow cab stops, the window rolls down
“Need a lift buddy?” and before I can answer,
the back window rolls down and I see her,
she pats the seat and motions me in

As the car pulls away I ask, “Where we headed?”
“To the sunset, I hear it’s beautiful this time of day” she giggles
then leaning over, she kisses me
“How was your day handsome?” she asks like a song
“Perfect now, I just love happy endings”

.

Wandering among the lonely
Searching for the smile I lost
Rain still follows my endeavor
Spending clouds to heed my cost

Flowers bloom though fragile petals
Hide behind the thorned abyss
Reaching in my skin is tattered
Of this one my heart does miss

Tired muscles burn of Mondays
Breathing hard against the wind
Falling stone an endless detour
Still I make my way again

When a light of soft temptations
Glows of warmer summer days
Sending forth a sense of meaning
In the beams it now displays

What is this now towards me runs
Blurry eyes on silhouette
As a voice of angel’s singing
One I shall not soon forget

It is her my one desire
Reaching out to take my hand
Tears recede, my smile returning
Neath the fruits of love I stand

On my knees I fall of weakness
Can this be my dream come true
As she whisper, soft endearing
“Hear these words I say to you”

“Have no fear, I shall not leave”
“Come with me my soul is yours”
“Never more shall love evade us”
“Every step this heart endures”

When on wings of silver satin
I am lifted from the ground
Wrapped within her arms forever
I was lost but now am found

_

You are that special place
where my heart tends to fly
and I can be anything I chose

Where prying eyes don’t matter
as I dance like an idiot
on a street corner downtown

Or pick up a baby sparrow
returning it to its nest
in the midst of a war

I can climb a tree
in the park to get a better view
of yesterday’s sunset

Hail a yellow cab
with my eyes closed
to take us anywhere we’ve never been

Open a door
and pull out your chair
in the middle of a hockey game

Or shout loudly “I adore you”
in the reference section
of the local library

These thoughts may be a little absurd
but I am trying to make a point,
so you know how I feel because…

You are that special place
where I can be me
*and know I will be loved anyway

.

Here I am again
I stir in my bed, waking
as my thoughts instantly
become you

How did you sleep,
how do you feel,
are you smiling
and are you thinking of me too

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes,
I stumble to the kitchen,
make myself a cup of coffee
and grab my notebook

I hear thunder in the distance,
as I sit down to write
another poem I hope you will see,
but you probably won't

Words seem lost in my empty heart,
but still I write,
as if I am talking to you,
as if you can hear me

Telling you how much I love you,
in short verses filled with my affection,
truthful phrases expressing how I feel
in my best poetic way

Yes, here I am again
another dark rainy dawn,
another poem written,
another Sunday morning...missing you

I walk in angry winds on a shadow bled morning
as my heart falls in pieces, scattering atop
fractured dreams of yesterday’s questions
waiting in the dark corners of doubt

Storms release their fervid torrents
dousing the flames of affection
and broken matchstick desires
in between ash stained rock and earth

Gathering twisted twigs that spell out
only what my breath reveals,
sitting in a pile alone at the edge,
curved lines of missing you
  
Staring up at the charcoal heavens,
memories I count abort the night sky,
falling in tears of words ending
in whispers you’ll never hear

If only I were important
The sunrise would matter
I could wake with a smile
Reliving the dreams of the night before
Looking forward to a new day
Of fresh air filled with
Springtime fragrances

But I stay here beneath these covers
Hidden from the light
Eyes swollen shut from tears
Thoughts screaming in my mind
So loudly that sleep
Does not come easy
because I am not

If only I were important
I could live
But I am not

What is pathetic?

You know, it’s like when the
forecast calls for rain
and puddles form in your eyes
because rivers flowing
against the current
cause your heart to break
like that thin layer of ice
that seems so sturdy
but is only as weak
as that first step you take
backwards away from the opening
revealing a frigid stare
you’ve seen before,
the last time you saw yourself
as she does now…

Yeah, it’s just like that

.

Darkness once again greets me
staring in through the windows
Morning still sleeps silently,
dreaming of the dawn
My coffee keeps me company
as I wait for my sunrise...

Not on the eastern horizon,
an orange glow shimmering
through the distant tree line,
but the one in my heart
that shines each day
when I hear from you again

-

In my eyes you're perfect
In every sense I see
And not just for the happiness
You send so sweet to me

In everything you do
Your smile does proceed
I’ve never seen you hesitate
When someone is in need

Your days begin determined
They end the same way too
You live your life completely
As if the world were new

Your love of nature follows
Every step you take
You welcome any season
Each morning you awake

A simple poem touches you
And makes your smile shine
Music is your constant friend
It’s with you all the time

Your beauty is a blessing
Outside as well as in
There is nowhere that I could look
To find a better friend

So please accept this poem
I hope you know it’s true
I see you as amazing
In all you say and do

And if these verses find you
When me you’re thinking of
I will use this final line
To send you all my love

"

Watching dizzying swirls
on iron drains filling,
splashing dazed onlookers
which I am
Dampening shoes to socks,
newspapers overhead
shredding in the downpour,
papyrus leaf shapes
floating like champagne bubbles
hypnotize my thoughts
till I swim for the shoreline
where you stand,
providing the sun
I so dearly miss

~

If I were
  a yoyo,
   there’d be
  no need
     to wait
for me to
  come back up…
   because
  I’d never
     leave your
         *hand

-
Can someone please tell me why,

when I have met the most amazing woman in the world,
one who brings a smile to my face like it has never worn,
makes my heart sing in harmony with everything beautiful,
touches me in ways that feel as soft as an angel’s wings,
lifts me to new heights of happiness where I can barely breathe,
allows me to dream the most wonderful dreams with my eyes wide open,
has become such a part of my life that I can not even imagine one day without her,
gives me a confidence and strength I have never before felt
and has shown me what love truly is,

that I sit here scared to death?

.

Why does the heart
have to dance in the silence
wishing the music
would somehow not end

Long distance dance floors
of love you are missing
Changing the station
to songs you now send

Still with a worry
that rips at your tap shoes
Laced up and knotted,
reflect on the sole

Harder decisions
now not so melodic
Chasing your dreams
running out of control

There is a place
where you sit now just thinking
a nice quiet corner,
the volume turned down

Feeling the tears
as they drip to the sawdust
pulling away
as you're wearing a frown

Still there's a step
while the last song is playing
Held in his arms
as your world starts to spin

Kiss him good night
knowing all will be perfect
It's meant to be
you'll be dancing again

♡

I carved your name
in a heart,

it was my heart...

I hope the scar
*is permanent

How am I supposed to write
when poetry becomes
nothing more than
wasted words,
Merely phrases on a page,
staring back at me asking why,
why do you bother,
when she won’t see it anyway

.

I’m making my way through the crowded aisles on worn carpeting
dodging the throngs of shoppers and chrome plated display racks,
even the escalators are overflowing here at Hudson's Bay, but it is Saturday, I guess everyone decided to shop today, I hate shopping

Hard to believe how quickly fashions change, short skirts, long skirts
Wide ties, narrow ties, last month's style now out of style
Maybe the mannequins get bored with what they are wearing,
they certainly look like the type. I smile thinking about it

“Excuse me, can you help me?” I turn at the tug on my sleeve
and I am face to face with the most beautiful woman I have ever seen
Brown hair, eyes a shade lighter and a smile that takes my breath away
“Um sure, how can I help?” I ask feeling like I might step on my tongue

She holds up a blue sundress with black belt, “I found this over there,”
Pointing to the shoe department “Do you have this in green, it’s so cute
and green is my favorite colour?” As I think, it is my favorite colour too
So many colours, rack after rack, it's making me dizzy or is it her?

I see them, beneath a non-bored looking mannequin in a green one
“Yes, right over here.” She follows with the look of a child happily anticipating a two scoop ice cream cone on a hot humid summer day.
“Here they are,” I say, her eyes glow as we arrive at the dresses

‘I hope you have my size,” she sighs moving from one to another
“Yes here it is,” she flashes that smile.  My heart skips a beat
“Great, is there anything else I can help you with?” I offer nervously
“A fitting room?” she asks with the cutest giggle.

They're easy enough to find but I'm helping, “Sure thing, over here,”
She makes her way behind the paisley curtains and I hang around,
she might need something else, you just never know
A minute later she steps out, she looks absolutely gorgeous in that dress

Standing at the three sided mirror, she sees me staring.
“What do you think?” she spins around, mesmerizing me as she does
“It looks beautiful, that dress was made for you,” I say and I mean it
“Good, I will take it!” she says excitedly “Wait here, I’ll be right back”

She bounces out of the fitting room and hands me the dress, then noticing the blank look on my face she asks, “Can you check me out?”  
Now this is awkward as I stutter, “Um, uh…I don’t work here.”
“Oh my god,” she laughs touching my arm, “You poor man, I am so sorry”

“That’s okay, any day I can help a beautiful woman is a good day”
“I feel dumb, I thought you...can I make it up to you,” she offers
“That won’t be ness.”  She cuts me off mid sentence, “Are you hungry, can I buy you lunch?” I am dumbstruck momentarily…

”Sure, lunch sounds great.” “Good, let me pay for this and we will go.”
As we leave the store she says,
“That’s funny, most men don’t like shopping”
“Not me, I love shopping…now”

■

The day ends
and with it my smile,
where unanswered thoughts
cling to heavy eyelids,
becoming drowsy,
falling closed,
still not knowing,
what waits for me
tomorrow
and I will not ask......

I followed the road map I found
inside my broken heart
and drove to the very edge of yesterday
Got out of my car and looked over the side
There at the bottom of this very deep ravine
I could see today, so I jumped…

there will be no tomorrow

It’s not déjà vu,
if it were
there would be a chance
it had never happened before,
that it is only my imagination

But it has
and it is,
she's gone, again
it haunts me,
my heart's nightmare
with my eyes wide opened
and I wish
I could shut them
I wish I could

It's not déjà vu
it's happening again

I wish my life was déjà vu
if it were
there would be a chance
it had never happened before
that it is only my imagination

Time
Seconds counting
Spinning in endless design
Adding up minutes
Filling gaps in daydreams
Changing sky colors
Pushing everything forward
Something to stare at
Looking at the clock
Crawling on its hands
Dragging out hours

Time
You said in time
This pain would heal
The sadness would disappear
But time has stopped
The world has ended
And so have I

It can't happen in time
When you are out of time

.

I have awoke to misty morns,
    clouded days of rain filled skies

But always I do see the sun,
      *when first I gaze into your eyes

It’s raining dumb in my part of the world
and every cloud has my name on it
Puddles on fractured sidewalks
reflect saturated idiocy
As drops fall like bullets,
shot from fog induced accusations
Each one hitting the wrong target
because I am still here
and I am not hard to miss

I am the one on my knees

~

Even the
    loneliest
  of days
      eventually
          end

I am so
     thankful
    mine always
         end with
              *you