when i last met her
her ******* were bursting with seeds
her thighs plump as stems of plantain
and when in the December sun
she dried her hair behind the acacia
i dreamed of lying with her on the grass
drunk in the moaning song from her navel
till the evening drove us cold and old
and darkness stole her flesh from my eyes
and it's almost December again
as she walks with my hands in her
along the field after crop
just tugging my hand once to stop
delicately drawing from her breast
an Agfa snap of two unreal people
in the most unlikely place
looking awestruck into the lens
passing into the evening light
before leaving me halfway
of her cottage and a home.

Susan
with her china-white skin
relaxed
down to lace bra and *******—

“Have you ever heard this?” she asks

… sets the album, drops the needle
in the groove
We wait till bass fills in the room
sending time and silence empty-handed
down a hallway

Susan lights a joint
settles on the bed
ample legs begging apart
She ***** in deeply
impounding clouds  
Head thrown back
Thick glossy hair—
loses gravity
Eyes half-closed, shadow-heavy
clear and blue like piano
The walls are muted trumpet
stutter-hush of cymbal and the snare
Crackling over scratches

We are barely there

Susan exhales
a swirl of fog to a frail moon
Only her sultry voice still holds me tethered

“Have you ever heard anything— like this?”

Miles flows 
around me
Smoking
On the floor of Susan’s room
lying clothed and drunk
Soaked
with chords and wonder

I never hear him coming

Miles takes his time

I'll paint you a pretty picture,
if you ask me to,
I can,
I'll tell you what you wanna hear,
I will be your biggest fan,

I'll write a long love letter,
& say,
I love you so,
I'll tell you that I'll always stay,
I will never let you go,

I'll sing a song so ****,
you'll wish me there right now,
I'll lay down in your bed,
do whatever you'll allow,

I'll kiss your eager lips,
so softly,
you will melt,
I'll touch you with my hands,
do things you never felt,

I'll love you much sweet baby,
I'll caress your skin tanight,
I'll hold you if you need it,
a feeling,

...oh, so right,

I'll make the night seem darker,
in the darkest lovers night,
a hot & burning candle,
a seductive little light,

Believe that I will come,
& believe that I will stay,
but listen to my words,
then get on your knees & pray,

I'll come to you a vision,
my beauty,
unsurpassed,
be careful there dear poet,
if this offer shouldn't last,

Just wish me to your door,
bring me right there,
next to you,
I'll swear on my dear grave,
that the words I say are true,

Though,
don't wait up too late,
don't count on it too much,
listen to me poet,
cuz' elusive is my touch,

This muse just doesn't wait,
so,
the offer it is fleeting,
not catching me will feel,

Like that big ol' heart stops beating.

Cherie Nolan © 2016

Behold!
that drawing in
                 of breath
                         a minty
              entanglement
   of starlit senses
How they curl
       like the opposite
               of smoke
over the very
insides
     of my
           earthen throat
                         crackle of
       autumnal breezes          
whooshing through
like a beacon
And in that
split-second
right before
deep freeze
my molecules
   rise and fall
       in the rhythm
            of snowflakes
each one a
unique entity
   dusting the
            solid soil
                with loamy richness
                    and simultaneous
              feather impressions    
           of relief
Now
like silk draped
alabaster
I am cooled
Like sweet
        river water
  I flow
       rocked by
the slow
churn of
growing freedom
             that alights my pores
arises in tender
stillness
     through the
          looming forests
           of my skin
              penetrates the
                  unseen journey of
                     my night
                 as demulcent
          and persistent
as the balmy petals  
of a
   raging,
fiery
    bloom