Her hair was red
then black
then a bit of both
and then the sun took over
and her face was like
a sculpture of Venus
and then her lips moved
and they kissed the words
who are you
and suddenly I was aware
she saw me

They point at me
to all
parts of me
and present themselves
to ponder
upon
me

My apple and pear trees cast obese shadows over the blades of uneven grass.

Lick this
and take some words from my mouth
to add to your poems
to soak into your mind
so they form ****** actions
in your dreams

Lick this
with long laps
and canine desire
to promise you must
at least once
taste me

Maybe sometimes
two of us
see in each other’s eyes
the chance
that romance works
on a level that
only the two of us know.  
And we are so frightened
this may be true
that we make excuses
and walk into the distant
shadows of lonliness.

Sometimes, late at night
I look at a photo of her
sitting there with her back to me
after a shower
and I can see down her spine
to the point where there is a
hint of her backside
and all I want to do is
run my fingers up and down
and down and up
and down
and up
and down
and feel the smooth rhythm
like a jazz improvisation
dig it
with a tempo
and a beat
that keeps my heart in time
with love.

Look at me with a
teacher’s stare through
glasses and I see you
want to teach me
but I want to teach you,
too, because I have withstood
more pain than I hope you will
never feel …

Your smile is cordial
but I know you crave the
arms of desire
and you want to learn
that fire does not have to
singe the soul
and one kiss could be
more valuable than
a million brigades of
Hannibal’s elephants …

I am polite, I look and listen,
but I want to take these beaten
hands and slide the
glasses off,
I want to see your eyes
remain open as I lean in
and gently kiss you,
whispering,
”Everything will be all right.”