your hair and your eyes
your legs don’t lie
and i want to lie with you
and become as bright as the night sky
during the full moon
why did you let me go so soon
release this bruised fruit
and treat it like a concubine
i am suspended, upended
and redder than a parachute
perpetual disarmament
you were heaven sent
to bless me with your cinnamon
residual defenses kept us against our fences
the west and east were against us
we were hesitant and defenseless
dreaming of distant measurements
was it self imprisonment
or did we break our agreements
to dampen our retirement plans
in order to once again
stand firm on solid ground
are we land bound or land-locked
your eyes are like steam rising from a tea cup
houses for rent where men and women are targets
they demand steamy dreams and cigarettes
i say forsake the ice cream and frozen yogurt
instead quickly sell me your shadow
every now and then i remember our covenant
as sand castles made from foam fade as fast or faster
as you are known to dress in overcoats and sandals

she swallowed my head
am i dead
or just beheaded
forever destined
to be a two-legged burden
a herd of cattle
is certainly more precious than i
if not already
than someday we may become
hunted, stunted
or just in love with being chased
i am humming
stunned by your drum
it is giving me fire
stealing the air from my lungs
like Prometheus
if i wish to survive
i must hide beneath the sun
behind the flames and stains
of yesterday's games
the scenes change so frequently
its hard to contain anything
but my own frame of reference

existence is deliberate
so put your soul into it
stunted light
makes you blind
so use your mind
for you may lose it anyway
unkind horses
drop you off mid-flight
unwind the songs
that make you feel bright
if you are here tonight
i’ll light your pilot
ignite your starter
and we'll ride through the darkness
next stop is your soul
upon desert roads we rode forever
we grew up on tired noises
which never seemed more apparent
than when something got sandwiched
between our mind and heart
the desert glows
and we come apart like sage’s twin
listen for lime trees limping in the dark
stark realities are my favorite
savor the wasted fruit
hidden in our suitcases
digest the juices
leftover in music boxes
avoid concussions from falling stars
by protecting our heads and hearts
the soft parts
get ripe and bust open
revealing icing and stardust
juicy strawberry justice
humid as mustard
gustatory lust or just a loose dress
either way you are tremendously blessed
descended from the queen of the heavens
you drink from springs
and swing from chandeliers
for those humid humans still deserve your love
you are moist to my touch
i beg you don’t hesitate or rush
for unrequited love is always pretty rough

two things are important:

1. to know the difference between this world and a cage
2. to dance with the light even when you are overcome by rage

The choice to stay awake or pass out quickly
With all your limbs intact and beside you
Follow the sounds the way that i do
A siren and a song for the girls
That walk the boulevard alone
All our hearts are broken against the dawn
A river of chocolate, a river of song
A river of tears, ancient as our shadow
We’re over here so come join us at this table
There’s plenty of room for two or three more
And if we fasten our bodies together securely
In a storm our limbs might not come crashing too strongly
And if the wind assails you then i can hold you true
And know that i won’t fail you for my words they never
Do anything as stable as what my heart keeps meaning to

You are hereby sentenced to,
happiness for all eternity,
and reprieved from your servitude
to spelling bees and other state championships.
Our adolescent addicts are addicted
to arithmetic, statistics and computer degrees.
Marginal efficiency, reductionist literacy
and formica counter-tops,
have all got to be kidding me.
I’m out y’all, returning to the garden;
so please send me your resumes
and i’ll happily plant them in the radish beds.
The hypocrisy of symbolism
is when the riddle solves itself.
Wealth is just an abstraction,
truly its your health that’s worth preserving.
I’m serving this rhythm,
making use of its momentum;
for we are all blazing beings,
trying to break free of boredom's tyranny.
Some storms are worthy,
some storms are holy,
other storms are dangerous;
and we all know the hurly burly.

coming to consciousness is a must
yet its painful to retain all these words
sordid shards of nothingness
i am learned for i know that i've learned nothing
except what i’ve earned by remembering
plenty of ways to fake a riot
keep quiet or dry it in the sun
sheltered on the run
blasts from guns to gynecologists
solecisms and syllogisms
miasmas of the mind
time unwinds in butterfly defenses
semblances of the freedom we traded
resemblances to our mothers
and our grandfathers in helmets
filled with money left to rot in the sun’s basement
the used ones who wait for their retirement plans
to conclude their lives with guttural fluctuations
effluent and stagnant waters, frenetic daughters
portraits of amazement
the lazy masters sadly agree to replace them
sweaty fixtures grasped our hands and minds
sign language kept silent
stretched out in striated alignments
cut me some slack
for there can be no turning back from this place
she gave everything away save the furniture
which wasn’t hers anyway
once it takes a hold of you
it doesn’t like to let go of you
grab the fire by its nose
and release the hose
if you wish to control the soul
water pouring from our bones
i bow down to your ground
we are going home
arguing no more
our moist hearts becoming clearer, nearer
i am breathing louder in my own theater
and in my own studio i am making music
that makes the flowers bloom

we are luminous obscurity
hustling bustling through streets of disease
reflected in featureless magazines
waterfalls pound the sound of beauty
spaciousness exalted like a castle
yet about to fall from the weight of its own muscles
such wasted beauty
duty obscured
truly baffled by the frailty of our future
i have no fault with others
i find fault only in the weather
stand up for our brethren who battle themselves
like burnt toast
we slather butter on our noses
remorse is ugly
snuggled against our clothes
sloven sitcoms arrows and bows
so many noses
we return roses to the funeral homes
sweep the room of dust and lustful bunnies
dig in the river’s soil
surround yourself with oily muscles
shadows sing our dreams into songs
of belonging
fixing our faulty lenses
so we can see the essence
blessed as we are
next to perfect yet far from harm
out of harms way we burn torches
salute our scorched castaways
and brandish our swords like they are wands
or perhaps just jewelry for our hearts
like darts and lances
July is the month of sorrow
painted on canvases whiter than the moon
sparing us our celebrations
or perhaps we danced to soon
for once the water is hot
we like to fill our pots
with mustard greens and kale stalks
while love prepares the stock

sweet child of the walrus
Horus was your father
in an african wilderness you ran
into waters of renewal
while white alligators hustle
all our dreams became nightmares
salvation is past
like a rash upon your skin
satchels of venom
if you choose them
people use them or
sell them to the markets for cash
splash in the water of the oasis
Isis my daughter
your feelings are safe and sound
the feminine essence is so divine
that you don’t let it spill out
against your better judgement
you return younger than an arrow
sparrows come before us
love is underestimated
like selves reflected in the sun
movement melts the mirror’s judgement
and suspends our hearts mid-sentence
no thoughts just comfort
pleasure in the moment’s oblivion
smooth like obsidian
we deserted our wanderings
and became a time ship of love

it was late September when i let you in
i remember the audacity of your mouth
what a feeling when it lingered around my lips
and stayed their way too long
i could not keep your secrets
and so you cast me out
loose people are threats to humanity you said
loose lips sink ships
but your loose lips opened
into a cavern of mysteries
so vast that the sky was jealous
of your beauty
and the indolence you prided yourself on
what a mystery
the starry eyed dreamers slept
and wept for their ancestors
who were calling out to them
but they couldn’t hear them from consciousness' bed
i am listening to your trembling body
and thinking that your salt is my sanity
and without electrolytes
i’d die of thirst inside your watery mouth
ugh this pounding is so **** repetitive
i can’t remember the last time we were so negative
separated by our sins
freedom is spinning round
like a child turning towards the heavens
beauty, sweat and love
forever making fools of us
what a nemesis love makes of us
what neanderthals we are
what they were is what we’ve become
for what is love anyway
but madness
dedicated to its own ruin
the self that desires its own undoing
is intoxicated by a substance
more inebriating than wine, beer, or ***
it is lust that lights the fire of our desire
in sweaty nights of passion
we’ve become raunchy with musical fever
sweet icicles pierce these hearts
deep love dives deeper
deep words we seek
each growing more distant
the nearer that we come

i remember plenty of things from the past
sand dollars and slippers
smooth operators
with lips like pudding
so tasty i was frightened
smash the trash with broken hammers
into pieces tinier than sand
an armfull of garbage
carried to the curb
so we can say we are living
in the glory of the suburbs
wearing suntan lotion
strumming her guitar
all over her are scars
covered in hearts
sporting no bra
i am aroused by
her sound current

we are hyper-etymological so be aware
that tricksters and fools are up to no good
and *** between equals is very rare
dominance and submission is everywhere
**** is Buddhism without vowels
but the Buddha's wisdom is just and fair
for only the turning of the wheel of dharma
can alleviate the endless suffering of our karma

let’s suspend judgements, threats and demands
neglect the ways we never understand
and try to maintain a state of graceful suspense
as the swell of illusions displays it defense
in masticated and masochistic allusions
the jaundiced complexions
demonstrate our instability and weak erections
***** waters left sullied by man
they swam in our rivers and polluted the dams
if you can perceive all these violations
you would never give up
or sigh in consolation
hours pass before the tires drove off
and the trucks were wary
of getting off course
for hours they rode
through the dark of the night
and under the cover of silence
they thought that they could hide
but no shelter was left
and all of their weapons were useless
in the face of an enemy such as this

i am blissfully happy
to be hunted by creatures
who seek to know infinity
simplicity is splendor
and tender like the leaves
are you awake or are you asleep
lost in dreams of falsehood
reality awaits for your impossible fate
to become activated
i am all that i let go of
in releasing i am free
has our ship run aground
or have we found safe harbor
the pounding of the waters is all i hear
expectations shatter my invitation
so let’s ready ourselves for battle
the sweetness of the morning
like honey in your tea
the shades of beauty that we rarely see
confide in me and i’ll confide in you
oh darling don’t you see that we are all of this
the beginning is the end and the middle too
i am lost in spite of you
please caress the hanging flowers
from within your pockets
i see love dangling like a locket
from around your neck in double bends of splendor
your hands are tied and i am wild
signs of submission
are always trying
to untie themselves from these cords
self assured and failing to notice
that her feet were bound as well
she tried to take a step
and you can guess that she fell
you were an easy target
so sweet and eager
what a complete lack of identity
so meager and false
i have remorse for the ways i punished you
all the seaside adventures
left their marks on our souls
like seagulls hunting for fish in the evening
i went and bought you that ring
the taste of death is delicious
do these sounds offend you
or do you still pretend that we are family
somebody lost themselves
along the road to the temple
and now is lying naked
distraught and derelict
somewhere between a drunken tiger
and a water buffalo

within every fiber
you dwell inside of me
the sound of the rain drumming wildly
i am tired or maybe I’m just idle
wishing that you’d return
sorceress of the continents
healer to courtesans and royalty
i seek your comfort and your company
single hands build tiny nests
awareness relies on itself for its totality
the blessed hands that spin our clothes
hold our shadows in their souls
and keep the world in balance
if you knew you’d cry
or at least break down and sigh
and let out the anger you’ve buried deep inside
i am trying to reach you
all our channels are crossed
and i cant seem to teach you
that we are all off course
you can see what happens
to the obsequious sycophants
who deny the holy company
the absurdity of our complications
have got me quite frustrated
why do we not ponder our salvation
or seek to better our situation and circumstances
there is no lack of reprimands
or mandates to demonstrate our activism

the rain is my savior
she saves me from falling
she’s pounding the earth so hard
i’m glad i’m not redundant
and can let go of the foregoing
the sound of thunder is foreboding
but i like my coffee black
she returns for more
another violent interlude or attack
her descent creating waterfalls and rainbows
spraying beauty in all directions
i am thunderstruck
in awe of her complexity
it’s flaming mantle an altar of reverence
if you wish to be healed
drink the rainwater
falling from sky to earth
and bringing back our souls
show me your nakedness
in twilight’s stupor
i’ll try not to laugh
as you stumble home later

the wilder the mushroom
the more that i’ll respect her
and sleep deprivation is not a burden
but a rite of passage
the blessing of laughter
touches the forgotten spaces
along our spines and bodies
there are so many memories left abandoned
along the side of the proverbial road
red is the color of tantric conflagrations
and the redness of your lips has taken hold of me
impulses are firing and i am a diamond
standing at the bank of a lake so deep and wide
you are a tyrant and i am defiant
so let’s not linger on these words much longer
some call it sleep deprivation
i say we are chronically alive
fighting back our tiredness
like good children we swallow all our suffering
tangled in our platitudes
this delicious derision has got us up to no good
and the circle of outrage and oppression
has left us in the mood for some food

are you asleep or not  
peek at me through sheets of raindrops
falling down like a curtain
threadbare and staring at you
from behind this cover of water
our egyptian cotton sheets wrapped around for heat
i am ****** if i do and ****** near ready to sleep
turn off the television and splinter your attention
you split your intentionality
the moment your nationality no longer had meaning
are you a natural or a factual person
satisfaction is non-contractual
i am no longer attached to you
here we go again and don’t expect
for narcissists to self-reflect
we crack the ego
seek for an imago
to match our attachments to identity
words forgotten in the shower
i dispatch them from a tower
i need nothing but soap to wash me clean
still i feel the need to be held by you
and i feel the need to be seen by you
one moment after another
and don’t expect anything more

pleaidian dreamers eek out a living
in impossible waters
they pursue only meaning

grieve for the days
and cry out for the nights
speak of the wind
and how often it bites

our souls are alight
our minds are fireflies
tied to cherry trees
wearing disguises

as watermelons rumble
and apples fall
our ankles are tangled
and so are our curls

show me the face
you like to hide
in green pastures
and fields of rye
a porcupine iris
promises its life
if you were to kiss him
he’d probably die

so much persistence
in existence we try
to give up our habits
and addiction to self
surrender our power
and hang out in the breeze
but upon the crescendo
we fell asleep in the trees

climbing upon a pile of wonder
so high it could never let us down
but you retain the fragrance of the inner sound
the inner turning
that stilled the ocean
the holy churning that filled us with devotion
i am hopeful yet never tired
bored to death of these disposable hearts
sordid lovers unclutter my mind
free me from the binds i’ve tied
i’ve tried to remind you
over and over
of the ways we deny our soul’s purpose
sweat and shadows
hug them tighter
and let the blindness overtake you
i am the form of swarms of salmon
in solid honeycomb they weep
if your fingers held my own
then we’d rejoice in spite of tragedy
and sing for the weeks we had no sleep
i am confused by stories
in which the princess doesn’t find her power
our hunger has overtaken us
and now we demand our pay
sweep under your bed
and in the corners of your heart
sordid are the moon’s tales
of pursuing beauty like the wind pursues the sails
i swiftly conquered my disgust
at seeing you with another man
for if you have no more feelings for me
than on what ground does my suffering stand

what progress
not a chance that any of this is moving forward
only inward
like a mobius strip
we ignite ourselves
birthed from fire we return to our destination
surviving the rise and fall of nations and empires
i am surface tension
i am existence
you are welcome to inquire
or perspire upon the flaming mantle
or is it just a mere candle dancing its flame to a higher music
what if we were nothing
perhaps then we could undress our flames
and examine the totality of our shame

we came face to face
and now these stains can never be erased
our flavor remains
throughout the day
you taste
my essence
its present in your mind
it survives the decline
of dopamine
as the day unwinds you are surprised
to find my soul
completely whole
and intact
there is nothing that we lack
all bliss
exists within this kiss
of divine fever
i secretly weave laughter into your destiny
like serpents intertwined
the existence of body and mind
are inseparable
psyche and eros
villains and heroes
persist to confuse our sight
yet we are not frightened by their delight
in perpetrating crimes
our time is short
so long
i’ll see you in the dawn
the storm comes
and forms clouds in our souls
darkness demands a kiss
before the first light
i am my own undoing
pursuing compassion
leaves you confused
and used by your beatitudes
i am perfumed in the dawn’s fragrance
its emancipation
happiness and love
home is happiness
embodied
sweet leaves
of music and fruits
grew for our ancestors
upon the ground of civilization's first steps
we digressed
and lost our way among the trees
and became threes and fours
yet the hours got longer and our souls got shorter
now we must work and sweat
and bend from the hip
as our lips no longer meet when we greet each other
i feel complete
seeking nothing
i am simple as the wheat
you grew upon my heart
a broken covenant
Saturday's paper cannot cover our shadows
so we wait for Sunday
to outsmart the arguments we neglect
i suspect you are the better person
in fact i am certain of this
i would even bet that you could withstand
the hand you’ve been dealt for eternity
with certainty i expect nothing
and hesitate towards becoming my own enemy
friends and family support our ego’s stance
keep us locked in our dance
i am moving beyond targets
like flowers i cannot be captured
this uncertainty is wild like the grasses
outside of mind
and space is freedom
unlimited weaving seething
looms of gold and silver
commonly forgotten by the merchants
who can never dance
i will not settle down
or let myself be captured
and shattered by the hands of violent ambassadors
who left the peace corps to join the wolves
packs of pirates roam the oceans
with unchecked violence
they plunder their own fathers
sisters, brothers
daughters, orphans
more often than not

we can never get enough of
what we don’t have or what we truly need
so bleed on me and let it run down my face
over the couch and onto the floor
a crust will form around the edges of our skin
the furniture is limitless
still i am in bliss from your reason
when you touched me i transformed into the dawn
and became the warmth that turns ice to water
and makes our feet defrost
i am the coast of your soul
the feeling of being whole
like well-water i am old and deep
and still will i choose to flow
keeping my light in sync with the rhythm of the cosmos
all the commotion is stillborn
torn and triumphant i am emerging
as the diurnal nothingness
bursting through your walls and stalls
the halls of our cavernous depths
the respect we must lack
in order to keep our attractions intact
aspects of our ****** suffering
unleashed upon your houses

I.
from one direction a voice is heard
the Word pours forth from the mountain
i hear the language of the birds
truthfully we converse often
they recount tales of passion
beauty and satisfaction
our mutual attraction is gaining energy
i feel the pressure building
its all consuming
like a waterfall it threatens to engulf me
and dissolve me in its intoxication
her scent is everywhere
a constant reminder of the divine
i am taunted by her essence
her fragrance and her spine
inflict mortal wounds
dare to hold her tight
if you do the energy of love
will overcome her
sweet innocence
bound to the intellect
essential qualities
of communication
sensuality
actualize presence
in feeling and form
i freeze
her beauty is numinous
surreptitiously blooming it almost fooled me
she took hold of my insides
it lingers near me
i sleep within her memory
can i shield myself from this surge of music
hunger and inclusion
an institution of feeling

II.
her eyes are furnaces
her breath vapor
never less than the totality
of liquid light crashes
fast and than slowly
the rhythm laughs at our feebleness
saturated innocence
bursting out like steam from coal ovens
simple ecstasy is my only hope
form is pain
a prayerful reminder of our impermanence
swiftly **** me and i shall dance on your grave
sledgehammers finish off the drudgery
some moments are pounding
others are cool like the crystal ocean
a depth and vision is necessary
i am in need of shelter from her fire
a muse that burns all that she inspires
a silent lover of beauty
furthering her art
between the spaces of dreams
our fingers slip into everything
and become tangled like twine
rest here and unwind your heart strings
the scintillating heat
is blinding yet rejuvenating
if you are my love then uncover your soul
give naked silence a chance to grow
surround my faithless jungle
with your vines of hope
i am conscious of the lack of rope
for happiness is binding
like kindness climbing invisible ladders
shatter the silhouette of your perfect idol
sneak a peak at a photograph you have kept hidden
silver visions destined to uncover
the lust of beauty
smiled in my direction
if we wish to dance then circle around the fire
aspire for magic to abolish your name
switch places with the shadow
and feel the earth with your skin
give us a reason for you to be here
or you better start swimming

III.
what is this feeling
of loneliness and shame
as it arises i witness our pain
like flaming eagles
it circles high in the sky
our instability gives rise to flight
you gave me the impression
that you were alright
now i know the difference
between the darkness and the light
as featureless women
become a formless sea
of instant gratification
is this the medicine i seek
our trials and tribulations are tripping me
every which way i reach
i feel you chasing after me

IIII.
never quite on time
we run always behind
i am dancing in flaming spirals
a feather high up in a tree
i am a shepherd and i am a chief
i am the river, the mountain and the sea
life gets hectic and full of noise
in the confusion we reach out for toys
to anchor us to reality
yet it never works
these childish games remain shallow
and keep us narrowly awake
barely alive
what a dismal dive
into lakes of cold liquid
refreshed by the water and the ice
somehow our humanity survives

I am escaping by boat
and eradicating the ropes
that kept me bound to your suffering
in limbo she waits for her heart to be recognized
tired of this drawn out sequence
all she wants to do is rest
pushed beyond the edge of exhaustion
she knows she can’t go on like this indefinitely
will she swallow her pride and admit her tiredness
or will she yield to the pressure of her mind
and push blindly on against her body’s better judgement
what a presumptuous question
the stolen answers are ubiquitous
sleep confounds you
surrounds you like a blanket
i am awake
waiting for my release into the ethers
ethereal tears stream down your face
i say grace and drift upon clouds of memory
and fragments of emotion
what a mystery how we escape the most fragile feelings
only to return to childhood memories
that linger on our tongues like the taste of cotton candy
sand and sweat fill the space of your nightmares
share them with your neighbor
and become the avant-garde artist you always dreamed about becoming
what’s more important to you anyway
faith or family

sandpaper or cigarettes
do you persist in coming clean
or would you prefer to lounge on lawn chairs and living room furniture
the carpets were just steamed
and so were these greens
with spines and volumes of identifying marks
strike the match and let the spark illuminate the darkness of our misconceptions
no exceptions to love
only lovers crying out for hungry minds
the fire encircles us
turns us purple
love is merging through the haze
stage 1 begin to undress
stage 2 do it all again

serpents painting along the corridors of our houses
sound and flowers persecute the daughters
who waited too long for you to grow up
alone in empty basements
a passionate silhouette among the flowers and field mice
streams of tears cascading like waterfalls down their rocky faces
spraying wind and wave
staying cool yet safe
all our hearts are standing still
on the edge of a needle
billions of beings dance in turmoil
strolling through volcanoes on a windy afternoon
monsoon weather equals heaven’s idea of a joke

shake me till i bleed
bleed me till i come to a boil
i’ll follow the diagonal road
under crossroad’s formidable abode
swift like the lion on the savannah
i’ll trade you a banana for a band of gypsies
simply delirious she spent her allowance on tea and ornaments
the scent of cattle
a magic rattle made from bone and pebbles
the shells were held at right angles
and lined their faces like the frame around a picture
the pages in the book were yellowed by time’s ***** fingerprints
a hint of irony
a humorous blunder
some people stare while others are perplexed by their own wonder

i speak volumes in my thirties
a missile of connection and yes i am planning to get *****
and women come for miles to hear these words of beauty
they taste the herbs inside them and dance within their nighties
a flute in the woods called you back home
and sent you on a journey through thorn and bramble
we stumbled into each others arms and made haste for the carriage that would take us safely beyond

I ascend in perfect lines of symmetry
the rhythm on time
like the metronome’s dichotomy
what a way to die
surrounded by smiling women
i lie on the grass and let my last breath escape
into the atmosphere
round like a crystal ball
i swirl in all the colors of the spectrum
i am a dolphin
slipping through the luminous membrane of space
into the divide between
my inner and outer realities
one heart pulses
two simultaneous reflections of consciousness
occurring in the same location
am i observing or becoming
someone ought to figure this out
before the wind blows the roof off this building
I am spontaneously ascending
bending through the nonsense
heaven is waiting for you to enter
and give you shelter from the storm
would you trade
the warmest place on Earth
for the shortest day on Venus
the Moon’s shadow is spurned by her lover
our minds feel their own gravity
target practice is indifferent to your feelings
still we are healing from our tragedies
one calamity after another
until we discover we are all one family
what a monumental occasion
this moment’s grace is unparalleled
by any other
what is happening
is this a part of my reality
or did i transgress someone’s authority
if i believe in love
will all the efforts to deny it be worthless

I know you hate it when
you have to dress up in those fancy clothes
and parade around like an orangutan
why don’t you let it all go
and embrace your own mortality
in all regards this is just a dress rehearsal
so let yourself have fun
one option is to become hard
another is to soften
and learn to dance with the unexpected
simplicity is welcomed
all is in it’s perfect state of unfolding
i am shown my own reflection
even when the mirror distorts the image
i produce another image within my own perception
i am the creator of what i perceive
yet on all accounts the senses seem to disagree
and we are left wondering what is truly real
i steal time like you steal kisses
our hearts dance while our minds listen
for voices calling softly to our shadows
and lightning offers itself in chiaroscuro
the drama continues
i sense the new day is dawning
Venus is retrograde and I am returning
to my old stomping grounds
the elephant graveyards are covered with carpets
we laugh and roll around on the floor
our short endeavor turns into a whole day affair
did you snare me with your golden sparkles
i see your hair like feathers on an ostrich
those streaks of white
make the snow look dark by comparison
all our faiths are the same
one family embracing this entire planet
our mother calls us home
and we return
street lights blare and turn the world orange
i am fortunate to choose my own melody
sadness drifts like a river through the night’s journey onward
forget your identity and merge with the trees along the shoreline
who is the gatekeeper
the one who decides what is appropriate
i wish to meet her face and see her eyes
what a challenging occupation it must be
this infinite being presides over our frustrated creativity
i see women dreaming like symphonies
making serendipitous discoveries
individual recoveries from addiction to imprisonment
symbols surround our mountains and draw us down
from the ethers into present day reality
i choose to face the fire of the architect
stardust collects on your shelves and altars
stall as long as you wish
for procrastination can never touch this

sentience implies you have the ability to feel and sense
can we test the hypothesis that we are anything less than this
semantics overrun our mind’s programs
stop the schedule of thoughts and immerse yourself in a sabbatical
from self governance and defiance
simply deny it any power over you
choose to face the unknown with a smile and kind demeanor
see the world to be a reflection of your own inner theater
steer clear of madness for it wants to be nearer to your soul than you should let it
lean back and relax
our children’s children are making contact through the arctic summer
articulating the precise moment that we will remember our yearning
for dialects undiluted by time’s vinegar
simple as honey on a sunny afternoon
i see the moon rise above the mountains
a statue in the square above the fountain
shadows of hummingbirds barely leave a trace
of the graceful feathers that massage the air
slices of moonlight cut through the fog
hours of darkness become our hearts
shattered silhouettes
stiff as logs
splinters of freedom longing for open arms
and i suspect that i've seduced one too many hearts

simpler times require furious mastication
shall we fight or dine on our own enthusiasm
sad are the owls who shift their feet in the snow
remove their clothes to feel the cold
in bony holes they hoot and moan
stones are lovers in their own right
the ferns creep on mossy streets
between the sheets of ice and rock
lichens scream and cast their tiny voices
into locks of lakes and hillsides
side-swiped the prisoners swim gladly down the current
smell the jasmine in the air and whisper you are certain
that the mystery is alive and well
while cemeteries are overflowing
smoking pyres of yesterdays heartache
collecting staples on the road
stroll over bricks laid in quick drying cement
the mesentery layers are no longer
under our proprioceptive control

in divine timing the earth
disrobes her fantasies
her sycophantic tendencies
atrocities amassed in neglected warehouses
sounds of broken plants
standing against fences for time’s immanence
we withstand lightning and silence
so many opportunities to choose love over violence
smile at miles of concrete jungles
strung out like fires against the nightfall
streams run clean and dream of starting over
new beginnings demand our attention
like steam rising from the volcano’s edge
lips of ire kiss the sky and turn your eyes to rubies
emeralds and diamonds strewn about the carpet
have we ever even noticed them
slender like a fox
these shadows are our hearts
surrender to the bells
that shower our minds with ringing kisses

the tragedy of our situation
is that we can not
withstand the temptation
to forget
our true nature
as elephants parade around
reminding us of our covenant
with so much abundance
we misunderstood our
offerings
courageous farmers left the mother
brighter
than they found her
in the wounds of laughter
she wept for her children
hormones sending messages to their receptors
lifelines of sacred water protectors
say good night sweet music
and give the dreams a chance to confuse you

she meanders like a fire
into darkness and over the silence
around cascading waterfalls
she pools at the bottom of your heart
then she’s gone again
as quick as she arrived
she flees from her own form
softer than a rain storm
shallower than a puddle
her magic remains active
in the thunder’s hunger
for another thousand years of slumber
i strum the guitar
sit up by the fire
and speak words of broken music
solvents could never
dissolve these misplaced feelings
servants shine our shoes
against the backdrop of the news
swarms of silent reveries
humanities dismemberment
our agreements forgotten and gone rotten
like cattle in the slaughterhouse
our trust is rusted like copper left out in the rain
melted into liquid castings
i embark on the outgoing tides
side with the devil and you are bound to fall
so even after all the ups and downs
and years of underground living
we return to the fire of the sun as a new material
a type of clay ready to be burnt
a piece of wood that is quick to smoke
stoked by love’s hands
standing out or in
i shall never know
the loudness of the echo
the mountains or the rainbow’s demolition
strategies broken by time’s indecision
situations mistaken
as if they were not awakened yet
i am getting wet
standing in the rain
and snakes are dancing on the lawn

show me the secrets of the ******
a weaver in the fields and streams
jump into pools of laughter’s savor
i am waiting for your heart
string the lute
I pray you please play me a tune
simple like the mustard on your nose
stones are strategies or perhaps tragedies
born of misery
in silent overtones they grow
into gesticulated Germans
demanding herbivores overthrow their coats
street muskets
atop of winter clothes
burn holes in your eye sockets
like tones through the window
i grow tired of this violence

how can i write about the soul
when all is already known
for to be seen is to be shown
and to grow is a whisper to the unknown
i am shadow like a serpent
birthing fire from beneath my nose
i am hunger like a comet
sweetly stolen from the mountain
i am freedom like a rocket
shining stealthily in the night
i am summer like the autumn heat
and winter when you need someplace else to go
I am amazement in the fireplace
of the lover’s hearts
i am smoldering like the raindrops
when they hit the pavements warmth
i am determination like the salmon
swimming in the midst of memories long ago
i am mist like a hazy sky
flowers parting like the curtains of your mind
i am family when no one echoes
back your heart
i am vision like sunlight dreaming
hours cast off like their clothes
i am shadow like a cigarette
and pleased to make your acquaintance
i am simple like the wind
drifting from brook to brook
i am justice, oh lonely justice
forever sleeping on the job
i am human and merely mortal
so many obstacles i face upon the road
strolling from this town to the next i came upon a toad
a single carcass in the street
a tiny being that i’d ought to meet
with simple gesture of forgotten silence
i assume you were here to greet the day
ask your questions quickly child or do get out of the way
so many stories that truly matter
and so many more to claim unsung
hours turn into rivers
as daughters chase fireflies in the wood
jump over bushes
and make away with soldiers
as barrels roll down the stream
if you care to meet another
than hurry before the day is gone
deftly taken on his shoulders
he picked you up and quickly ran off with your heart

like a dragon your breath lingers on my face
i inhale sweet scents of cinnamon and turmeric
the sweat of the days labor
the ecstasy of savoring our good natures
beauty resides in chambers of the mind
i decline accepting favors from neighbors with grudges
and axes to grind
and sharpen my own knives against the silver blades of time
in snowfall the descent of vision is secondary to the suspension of gravity
and love has risen like reverse lightning
hungering for its return to the starry eyed sorcerers
selected from the mantle of antler wearing shamans
the nativity is blind as a blonde from Wisconsin
sonorous dulcimers depart for the auto-tune convention
sing your limits like you spring for chicken dinners
impossible symphonies, silent epiphanies
facsimiles of days spent wading through carpool lanes
with tiny elephants dressed in swimming trunks

sweet girls and sweet water
serenity sweeps through the streets like lightning
keeping us clean and cleansing us of untold sufferings
i am speaking, forever weeping, healing hunger
as a lonely child wonders what to do about breakfast
so slow down and ground
the sound of love is an anchor
a river and a boat across the ocean
i miss you and forgive the way you mistook motion for movement
houses are hunted and haunted by honey badgers
who are only after laughter and solemn goodbyes that last forever
are we forever or just a moment
weapons launched, atlantis lost
so how about a luncheon at the country club
our darkness partakes of our light
like life partakes of sorrow
asleep or awake we dream about reality
yet never feel its threads as they tug our limbs out of bed into the streets
asteroids hit pieces of land where we have not understood our purpose
burning holes in rock and mounds of grief so deep they collapse upon themselves recursively
sell me that old shirt for cheap
sweep clean the rags and corridors
threads torn sew me the worn out attitudes you left behind ages ago
in old streets paved with firecrackers and toad stools
show me the moon
i wish to see it through your eyes
and drink in the nectar that soothes the heart’s worry
anxiety is a target
stark against the blackness
bleak as an owl in the daylight
infinite wisdom resides in smiling
songs seem silly in the light of yesterdays tragedies
yet still we sing to quell the fear and misery of
nothingness and embarrassment
the lack of syntax is discouraging
yet i feel ill equipped to handle the inevitable decline
that may occur from judging it

flowing rivers simulate the virtual reality of love
warriors topple over forgotten
like cartons of used milk
silk worms speak sovereign messages and warn us of our fate
are we ill or are we healthy
stealthily imprisoned by our visions
finish the sentences and sever your attachments
respecting tradition leads to detachment
a semblance of serenity
the giver of the dawn used shards of standard force
hover in the mind’s sky
houses pass you by
in finite allegories
gardens blossom
governing movies and seating our jobless
go outside now
remove the shades from your eyes
breathe in soma and drink from the sky
sightless sorrow forges on towards tomorrow
art is a balancing act
she came out of her shell in order to tell you a story
of garlands of silver and gold
woven finely into ribbons
greased with oil from a rare toad

in lover’s eyes a symphony
wherefore love resides
when hate and pride have forsaken
all our attempts to hide
have been mistaken
i am surely left to blame
for our feelings have meandered
and our minds have often changed
where is beauty and where is spring
when mistletoe is high
all our dancing in apple orchards
really never meant a thing

forget the neglected aspects of the night sky
start a fire and watch the wood burn dry
kindness lies in piles
as we bundle our spines together
we tie our minds like feathers
and prepare for the stormiest of weather
can you show me parts of myself
for those gifts are truly wealth
as sentence structure denies clear definition
we make ablutions in the ganges for our absolution
fine tune the ancient runes
to see beyond ruins into chambers of the mind
the rooms we never find are the cleanest
yet still as ***** as your eyes
i sigh and look inside to find my alibis
as pleasing as the night sky
you are high as the sun
we are coming undone
somewhere we share the same birthday
tell me who is that taciturn man in the blue shirt
and who is it that endures all this hurt
forever defended we gasp for air
with our hearts on our sleeve
we can no longer bear to breathe
feelings hurt you look away
what a shame it had to turn out this way
send me your sorrow in a bag
i’ll hand you tomorrow but don’t remove that tag
some are bought and some are sold
some are silver and some are gold
some are warm and some are cold
just forget this and do exactly as you’re told
the lonely and the depraved
both are seeking for the same thing
a moment of hope to end their suffering

swiftly it ended like feathers in the wind
and our hours finished like time had stood still
respect the transition and let go of will
for our useless attempts to force our way
usually never end too well
sell me the secrets that you’ve kept hidden
i’ll bend the rules for you
i’ll sell my tools for you
i’ll accept fools for you
excellent we are
the traders of the heart
far and apart and as close
as the earth beneath our feet
in sweet sage and thyme
lifetimes fly by
i eat and breathe
to keep the flames alive
and remind myself that i will never die
and my soul will be free
free as the wind cascading upon a lake
satiated by love and sweet goddesses above

just once
decide
never to hide
your light
no matter how
frightened or scared you may be
i am here to keep you company
remember me
my nature is ecstasy
the fruit of the tree
friendship
and community
sit with me
and be silent
let your mind quiet
pouring down
the light of the sun
its just begun
it will surely rise
if you take your time
and never compromise
in the silent skies
the mind wanders and flies
towards the life review
to see if your were true
the fragrant breath
the highest test
is shining
like a diamond

handmade artifacts, please choose one
art or facts kid whichever you desire
just kidding i have no agenda
just some sandpaper and some free time
i can shine your shoes or polish your stones
give a nice luster to those old fashioned bones
remove your clothes and I’ll start to work
here and now is our time
so there’s really no need to be shy
i am a member of an ancient guild
of warriors and saints who liked to paint
and write poetry between battles and strikes
love wanted to outlast those charms
but everything fades as quick as it appears
and everything here is not really here
i am instrumental and sentimental
yet god is infinitely more clever
her eyes are the stars and his heart is a vessel
music is movement on a salty sea
lover you have always been a part of me
i am in bliss and quick to listen
i choose to kiss you since there are no victims
only simple differences that we can overcome
our love is green like shades of beauty
trees and grasses overtake our duty
the dusty lands upon our hands
which foreigners attack but still we've kept them back
lift your eyes to the skies and receive water for thirsty nights
we lost sleep and awoke tired like the sunrise
loose like the waters that **** near swept us away
still it keeps turning inward like a mosaic built for yesterday

pregnant with meaning again
we are feeling
coming from the void
i am clearly one sun-dried bumpkin
for nothing is all I’ve ever really loved
pumpkins stuttering
making music through galaxies of vines and tomatoes
orchards entwine stables
the wild is alive and capable of reviving itself
within each human heart chaos echoes
beckons us to trust the tunnels that are dark
sunglasses can no longer
protect the eyes from the sparks
mustaches embark on sandwiches that leave marks
on upper lips and beards
steer clear of fear unless you want to be devoured like ham on rye
sun tanned alibis deny reminders of our impermanence
long legs and a nice ***, still I am cashed out
return to drowning in hungry mounds of butter
gluttony everywhere
i surrender to the air and space
to face these mistakes I’ve made
and forgive the entire human race
i cannot escape my self
or my mind
i cannot erase these pages
no matter how blind i am
stammering cramming words into space
like place holders
folders from high school
it's futile to misuse our power
like principals without principles
our honor roll students are drooling
cooling off in their dormitories
then storming the capitol of capitals
prom dates sleep late and awake naked

i have a break at 12 o'clock
will you please come over
you don’t have to knock
i’ll leave the door open
it will be unlocked
a bouquet of flowers
i’ll have in stock
a vase and a candle
a knife and a blade
a face and a cigarette
its all about the way we explain
i mean rationalize away
do time-lines justify our decline into tyranny
send me back again to sublime infancy
retrofit the celibate instigator
lemniscate the elephant’s fingerprints
impress me with wit and charm
storm troopers unarmed
star-gazers, shadow-haters, sand-blasters, ice-skaters,
morning's lovers, fathers, daughters, shoulders and elbows
rub brows and crease foreheads
wrinkles in your timelines
define lines as destiny unwinds
reminds me of blinding light
the heights of old empires
sire warriors, stories as tall as soldiers
for real, heal the split between mind and body
kindly, lovingly, bump up against me
and kiss me again
i am music fused together with eternity
space and dust and rusted armpits
a hundred diamonds, drops of sweat
skin like leather, weatherproof, foolproof too
determine to use it all
for you are the muse of all
do as you need to
fuse it together lest it come apart again
return to heaven and mend the tear
split the hair or the atom
magic is a language
tragic is the cancerous neglect of syntax
emptiness is manic
gargantuan attacks of presence
defenseless, we are taught worthless ****
neglect it, but remember important words
stories, looms of drawings
forming in my mind’s eye
i cannot be bought or controlled by pirates
the best moments are private
you are not invited
so go home and create your own zone of entertainment
its necessary
your gentle fingers
blessing my soul
courage to roll with life’s blows
no need for stoics
or poets who deny reality’s arguments
slippery slopes
walking tight ropes
can you cope with all this mistletoe
restring your bow
dance in the snow as if everyone knows
you are crazy in love with the whole
motionless vision swift as an arrow
roofless rooms
prom queens flip you off and turn you on
sons and daughters, lions of the prairie
a child portable and small
respects the walls that you’ve made
they are not your cage but your shelter
self culture is affluent and not arrogant
sand mandalas tall as waterfalls
golden rainbows pour from the faucet in the sky
like mighty images
wisdom bridges the gaps in our imagination
i can’t wait to get this on the page
written in stone, reflecting thrones
made from the bones of pharaohs
consciousness narrows as you approach
are you a cockroach, coach or a student
strokes of wonder for different folks
cold call your own homes
do you prioritize lightning over thunder
words over rubber
sandwiches to clutter
are you interested in diamonds or other
precious gemstones
that flutter like butterflies when i utter
emeralds like butter
do you waste time arranging your clutter
stuttering utter nonsense
frequencies wasted, gentleness chased away
fantasies radioactive
magic lacks targets
darkens our fathers
keep chasing actions
satisfaction is attractive
your eyes are like fragments of rubies in the fire
i see beauty in desire, features in the sky
i look skyward and see higher
minds are wired to remain stagnant
stranded in a lack of entertainment
change this and make your own amazement
wonder over thunder, lick me down under
gone asunder like the burning acropolis
topple this bottomlessness
can't stop this, its impossible
i wonder do you make blunders
in underground mountains
we shout words like fountains shoot water
curtains topple over
and form a blanket over our consciousness
after our performances
swarms of crazy people leave the theater
shattered and too stunned to speak
to ****** to leak they keep walking down south
toward Plymouth Rock,
Mammoth Mountian or Rehoboth Beach
take stock of the situation and just move
first one out is rewarded
sordid and sorted like straw from the hay stacks
caskets of black iron casings
tastings of wine whose shelf-life is expired
past due cheese overripe and stinky
like mustard dusted with lightning
striking on time is all that we have
thinking that was a close call
we fall down and get up, remove the uppercuts
and lowercases from our mouths
doubt is a ***** word heard too often,
coughing from a coffin she offers me her hand
cold as ice cream, these nouns are deafening
love is lazy like a muffin
and hot like a dumpling
but a liaison with time cannot be rushed
i have lived long enough to learn this
a privilege to give birth to this moment
again and again vintage feathers
send me your sweaters
detest impostors who give robotic answers
i am in wonder at all this grammar
that i was unaware of
ignorant as mustard
and smooth like custard
in this blustery weather
i am glad i wore a sweater
and have an umbrella
to keep me dry and safe
i am in love walking toward the gate
and boarding that plane
i am your heart served on a plate
with a side of coleslaw, soul food for dinner
you are a winner and i am your hunger
a porcelain gravestone
a copper bathtub with claws
stored in your basement
storerooms cold as a skating rink
please don't think, unless its about me
let sentences drift away
while we chase arguments from yesterday's
armistice

you were born of love and beauty
born of September's duty
born in windy nights upon an old bed frame
our bodies knotted and tied together
like fragile fingers entangled in a sweater
sell me you nonsense and i’ll buy it at cost
for making a profit is an art that's never truly lost
you hunt like Mozart and fight like Beyonce´
kiss like a butterfly and punch like Muhammad
for all your love is evidence
that our dentists are really first cousins
convinced that they should get married
modest appointments turn themselves into mansions
resume our concussions as the cavities are filled
silly to turn away paying costumers today
pop culture is empty like hollow dumplings
it mainly stands up for Humpty Dumpties
it makes way for haste and often neglects taste
but still respects the commonplace
dancers who seek lavender and shelter
shirts cover our skin as we drift within
you give me a taste of that honey
as peaches lift my spirit give me cheer and joy
we keep getting nearer to the juiciest core
stone fruits are falling
coming down with such a noise
the magic of the clatter is in its tiny voice

I’d hold your hand
and whisper beauty in words
no one could ever understand
a galactic language
a super-meta linguistics
denser than a diamond
carbon copies of trophies and bronze medals
won a thousand years before
soar above love and you will never get burned
by treetops in agony
sanitized with mahogany
soldered and grouted like a tub
the earth is a bathtub overflowing
i am a madman and my heart is showing
freedom silhouettes
consciousness has no regrets
words are magic spells
so remove the chambers from the heads
levels of lightning in silent burning
hunted for beauty
though its always been yours truly
fortunately we made love in a lifetime of goddesses
husbands and promises tossed out like *******
juxtapose for a second or strike a pose for ever
i am music removed from instruments
like a hat off of a child
the mild fathers walking outside
while their children fly above
so high in the sky