Illustrated by isolated breaths,
The math teacher denies his duty.

Forgotten painters roam the streets
And we are indeed dangerous to our habits
Manners are stately angels
Who feed off our strangeness
As we dance on tables too often
Making rebels and devils fall in love

the sun has returned me to safety
infinite shadows had haunted me
poetry and verbosity
the lack of intuition is an atrocity
i wish it did not bother me but it does
smudge the altar
tug on your t-shirt
and wear this shawl around your neck
it will protect you from the wolves
your dampness deflected
those radioactive isotopes
this pimple on my nose
those feelings i disowned
what a sad sad poem
so remove those spectacles
and place them on your nightstand
the moment is at hand to face our fragile faults
so many more than i had hoped
i am frustrated by this relationship
i no longer want to placate the truth
i demand emancipation now
so remove those chains
free is my soul
no more shall i be controlled or contained
neither enslaved nor bound to your person
make way i will find my own path
out of this darkness
stand back and let me walk
proud and tall i am skilled at maneuvering
its futile to try and restrain me
simply watch as i walk out the door
no more tiny compromises
i shall own my soul and my destiny
i awake from this dream of entrapment
palaces of anguish topple to the ground
the earth is awash with flames
if we were heroes we’d get on our horses
and roam the countryside
these lack of rhymes are so refreshing
from now on i will be expressing
my truth only in prose

We are making amends for the ways
We dissected our reality
It's a tragedy that the objectification of objects
Leads to a such a Complex Elegance:
In praise of all these isolated sediments
Sorely perplexed at our own self-vehemence

One person is an army
When Two are a prison
Three are a government
And Four are a reason not to drink
Five are the ways they divide you
Six are the roads that you have walked
Seven is the stars that are to guide you
And Eight is your home in the dark
Nine are the women who have held you
While Ten others broke your heart

paper trails and octopuses
***** buses and bisecting angles
fragile dancers fail to tell their story
dreaming is the faculty of insight
a soliloquy of sunlight
sunglasses keep the eyes safe
from burning retina love
still the iris is immolated in lust

You are a diamond made from dirt, stars and time
I am an island made from music, song and rhyme

We are carbon copies made from lust, kisses, and poppies
Nature is a lyre strung from everything in sight

God is a voice seen, heard, and known at once
Goddess is a feeling that echoes three times in our blood

Trust is a poem that is best spoken, read, or heard
Love is an open book with nothing left to hide

Which way are your stories pointing?
What direction are these symbols guiding you?
Where is the unconscious leading you today?

She asked, "What’s worse, bad *** or weak coffee?"
I replied, "I think it depends on whether or not we are married."

When your lover has abandoned you
There are infinite limitations
Towards making any headway against
The empty pages of your solitude and turmoil
They take for granted the lanterns
That you've rubbed and polished
With magnanimous piles of spit and silliness
Over a thousand lifetimes you've attempted
To mend your tired and divided mind
With the deepest respect
For the old magic and it's capacity
To transform being into beauty
And anger into humility
When otherwise we'd all be nothing more
Than a few unpolished pearls
Desperately cast before life's eroding shoreline
Still we were shunned for our silences
And warned not to run or there'd be violence
So we drifted into sinister desperation
And underlying our vacations
In the dirtiest of places
(imagine FL or Las Vegas)
Was the collective memory
Of a disheveled old kitchen
That felt like it was the safest place
That you had ever been to

Canvases and caverns
Concave inversions
Humid ontologies
Reside in reverse order
It's all imperfect
This i’m certain of
All is becoming
For total recovery
Is but a blind man’s fortune
And a soul is no surgeon
A thousand years later
And still no progress
Worth speaking of
What’s the matter with your heart
Is it a faulty circuit
Or did a fuse blow in the dark
We are all targets of uncertainty
Fallen upon piles of confusion
Still i am grateful
To be ruined by your love

Another space becomes abandoned
Once filled with infinite beings
No longer burdened by birds in flight
The cranes no longer saunter
Beyond the pale of your starry eyes
Though I stray beyond my imagination
Whose edges are softer than a bed of roses
This loss is all I know to speak of
For to breathe is to bellow like an ocean
Though you are as pale as the moon
And your blood vessels are mostly hollow
Will you ever remove the chain of commas
That hold you in sedentary slavery
To unnecessary dreams
Seeping into your coffee
I steep my mind in beauty
And keep it ready and unruly
Until I wonder if anyone
Even knows what that means
Anymore

Is it pleasant or painful
To suspect the least in every situation
I’m not complaining
Just trying to tell you how I feel
All I know is that we are equal
For only existence itself
Never need offer any sequel

Let's become sweet
As the last drop
Of honey in your coffee
I held her fast to me
And at last she was mine
Or at least until we parted
For then we were diverted
Like opportunities left untaken
And roads left untraveled
We were particles of light
Refracted in a forest

Surrounded by insanity we wander idly by
On islands of discovery we try to catch flies
Distances decline as we move beyond our minds
And find ourselves better off
Without the gadgets most people buy

Whatever enrages you, can also save you.
These fragmented fingers,
long to bring the dawn to you.

Whatever you keep bottled up,
is more than likely to erupt.
Volcanic explosions are not enough.

You, who think that everyone has forgotten you.
Yes, you.
You, who believes that you are not worthy
of love or companionship.
You are enough, exactly as you are.

I often think in metaphors of war
Like Rwandan gun shots
And the unceasing ululations of our ancestors
We are sometimes mistaken for our actions
Like pacts of night-time comfort  
Made between black and white lovers
Or packs of rubbers and grief lost in a garden
We forgot that the fountain's hands had once been held
And gods had taught humans to dance on this patch of dirt
There was a time when your eyes looked so promising
That even I considered pondering momentarily
That something divine might exist in me
If only once more we could feel the stars speaking

all through the day and night
vision grows and pushes darkness away
light the candle by your bed
dream for love is all around
be steady and still
move not a muscle
nor a hair upon your head
remove the bundles that you’ve tied
and allow this medicine
to uncover your visions
fragile as a mouse’s child
sweet servant of the goddess
sweat with your heart
wearing shepherds on your breast
like a badge of honor
threats of Daphne
stones of emerald
i feel beauty breaking
i long for threadbare scarves
and blankets
to cover our hearts
in starlit fields
the music of remembering
through the night you held my shoulder
and forgot the words
that were heavier than boulders
its been beyond forever now
so do as much as you can
to receive the blessing of this land
if we revisit our wasted past
sand castles will stand up
for their last bow
their final overture
so many swords kept uncovered
in dusty roads
the words fell down like rain
asleep in gutters
and sad like shutters
closed against the storm
the true lover must swerve out of the way
whenever the Beloved is heading his way

if it comes apart at the seams this fast
it likely wasn’t that great anyway
so let it rip all this cheaply made *******
that is everywhere these days
made by hands who no longer care
and so our hearts no longer dare
to expand for fear of breaking
quicker than they are meant to
yet tearing a muscle may be necessary
at certain moments in our lives
we must stretch ourselves beyond comfort
though this elastic is not a fabric i'd want to overdo
lest it lose its grip and we slip into oblivion
i realize how easy it is to come undone
before you are ready to be baked in the sun
your feet are already out the door on the run
and according to you sun-bathing is now poisonous too
groins are now saving themselves for their own fingers
while it lingers all this saltiness and morning dew
on our lips the whispered promises
that quickly defeat their own existence
we are ultimately just muscles of impermanence
and your burning tendons rustle like falling leaves
and crinkle like paper made from the same trees
that we used to breathe, so try and find comfort in me
i am still seeking to make my own meanings
from the things that i cannot reach
so teach me all about love
while forensic psychologists wear gloves
and shove lightning rods and jumper cables
intermittently into your mittens
the levers that undress your needs and desires
for kefir and and candy
just a minute please, we all really need to grieve
while the next stop this bus makes is for brandy
still you are as blue as the hue of an amphetamine
if its true that in sentences we weave allegory and meaning
less we digress into a new substance
the chest holds a vision of the future
a culture of vultures searching for carrion
upon forgotten islands of furniture
stand back and let them attack
those empty nests are gifts to be undressed
as quickly as you can and they will remain standing
for as long as you try to impress them

Love is like a tiny turtle
Lost on its way back to the ocean
We are never truly alone despite
All this unceasing commotion
I have known pain like a river
And comfort that pierces like a knife
For what comes easiest is rarely the most contagious
So let's release our pride for the sake of all our relations
And try to make the most out of
The last days of summer vacations

Why was the controversial selfie,
Of a shellfish removed from the internet?

She was nacred.

This is just a sampling of our regrets
To be the best at anything is to protest
That our attachment theories
Are merely empirical strategies
And praxis slips out of my mouth
Like dancing dragons
We climb to the top of Everest
Faster than you can say lightning
Mightier than a sword
Your words stand taller than an evergreen
Pinecones maneuver in the winds of destiny
A painter’s son takes lessons from the master’s failures
Congratulations on lying in your bed again
I befriend the endings so I can begin refreshed
And bed the brides at their commencement ceremonies
How are we so good at pretending
That it's always been alright to ask questions
When we already know better
Than to laugh at these humble representatives
Of our own defenselessness

A fallen tree speaks in moans
Drowning in tears her eyes cannot see
Her hearing is tangled in the juniper and sage
Her mouth is a violin’s inner space
A facade of platitudes swell within you
Just as the grandiose defends you
Lungs full of residue and smoke
As we make our romance into
Something that vaguely resembles
Both a poem and a history lesson

Once upon a time you crossed the ocean to reach me,
Now that we are together we need only cross our own rivers.

Ageless angels
Won’t live forever
Despite the fables
And the myths
We are equipped
With unstable bodies
And invisible images
Longing to become
Meaningful secrets
Sealed within our lips

Words are like scalpels, for they can dissect you. Words are like a prism where everything is refracted into a million different colors.

Solitude is virtuous
Visions of the overgrown forests
Ferment in your dreams
I am embodied health
For wealth or for love
We must all shelter our self
Angels and devils and other parties
Are no longer wanted/needed
I'm wandering, wondering
It's a purposeful colorful mess
How we fell down the stairs last night
Complexity ignites you
But its business as usual
In barrooms and bus-stops
Busy waitresses
Fuss with their hair and makeup
To make themselves look good enough
For you to compare them to others
That's why we never trust our lovers
For Eros makes waste
And Psyche is feeling pretty
Lonely these days

I face the firing squad alone
Beneath a canopy of learned women
We dream of stories undefiled
Tossed into the sunrise
And damaged by a fire
We are forever broken
In the deep-fried hours of the morning
You collapse the course of history
Is it better to be afraid of the dead
Or to respect them
She whispered to me
We are all alone and neglected
Grief overtakes my exit strategies
And I am instantly reminded
Of visiting Prague in the springtime
I have no clue why i mention
These isolated images and feelings to you
Perhaps, to one day be deserving
Of something beautiful again

hunger is a form of necromancy
if you lust for other people’s intelligence
then you might as well covet their soul
the future is a burning flame
and desire is her name
life is radiant like a water buffalo
so please show me the way to stay sane
amidst the rhinos and tigers of the plains
what is your name child
if you are here then you must surely be wild
i am a witness to the limitless
creativity of the goddess
she partakes in every single particle we perceive
i am an article of her majesty
formed in the factory of her imagination
satisfaction is my identity
so lets awaken to the reality of creativity
with each and every breath we take

action
cameras
satisfaction
matters

It relates to nothing, yet it all comes down to this,
If something cannot be spoken, it's probably worthless.

Of the heart
I lift my words
You lift your skirts
There’s nothing left
Just promises and a pencil
And some empty bottles
You dropped upon the steps

As fences are felons we take turns
Tearing them all to little pieces
Palaces fall in the morning
For they alert us of our tiny perspectives
We sell our breath to the haggard
The hecklers can take
These letters of recommendation to the grave with them
I would rather take you to bed with me
But you are not ready to let me
Imbibe that watery something yet
It's like honey without the bees or the bumbling
We are troubled by troops of covetous warriors
Awarding our appetites with only knives and comforters

I asked, "Could I borrow your angel?"
As I descended into the basement
What would we do without our fantasies
And these ancient archetypal complexes
We have no evidence to the contrary
And no evidence that we could make it
We are like blank checks left at the equator
So please save me a seat at your dinner table
I wish to eat with you and then go to bed
With your lovely wives and daughters
And find the time between affairs
To at least try to stay a little bit creative

People are like pimples... Irritate them and they may or may not explode.

The animals that came before you
What right have we to claim their territory
The souls that walked this land for centuries
Can you hear them dancing in eternity
Are we brave enough to steal fire
From each other instead of the gods
Do we know the repercussions
Of all this karmic plundering
Are we ****** or determined
Are we ***** or just thirty
Why must we always be inspired
To find our lovers
On the other side of town
Your animus is a clown
And my anima likes to drown me
She stands along the banks of reason
And compels me towards her nakedly
Crawling on tired knees until I’m bleeding
Only then does she promise me
Her guidance and her safety

We agree only
When its necessary
And if it pleases you
To touch yourself
Then make love
To me immediately
Like only the desert
Knows your destiny
Hesitant to hum
Your tongue lingered
On my mouth for centuries
These monetary arrangements
Were supposed to be
Finished and done with
But you’re not over them completely
For there is far more worthy things
To be spoken about
Than clowns growing frowns
On their abnormally long faces
So lets replace them all
With unknown saving graces
And in our hasty laziness
We shall eat up all our lovers
Like mothers of tyranny
And dynasties of desire
That keep their fireplaces
Filled with honey, money
And cinnamon
Until you inhale the scent
Of cedar, pine and sage
And tell me to get ready
For the better part of the evening

Life is a complacent ***** grinder
Love is like the fingers that linger on your shoulder
While you wade through treacherous waters
I love to embrace the taste of honey
On your milk-chocolate coated tongue
We listen to the young and the dying
Who are crying out in accented whispers
That love is like a candlelit river
Finding smooth surfaces to dance upon
Its true that making love is a gamble
That's why we remain intangible
Despite the changing tides and winds
Please listen closely because life is not a given
We may be two shimmering bodies
But beauty is often wasted on the living
And you were always following the money
Until you found that comfort became a burden
And somebody else took your place
In the middle of the picture frame on the mantle
But who takes your temperature
Until your last breath and when you’re dying
I remain unperturbed by demons and diamonds
Love is a resilient supply chain
Come cuddle me here in the ethers
Whenever you are hard of hearing
Love is really far away despite its reaching
But tonight I can see the stars throughout your fingers
Lovers are always found without a compass
They're out cruising for a little beauty and some violence
We lost the need to believe in the sacredness of Spring
The moment we became feathers in the wind
And you never know what you'll find lying in the gutter
Until you roll up your sleeves and dig a little deeper

she waves her hands like flags
her heart thumps
and skips a beat in her chest
impressed by what she’s seen
she can only dream of a time
when she could come clean
her voice trembles and her spine reels
she turns inwards and her lip shakes a little
it stings
she’s not sure what makes her feel this way
is it the space
or the days
gone to gather wildflowers in the sun
she undresses her best smile
from time immemorial she has spun
the threads of cotton that became her fame
her main job was to pray
for the men and women
who came each day to visit her

We are alienated by our namesakes
Yet we can’t complain about our problems
We make mistakes and if it's painful, maybe
One day, we'll learn another way to say I'm sorry

It's serendipitous that the end is near
We are here for a moment and then we disappear
So stop being juvenile and gather up your gear
We are all in need of a solid flirtation
Or we will get lost in our careers
We frequently fear the endings
Much more than how things begin
So let's just listen to the rhythm
Until we find we know where we fit in

Too much order is the infrastructure of disaster.

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

For I am only a coriander seed
Would it be appropriate of me
To believe contradictorily
That what is appropriate
Appropriation must agree
If after all a waterfall falls
And the sound resounds
Until it's still, echoing
Within and all around me