Do not spit and tease me
With your duchess anger,
Or flaunt your sad pose,
Or **** with me,
By sigh or sob,
Wet cheeks red and damp,
A trickle lick of salt and tears.

I'm empty.
Do you hear me?

Drained pallid and lip crackle dry,
Not even a ******* stain of me to be found.

I can't see my shadow or myself
Hear my shouts,
Feel a fingerprint
Or even smell the blood stink
We conjure up on the hottest days.

I am gone. You can have the dogs.

Why do you hate me?
What did I do
That makes you stone me
With a constant guilty glare

Why do you look at me
That way.


It wasn't my fault.

She died.

In my arms.

Do you get that.

I could feel her heart beating.
And then I couldn't.

I slipped into a hero panic.
I ran twelve miles
With her dead ******* body in my arms.

But she was dead.

Before I began.
She was dead.

And now so are we.
I won't be in touch.
Again.
Ever.

I farted at Yoga,
And it wasn't a toot,
Think foghorn,
Or moose call,
A trombone salute.

The relief was enormous,
God's gift is a gas,
Who ever thought tranquility,  
Would burst from my ***.

What is time,
Where does it flow,
Your kiss was here
Only moments ago.

Your laugh, your love,
Assigned to the past,
Your smile a ghost
Leaves me aghast.

What trick is time,
A one way *****,
Climb up, not down,
Harsh misanthrope.

Gone now this one
Who made me whole,
Time's rude gift,
A hollowed soul.

Karla called me at 2 a.m.
Define love, she said without preamble,
Or introduction,
And in her vox humilus morning coffee voice.

Well I'd love to sleep right through the night, I replied,
And waited,
Hopelessly,disappointingly
For the snort.

Karla,
A woman who howls  at knock knock jokes,
Can absorb sarcasm like a coral reef sponge,
Consume it, digest it,
And spit it out like tobacco juice,
Held her breath and counted to ten.

Give me a one sentence definition , she demanded,
Try and convince me, she said.

Well love is when we take responsibility for the
Happiness of another, I said,
And searched my darkened bedside table,
For what I knew was a nearly full
Bottle of beer,
Which I, of course,
Lifted to my lips,
Despite the fly floating on its back.

Karla was silent.
Not unusual.
'Conversation is not a contest' is stenciled
On her Sunday T-shirt and
She never cries.
Out-loud.

So love is pain, she finally replied.

Did she die, I asked her feather soft.

Yes, minutes ago,she replied.

Come by, I said,
We will take a bath,
Drink from the bottle,
And reminisce with the lights off,
For as long as it takes.

A night moon bold and bright,
A diamond sky with tinsel light,
A girl, a boy, a kiss, a cry,
Lover's list to quiet sigh.

Dance lessons began at six p.m.

Martha said she would come,
And then,
At the last second
She bailed…
And sent her friend,
The soprano who lives above her,
The wild one with the parrot,
Who sunbathes in her underwear,
As her replacement.

My name is Alexandra the friend said
And offered me her hand to kiss.

Then I will expect great things from you, I replied,
And drew her body close to me
In a nose to nose, cha-cha embrace.

Are you always so obvious,
She asked me,
Especially in this day and age.

I am a defiant breed I replied,
A man who truly loves to dance.

She asked me if I would die for her.
I said yes instantly.
Without thinking.
There was no decision to sift.

The fact that you said yes
Is insignificant, she said.
That you didn't delay means everything and all.

I'm not sure I understand, I replied,
And we stopped,
Turned,
And faced each other.

Reluctance is a carcinogen, she said,
Love cannot, will not, must not hesitate.
Willingness is where we fuse.

I smiled. She kissed me.
Autumn wept without a tear.