Alone in his dark apartment
black dog asleep
the sound of children playing
in the street outside his window-
children of color, his housekeeper says,
not quite seeing the distinction
only hearing happy voices-
an old jazz number on the radio
as he stands and dances slowly
with his cane tap, tap, tapping
to the beat and dreaming of a girl
he once read about named Helen
in a book of braille.

r ~ 6/6/14

I never wanted nature
to represent hope
or the Sun or the Moon
to become my home
I never wanted the stars
that fill the night sky
to interrupt my empty thoughts
as I sat idilly by
I never wanted humanity
to slip beneath my skin
or the birds in the trees
to remind me
that I too, could fly
if I only had wings
I never wanted to pass
the couple on the street
and see their linked hands
and just understand
that's always never going
to be me
I never wanted to shout out
with another's smoke scratched
voice
but apparently
it's not a
choice

My wife often says to me,

“It takes a good man to be a good woman”

and there was a time
when I wondered what she meant,
but not anymore.
When she says it now I
take it as a compliment because
she is quite extraordinary,

and I'd say that's better than good.

fly, be free

                                 A
                            B        C
             ­           D                E
                            F      ­  G
                                 H
                                    I
                 ­                     Just
                                       Kid
                                          L ove
                                           Me!
                                          No
    ­                                     One (ever did)
                                         Perhaps
                                        Questions
                                      Reveal
                                    Secrets
  ­                                  Time
                    ­                Unknown
                                   ­ Vows
                                     Whimsical
                                       X haling a breath
                                       You land in my
                                      Zone

Imma gunna
create a new
persona
complete with
stupid backstory
an' a picture
of some random
that's pleasing
to the eye
to enable
my ****** glory
and help spread
my *******
to the world
because my ego
demands
to
be
heard!