And the harvest moon smiles




The ground beneath my feet
solid as is stone of millennium’s might and fear
Flat on a surface of cultured desires,
formidable, paved in promises kept and windswept actions


This night, chocolate skies of peering pleading eyes,
locks smooth, dark, shining beneath a silent harvest moon
glowing down upon this photograph dream
developing on the breath of autumn’s coming


Softly I lay you down, earth and colored leaves
vibrant as this beauty I hold, tinted in hues of love
Comfort beyond compare, nature’s pristine mattress
engulfs your form as I find my way in the dark


Sultry sighs echo on midnight bluffs and aching cliffs
Silhouetted caverns, ignited by reflections of sensual calls
and names found on the evening canopy resonate
in melodic tones of lust and true endeavors


Sunflower lips, smooth as mirrored glass and fragrant as life
meet mine in passion, touching, feeling, every inch
as we dance to the rhythm of early hour heart beats,
drinking of the pleasure now shared by destined souls


Snow caps melt in violent flow of heated steam, fissures of depth on blood streaked skin,
as your nails scream beneath my flesh, begging this earth, this solid ground to move
when as asked, it moves, madly shaking, convulsing until …
shattering in a crescendo of spark filled ecstasy  


and the harvest moon smiles

I wrote these words while you were sleeping
Lost between the sun and moon
Wrapped so tight in shadows seeping
Fractured light a’ dance your room

Eyes now closed and softly breathing
Peace it seems does seek your mind
Drifting off to sighed believing
Distant thoughts of wishful kind

Still the monsters come a’ motion
Bearing teeth of sharpened steel
Tearing through this deep devotion
Praying on your soul to feel

Running paths of darkest hour
Endings seem so far from view
Reach, my hand it wields the power
Strength abounds protecting you  

Bristled thorn of endless bleeding
Fear a’ grip your skin so tight
Here I stand to slay the demon
As you lie this whispered night

Place your heart in this my station
Lone of every captured whim
I shall last this strained duration
So your smile may rise again

Rest my precious love a’ keeping
Fear no more for I shall stay
Deep within your silent sleeping
To keep you safe this autumn's day

Lost the key

I dance in desperate movements,
stepping on toes as I go
Spinning out of control as faces grimace in my wake,
changing scenery like mirrored ball illusions,
tiny reflective squares blinding as they move
Still you stare, questioning gazes,
not making eye contact
but sensing my heart through the song…
playing in steady repetition

Fingers in your ears for fear
that it might touch you
in rhythmic hypnosis, shining pendulums
swinging in reverse tempo, challenging these feelings
you hold but still can not admit the lyrics
Prideful walls of bricked fortitude
built around your emotions sing of
locked entryways and barred windows
and it seems I have lost the key

Misplaced along out of tune wavelengths
while pitchy corridors of doubt
fill in the shadows of this that I desire
Still I extend a hand, “would you care to dance?”
Dark eyes squint as you focus, looking beyond the bandstand,
finding mistakes of the past playing in three quarter time,
heading towards the stage door exit,
tapping your toe in cadence with the drummer
who now stops…along with the beat of my heart

~


I try, I swear I try,
but you are always there,
touching my thoughts with wonder,
bringing desires to my mind
on endless wishes
cast upon continuous ripples,
rapidly forming with every breath I take
~
Morning brings the sunrise
in multicolored shades of how I feel
Reaching for that lost love,
floating like indigo butterflies
just beyond my grasp, though
I still want, with every ounce,
every movement, every hope
~
I have been told
I long for what I can not have,
that elusive bloom
at the peak of the arbor,
radiant beauty washing down upon me,
fragrant reminders of a time before,
when your petals gathered at my heart
~
And try as I like it is of no use,
my mind holds you, desperately dreaming
in echoed whispers and twilight shadows
which never seem to end
For as long as there are butterflies,
honeysuckle breezes and poetry...
*there will be you

~

Simple reminders of conscious belief
Filter my mind with the moon’s silver glow
Satisfied truths sent to spell my relief
All that my beating heart now needs to know

Sensual visions to capture the feel
Bringing the contours of wind sculpted plains
Temptations cry out for all that is real
Filling the void that I now can explain

Cloudless these night skies of star sprinkled mist
Shimmering soft on the eclipse of love
Delicious the thoughts of your warm tender kiss
Found in these endless illusions above

Memories harbor the times that we’ve lived
Photograph remnants of places once shared
Telling the story of all it can give
Building the dreams now worth capturing there

Still we are standing alone on this eve
Counting the stars in the heavens so bright
Dreams can come true if we only believe
Whispering prayers on this warm summer night

Hear my desires a float on the breeze
Finding their way to the one I adore
Listen, my love, for I hope but to please
Biding the time till you’re with me once more

Down on my knees with my fingers entwined
Solemn requests I now send up above
Pleading with heaven to be ever kind
Allowing this man to receive your sweet love

All that I ask is all that I do need
Merely the chance I may prove ever true
You are my life and in that I believe
*Forever my love will be only you

.

On the wings of adventure
and channel planned visions
In bonafide pockets
with envelopes streaming

When sidewalk dividers,
the colors of sunset
bring peace to the valley,
now penned in a post card

          “…wish you were here”

And bricks line the mansion
with cats in the garden,
alongside the seashells
and beaches we’ll wander

I look to the sunshine
to see its reflection
upon your sweet features,
your beauty it holds me

          “Vacation photographs cannot do justice”

In rhythmed oasis
of sweet waters churning
and moments we’re seeking
in all we are wanting

With shadows behind us
as we go out walking
to love every minute
adventures are flying

          “We find that our dreams lead us on our journey”

I follow the smiles,
that don’t belong to me
of hot seasoned concrete
and t-shirts emblazoned

With images captured,
yet still fashioned frowning,
until you arrive
and my heart swims the shoreline

          “My vacation destination is your heart”

Feathered dunes outline
finding the side streets amazing,
hibiscus and bougainvillea
and fragrances swaying

When every sunrise
does find you here with me,
of bright painted post cards
and moments eternal

          *“We shall forever live in love…”

Soft leaves underfoot, mosaics of nature
Sleeping in shadows of yawning maples
Beneath these stretching branches I roam
Foot steps in rhythm with a woodpecker’s cadence
Humming to the harmony of dawn’s cool breeze

Sunlight weaves past distant mountain peaks
Warming my face, enhancing my vision
Miles evaporate like morning dew
Moments become an ever changing serenity
For happiness waits at the end of this journey

Clear water’s race between glistened stone
I splash my face in anticipation of a new day
Dreaming of her on an Adirondack kind of morning
Following a path through the mirrors of my thoughts
Listening for the endless echoes of love

Peaceful vistas beckon my heart’s desires
Cleansing my soul in lilac wanderings
Breathing the air of solitude affection
Knowing this sunrise lifts her from sleep
Praying her first thought is of me

~

We all breathe the same
In whatever way we choose
Dancing to the beats
Of drummers, different in most cases
But breathe just the same

Sometimes we talk
Different mouths, different voices
Still it can ring badly on another’s ears
Complaining, questioning, whining
When all we want is to be understood

Often we fall, hard to the ground
Hardly at all to those passing by
Staring at this writhing body
On the sidewalk of broken dreams
Just waiting to be kicked once more

At times we love
Perhaps too much it seems
Different hearts, different beats, different drummers (again)
Brandishing hope as that marching band
With the new drum major breaks our will

Then we die
Not unlike other’s before us
Lying in a wooden box
Mourners stare exhaling sadly or happily
As they still breathe…in whatever way they choose

~

I breathe
as if it means nothing,
no thought or planning
A rhythmic thing
that just happens

~in and out…silently~

Little notice is taken
until I find your smile,
your beauty, your love
and then I gasp, for in that instant…
I am breathless

So many years have drained,
slowly taking what was once mine
scattering it over endless thoughts and memories
And I wonder why, where has it all gone…
Silver finds locks once dark,
muscles speak in much louder tones

Sleep is something of youthful moments
and nightmares wrap me where once bloomed orchids

Coming down that mountain…stumbling,
gazing on the valley below, green and lush,
envying those who still smile,
holding hands and drinking of life
one happy sip at a time
from that half full glass held next to their hearts

Not a drop spilled on their dance floor,
mixing with saw dust and erratic footprint designs

A tear finds my cheek, lonely as it is
asking what did it mean, why has loved passed me by
Nary a wave or a nod, eyes fixed elsewhere
Am I hideous…the thought has crossed my mind…why did I just grin,
did something soft touch me and I didn’t notice,
until now…perhaps

There’s that word again…seems overused
though it hasn’t been spoken in ages

Entering that final path, winding…tiring so
but a spring in the old step, a bounce found in place of a crawl
“Sweet the fragrant air doth find me of you”
Why did I just say that, and in a voice I hadn’t heard in so long
Seems to be singing…and it is me…me
and funny…I hear harmony

So it has come, the voices of my past belting out a few notes
into the mind of crab cake crumbles and starched socks

Yet it is not in my head, it is on the wind…a cool breeze of song
wafts along aged skin and tickles…and I laugh at the feeling
When she appears from a field of lavender, different yet perfect,
beautiful eyes, lips…I must be going insane…they said it would happen…madness
Then she smiles at me and I smile back, could this be….love…me
Taking my hand we run…yes run…uphill…and I feel free

Reaching in my pocket I pull out the four leaf clover
I found when I was twelve and whisper…”Took you long enough”

~

Till sunrise comes once more...

You and I…alone
Beneath a silent crescent moon
Sultry sighs echo passion’s enchantment
Fireflies swirl illumined whisperings
Hydrangeas glow luminous desires
Your love envelopes me…breathless

Azure wing’d rapture engulfs
Ferverous lips ignite dark chocolate pulsings
Savoring luscious yearnings
Rhythmic motions blur starlit fantasies
Entwined of twilight fingers…roaming
Softly probing cherry blossom seams

Satin cream thighs…aching… delicate…fragile
Slowly entering, honeysuckle’s fragrance’d portal
Warmth devours gripping’s pleasure
Moist tongues dance tango’d steps
Crimson trickles paint skin’s textures
Cricket song wafts fever’d pitch

Comets blaze heaven’s canvas
Harmonies melt…one voice pleads
Echo’d moans soar elevated
Pearl’d beads mingle…lustrous
Glisten’d affection unfolds
Midnight beckons endless dreams

Till sunrise comes once more…my love

~

From the cinders and ashes of exhausted flame
Came a wonderful truth that is not one to blame
For this feeling of love that brings forth its weight
Which we gladly present in the form of debate

On the darkest of night not a star above shone
We hear of the plight his decision alone
For the heart of this woman true love would reclaim
From the cinders and ashes of exhausted flame

And this knight you will see just a few steps away
Had decided to take with the band on this day
Whilst knowing full well that his Lady would fear
The thought that her armor clad knight was not near

He played till the hours, well into the morn
His heart between song and his lady were torn
But still he continued till the sun called the day
And this knight you will see just a few steps away

As he knocked on the door, crooked smile on his face
He called out her name as he stood at her place
Ignore him she did for twas easy to know
Where he had been, what place he did go

He hadn’t a clue that she waited her chore
And watched from above on the very next floor
His attempts to gain entry to this her own place
As he knocked on the door, crooked smile on his face

As she moved on the balcony, eyes gazing down
Watching his antics without making a sound
And thought to herself this was really a shame
It is his love of music that is surely to blame

Then her mind turned to songs he had written for her
As the love that she felt for him began to stir
Wonderful feelings inside her spun round
As she moved on the balcony, eyes gazing down

She decided to forgive and forget would be best
For his feelings and love he soon would profess
Through the entry she walked, quiet feet on the floor
To the base of the stairway that leads to the door

A moment to breathe, a glance at the clock
No longer she hears the sound of his knock
She would let him in, allow him some rest
She decided to forgive and forget would be best

Dejected, no answer, he turns now to leave
To lose her, this Goddess, he surely would grieve
Why had he made such a mess of this thing
By playing guitar, by wanting to sing

He knew that he loved her much more than a song
Then why did he play with his friends all night long
She warned him no longer his words she’d believe
Dejected, no answer, he turns now to leave

The door is now open and before her eyes
A sight that is not often called a surprise
I terrible dream, she thought this must be
This sight that I see right in front of me

Why would this happen, why do such a thing
Knowing he loved her as he loved to sing
Don’t do this my darling, the words that she cries
The door is now open and before her eyes

A burning guitar, burning songs on the ground
Fanning the flames of this inferno mound
Her Knight as he tells her this act is to show
He loves her much more than a song and a show

I’ll sing nevermore, not a chord will I play
To be in your arms with you I will stay
Know now this sign of my love so profound
A burning guitar, burning songs on the ground

She could not believe it as she stood there and cried
Such sadness and sorrow had built up inside
My darling this is not the course I desire
To see your creativeness go up in fire

I understand not why you’d go to such means
Never, not ever in my wildest dreams
This is not a way I would have ever implied
She could not believe it as she stood there and cried

Weep not my love, the decision was mine
It should have been done such a long ago time
For here at your side now I never shall part
And sing you the song that you’ve placed in my heart

These ashes were pages and wood and some strings
Nothing much more than material things
So therefore I say we’ve the rest of all time
Weep not my love, the decision was mine

She was his Queen and he was her Knight
With her blonde flowing hair she would pull him in tight
She sat on the ground, he fell to his knees
This moment of love they were sure to seize

Her long gown of violet, his suit of steel
Their passionate kiss, they way that they feel
This perfect love the whole world would delight
She was his Queen and he was her Knight

From the cinders and ashes of exhausted flame
Came a wonderful truth that is not one to blame
For this feeling of love that brings forth its weight
Which we gladly present in the form of debate

On the darkest of night not a star above shone
We hear of the plight his decision alone
For the heart of this woman true love would reclaim
From the cinders and ashes of exhausted flame

Helpless
A friend is in pain and I can do nothing
Tears flow of indecision…straining life, staining life
My heart breaks in two…then shatters on the salted dreamscape floor
Coming out of my own skin, ripping the stitches, molting along hollow tree branches
Miles between, so many miles, so much time falls from grace
Breathing is hard, tethered at the moments lost, the suffering imagined
Pacing the floor…finding worn carpet and hidden questions beneath a shallow basement
Wishing the words, those **** words, feeding the solution…would come
Hoping for anything, something, even the tiniest of splintering compassion I can offer
To help ease this weight resting squarely on the shoulders of the weakness that engulfs her
I have no answers, useless, like a block of wood in the offering plate on a Tuesday night
My mind is a vacant lot of empty parking spaces…handicapped and no hang tag
My eyes blur of forced darkness amidst the crowing raven circling overhead
I pound my fist into this meaningless existence breaking every bone of contention
Drowning in my own fear, treading water beneath the surface
Clenching my teeth in a vice like fashion
A friend is in pain and I can do nothing
Helpless

~


I saw soft eyes on the promise fueled sunset
Coffee dark skies in a marmalade blush
Pastels now tinted of wayward decisions
Meadowlarks sing in a smooth whispered hush

Corn field desires drain simplistic notions
Run with me there down the row ever straight
Listen,  our hearts speak in feathered emotions
Love stands to prove it is never too late

~

Jagged formations
Barefoot on this narrow ledge
Thorned barriers rip flesh
Tattered jeans and ***** tee
Staring out over it all
Cold breezes prevail

Clouded visions cry
in cryptic raindrops (falling)

Pain settles thoughts
Enlightening as it is
Seeping slowly into gasping pores
Shattered dreams
Stone faced and worn
Upon bleeding knees

I hear the voices in echoes
chanting in metronome directions

One step forward
Draining that last ounce
Wrenching muscles
Past tense, present tense decisions
Chipped in granite pieces
Scattered along this last call

Pleading to fly, arms outstretched
as what was small quickly becomes larger

Roaring winds pass
Deafening cries of fractured wishes
Spinning out of control
Final moments bring light
Dark as any place
Where I shall end

In that flash leading in I see you
*and ask silently if this is what you wanted

-

Say what you will
hoping people will listen
Stand up and shout
just as loud as you can
Walk in a circle
until you are dizzy
Write down the rules
now a part of your plan

Here I will wait
with my head held up higher
Knowing the truth
that lives inside of me
Holding my tongue,
you don’t need ammunition
There in your mind
you’ll find all that you need

I raise my voice
on occasion in anger
Fall to the hate
that I know you all see
When deep inside
all that truly does matter
Is I’m in love
and forever will be

So I will try,
do my best to ignore you
Say what you will
tell the world how you feel
That is your thing
for I guess you are lonely
You should find love
and your hatred conceal

Now this I write
with the hope she is reading
Sending my thoughts
in the phrases below
Sharing my dreams
that are always about us
Saying again
for I want her to know

I am a poet
who writes of affection
Sharing my thoughts
every once in a while
Wanting the words
that I'm writing to touch you
Lifting your heart
and producing a smile

Still there are times
when directions are changing
I slip and fall
just like most of us do
Then I return
for my heart knows the reason
I’m just a man
who is in love with you

Alone on a silent shoreline,
sea breeze emotions paint my skin
Sands of time slip away as I count the stars
wondering why so many seem to smile,
when I don’t

Storm fence pickets stand straight,
weathered of years watching
Holding at bay the impending dunes
where my footprints once shared these moments
with another

Salt water teardrops fall,
meeting the beach in sorrow’d pools
lonely silhouettes of my heart shaped shadows
empty and vacant, longing for that one
to forgive

Disenchanted sandcastles disappear with the tide
as do these words we compiled together
never to be written again, on paper or in the sand
Now I only watch my dreams fade into the horizon,
missing you

Beyond the darkness

Shades of painted corners
face these inward fears
Now drenched in lost endeavors
and flat as the cornerstone of suffering
Caught within boundaries along wasting moments,
crying blanket feelings,
pounding on the walls of despair

          “leaving fist prints like so many discarded roses”

Calling out to the endless deafness
“Time it does not heal,
scars merely cut deeper”,  
echoes among the tapered dreams
Fog engulfs the melody…slowly
chasing after poetic symphonies
playing in a westward direction

          “horizontal compass points from this to that”

This weary hand trembles
violently as it reaches, pleads
Where the monochrome sun sets,
beyond the chosen horizon
in heart shaped vistas and opened arm landscapes
Trust in amber glowing beacons
wave banners of solitude

          “free flowing fabric beckoning in rhythmic motions”

Forcing the stoic front door…open
Creaking hinges scream, your fears cup beneath your chest
Breathing in the stench of life
but lured by the fragrance of the future
Where sorrow drowns in cascade pools,
pain hides where it can not be found
and he waits to lift you…beyond the darkness


          *“and you find you have wings, shimmering in this golden friendship”

~

As sweet as any daffodil
Your precious eyes in awe
The wonder that is yours to take
In every breathe you draw

The world is out there waiting
Wondrous moments new
Singing loudly your sweet song
In endless wishes true

For you are the daughter
Of our very own Sunshine
Bringing light to all who see
Her perfect written rhyme

And now for you I’m penning
A poem you can keep
Until you are much older
So many years to reap

That you will know the people
Your loving momma knew
Spreading joy where she did walk
Telling all of you

And when you find you’re reading
These verses I do write
Hopefully they’ll comfort you
On dark and stormy nights

For here across the ocean
Zenani I shall be
Your favorite Uncle Jack (I hope)
As you are family

~

Within the raindrops calling,
to believe this message true
Now drenching from the skies above,
my every dream of you

To carry me along my way,
wherever I may go
Clouds may gather overhead,
still I love you so

The sun has gone to hiding,
I stand here unafraid
For love shall paint this dreary view
and bring it back today

No matter what the weather
I dance among the rain
As hours turn to minutes,
to hold you close again

I splash amongst the puddles
which form along the street
I swim in the affection of
this love you send to me

Now shouting to the heavens
between the drops above
Bring upon me what you will
for I have found her love

Lightning bolts nor thunder
shall my heart deter
Living for each moment
I now spend with her

So bring your scattered showers,
your wind so laced with chill
For her love lives within my heart
and it forever will

Many, many years ago
When the earth was new
There lived a lovely butterfly
Her wings of brightest blue
Everyday was happy
As she fluttered all around
Visiting each precious bloom
Each garden they were found

Till one day by courier
A message she received
The news was far from happy
Causing her to grieve
Her mate was lost in battle
It broke her fragile heart
Never more would there be joy
Her world was torn apart

To show her grief she slowly
Removed her precious wings
Discarded everything she loved
The memories they bring
Then wrapped about her body
In a way to show her grief
A drab cocoon of teardrops
Then sat in disbelief

She could not eat, could not sleep
Her sadness did abound
So worried was her family
They often came around
Not to be a burden
She packed her many things
Her old medicine bundle
As well, her precious wings

She took off on a journey
As every day was kept
A map of where she traveled
By the tears she wept
The sadness so consuming
Her head she held so low
Downcast eyes the path she took
A heart that’s beating slow

Crossing o’er the fields
Creeks and valley streams
Touching each and every stone
Beneath her tiny feet
Around the world she walked
Lest journeys filled in length
For many days and many months
Running short of strength

About to end the story
Her broken heart near death
She prayed for time to hurry
Her last and final breath
For love had left her being
Wandering alone
That day her mate did breathe no more
The message she was shown

When seemingly from nowhere
The beauty sharp and sweet
A stone now lay upon the ground
Below these tired feet
Though different was this stone
The slightest joyous feel
The loveliness this stone possessed
Her sorrow slowly healed

It lay as a reminder
That ugliness might play
But found within this sorrow
Some beauty was displayed
And then her eyes did open
The perfect shade of brown
When then noticed wonders
Were waiting to be found

Like diamonds in the river
A perfect flower’s bloom
So happy had she now become
She cast off her cocoon
Shook the dust from on her wings
The brightest color blue
Put them on and offered thanks
This chance at life anew

She danced the dance of butterflies
And spread her story wide
To family and friends alike
The truth she did confide
In loss there will be sorrow
But life is just a time
Remember but the good you had
And you will be just fine

In everything is beauty
All that you will see
Whether in the rising sun
Or stones beneath your feet
Always find the goodness
It lies before you eyes
I promise you’ll find happiness
When you realize

So dance with me my posy
Spread your fancy wings
Follow me this winter’s eve
See the joy it brings
If ever you feel sorrow
Don’t forget the chance
Gives thanks to all the good you have
And let your spirit dance

You whispered your secrets
on breezes of starlight
of moonbeam collections
in night sky desire

Those twinkling phrases
beyond the horizon
which once held the sunset
in blistery fire

Beneath every pine tree
found evergreen wishes
with snow dressing branches
long winters to show

And springtime petunias
bloomed fresh for the season
soft feathery visions
you want me to know

That here as we’re lying
this hillside of splendor
while counting the diamonds
a’ shine up above

Each sunrise of morning
a new days beginning
asleep in my arms is
the dawning of love

I built it
Brick by brick
Slathering mortar
Rebar pierced
Lines off center
Foundation firm
Concrete faults
Cemented sadness
Tall as it is wide

I built it
Contracted of stupidity
Designed in self-absorption
Blue prints of folded sorrow
Erected by a fool
No cranes needed
Drawn in teardrops
Fallen from your eyes
Collected puddles of my deceit

I built it…this wall
That keeps you from me

~


Collective eyes on the shoreline
Ripples meander unaware of who they touch
Glimmering surface reflects a doubtless moon
and fireflies abandon all hope of neon goals

Stone and sand meet in driftwood destinies
Autumn grips the night with postcard tendrils
Feet beneath water paddle slowly,
hiding in plain sight in the center of this liquid target

Alone on the wrinkles of waterlogged bed sheets
Silence finds no home here
while voices cackle and point slanderous fingers
and buoyancy is in question

Words fly like arrows in cultivated sentences on thin air
When what was once sacred sinks
into the stagnant reaches of heartless ink
and I wait…a sitting duck

~

I sit on this lonely hillside,
a faint crescent moon smiles
in the silent sky
Gazing across the valley,
finding darkness as the village sleeps
Yet as if a beacon of hope,
a lone light in your window glows
and I wonder if your midnight thoughts ~
are of me
~
Standing at my window,
gazing at the stars
I see new constellations
lining up like arrows in the night sky,
all of them point to you
The crescent moon is smiling
as though it too knows where my heart belongs
My eyes follow the river outside my window,
as it flows in your direction,
carrying thoughts of you
~
I fade off as my imagination
floats me atop a slumbering tree line
soft branches guide me
along the curves of a shadowed river bank
Gently I come to rest outside your window,
mesmerized by beauty as your enchanting eyes
reflect the star laced heavens
An autumn chill finds me and I long to fold
into the comfort of your October caress
~
The wood in the fireplace
cracks and sizzles
I feel its ribbons of warmth
gathering, wrapping around me
like a lover's warm embrace
stirring those feelings in my heart
the longing for you,
to stop and to stay
the next time your journey
brings you my way
~
Enchanting flames flicker, illumining my path,
a nervous sensation engulfs my body
as only a heart deeply in love can,
when the door opens, you smile,
melting me where I stand
Soothing arms pull me in and we kiss,
passion evolves in star dust shimmers...
My eyes again open...I still sit this lonely hillside,
imagination fading with the light in your window
and I wonder if your midnight dreams ~ will be of us

Gently I close the curtains and
move away from the window
I stoke the fire,
its soothing heat
settling upon my face
my face, a smile flickering
as the embers of my heart glow anew
with thoughts of you, us
I glance deeply into my longing dreams
All things I need,
lead to you and me,
*together

~

Beneath this dark…soft, silent sky (awaiting your smile)

  
Beneath this dark…soft silent sky
where starlight teardrops weep
in moon glow feathered sonnets…
my heart seeks
~
Clinging to every hope,
laced of tiny woven dreams
now filtered through weary eyes
and worried sighs
~
Collecting each moment shared
within my weathered hands…mixed
with essence of posy and
butterfly song
~
Woven together in melodic patterns,
colorful arcs on golden horizons
bidding me a good evening while
riding in on the sweetest of mystic zephyrs…
~
as another tear paints my cheek
in transparent worry
and desperate longing for that day
when your smile reappears
~
For here sits my whispered wishes,
behind tufted clouds of life,
touching me with poetic joy,
allowing me to breathe freely
~
Beneath this dark…soft silent sky
where starlight teardrops weep
in moon glow feathered sonnets…
I shall wait…for your smile

~


Soft flurries of affection
find my eyes lost in the prism
of the beauty that engulfs my world

For to inhale is to fall into
the scent of sweet essence riding
the breeze exhaling from your skin

As words pour on the page,
my fingers dance in rhythmic patterns
now wrapped warmly about my thoughts

I have wondered, quietly to myself
where is it they are born,
how do they flow so easily

from a mind that constantly spins
in whirls of dream-like visions
kaleidoscopic views and frantic desires,

where each vowel, noun, adjective or verb
in feathered shapes of ink, somehow
scribble silhouettes of my love for you

It is now that I notice,
sitting in the frail sunshine of the dawn
whispering on salmon clouds, you are awake

that my hands are empty, my fingers still
for it seems as I write of you, my endless everything,
it is my heart that holds my pen

Next stop Goodwill

Wearing thin and edges frayed
An old jacket with empty pockets
Saved for what…closet fodder
Mixed in with relevance
Old memories of that time
When winter meant something
And warmth was welcomed

Missing a few buttons, threadbare
Elbows faded from too much thought
Once a good friend, a perfect fit
Clinging to a wire hanger, fabric wings grow
Staring at the new fashion, in style
Unread leather everyone sees
Can’t wait to touch…peruse

Spring brings flowers and cleaning
A black plastic trash bag…hefty
Tossed to the bottom in a heap
A tax deduction…space reduction
Soon to be forgotten, if not already
Worn out, replaced by current, different, unique?
Next stop Goodwill

.

“The lunatic is on the grass”

Signs don’t really matter
Spelling corrects the mood
Dancing on the scattered blades
My word, he’s such a crazy dude

“The lunatic is on the grass”

Park place settings filter
In silverware and dreams
Sidewalks offer no relief
That’s when the pain excites the screams

“Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs”

Memories grow within the weeds
Flowers cast in sad defeat
Caretakers watch as footprints carve
Barking out orders, then repeat

“Got to keep the loonies on the path”

Herding shadows singular
Days to nights of gloom
Read the writing on the wall
This is the dark side of the moon

~

And I fall…down

As the sunset of life reaches out to me
in marmalade swirls…orange sherbet dreams
I follow in loose footsteps,
not sure of the bridges I cross
or those burned in the process

Alone I stumble on braided pebbles,
scattered on this serpentine path,
feeding my mind with thoughts
Peering back on what was,
crying when your picture finds me

Dark tangerine tints line the sky now
for the day…this day…my life
shall soon disappear beyond the horizon
Fading to a tiny speck,
hiding in plain sight where no one can see…or care

Finality sings its sad melody
in fractured bar chords and minor notes
As I again find you invading my soul,
reaching down from my heart,
the place you still reside

And I whisper I am sorry…for the pain
Collections of hurt I did not realize I carried
beneath shiny bows and pretty paper
Sending you away from me…my precious gift,
the loss of all that was me…you

Quicker my steps drive
to that straight line illusion beckoning
Darker still as minutes pass
for I know this end is mine alone
as the moon crests the sea and I fall…down

~


Illumined by a seamless crescent moon
suspended above our heart’s desire
Breaths filter through wisteria dreams
as silhouettes embrace against a background
of fireflies and pine needle whispers

A scented breeze through whispers moves
as hearts entwine at midnight's call
with gentle hand to lead the way
and silent smile to loving eye

For in this gaze I know a shimmer,
to taste these lips, soft of twilight wine
Lost now within this dark abandon,
the scent of jasmine feeds the air as
passion grows in dewdrop longings

and there, discovered by the dawn
to purest love our hearts succumb
no more to dwell amongst the lonely
our faith restored we lay, unmoving~
*Forever here, forever one

Found on the corner of sleeping dogs lie
Came to the spotlight with one crooked eye
Painted a portrait in spite of the light
Hoping the canvas was centered and tight

Poured off the foam before going to bed
It’s easy to sleep when you don’t have a head
Dreams are the reason I tend to escape
Picking up pieces that fell off the cake

Coupled with sailors now off on a trip
Some sunken treasure on some sunken ship
Last time the cannons did roar at the sea
Green was the canvas of the canopy

Blown into port with a quart in your bag
Looking quite close at the half masted flag
Wondering who might have swam with the fish
And ended up sinking and getting their wish

The mist in the air hung so thick on the ground
The bell in the lighthouse could broadcast the sound
Ringing that rang as the tide wandered in
As night storms from southern most points did begin

Anchors were dropped to the depths of the deep
Big leaks were fixed but the little ones seeped
Batons were hatched or whatever that means
Opening gaps welded closed at the seams

Swabbing the deck seemed like pure wasted time
As buckets were emptied with rain in the sky
Sails were pulled down, pulled in, put away
While clouds housed a marvelous lightening display

A bottle of *** and a parrot named bill
They drank and they sang until they had their fill
When off now to sleep they did fall with a thud
Tomorrow the war and the spilling of blood

The enemies’ close they could feel in their bones
Because of the bank and some late payment loans
They shuffled us off to some brightly lit rooms
And offered low interest in brand new doubloons

They had us signing here page after page
As if fountain pens were just coming of age
Now put them away this place sure is a mess
Or move them to somebody else’s address

If the dog is not home and the cats on the chair
Licking his tail with the long flowing hair
For after this voyage we look up above
And whisper a poem that doesn’t speak love

~

A belated Happy Birthday wish
to someone far away
I hope you smiled every chance
on that, your special day

I know these words are overdue
the poem kind of late
But just know this my wondrous friend
we still can celebrate

~

Parched and dry, this barren field stretches,
I wander…head hung low,
staring at the emptiness eclipsing my thoughts
Brittle blades of grass disappear beneath
my worn out Chuck Taylors,
black and white crushing beige
in slow fashioned footprints ~ blistered dust

“My sanity for some cool water.”

When upon my shoulders, reddened by solar intensity,
wet from exerted energy, comes a breeze
as if Autumn has come to claim her colors,
to gather her brown and sepia landscape,
pull the lifeless trees, with little leaf
from the chalk textured ground
taking it where it would suit another ~ for this is my luck

“Take my shade a beg not, for it is merely a branch.”

Like fingers of a silken web’s reach,
a soft caress of skin is not understood, though very pleasant
nature finds me a shiver, a small comfort in this arid place
once crawling with snakes of assorted length, now
green as if lush has just been defined
with sweet air and pomegranate skies
featuring a glow, pristine shades of which I’ve never seen ~ heavenly

“To whom might I thank for such a gift?”

When before me stands, as my eyes saturated and lost
slowly focus, a beauty of winged loveliness now smiling within my own
personal oasis, which quickly forms in my heart
An angel, a goddess, extends a hand…to me?
My cracked and weathered palm touches, smooth, gentle
her hand as she lifts me, I am weightless, floating
to her, my breath leaves me as I wonder ~ is this my end

“If this beauty shall be my final curtain, let it be dropped slowly.”

A voice of velvet speaks, as I fade in and out of reality
now steadied by her touch and the sweet scent of lavender and lime,
“I have come to you as a verse...for poetry is thy keeper,
thy words have been heard,” lyrically she sings
melodic and harmonious, rhythm’d to the beat of my heart
the race of my pulse, the love of my life ~ my muse

“Eternal to you I shall write, for your beauty fuels my pen.”

~

Metamorphosis

Tracing footsteps in the overgrown field
where sunlight and rain drops date
Counting sticker burrs like lemon drops
in a candy counter display
Hitchhikers I remember them called,
lovers of socks and pant legs I think
Each with their own story to tell,
minute worries clinging to that last hope of life

The path, familiar but then again not,
it leads somewhere else now
Dragging shadows like kite strings,
knotted in the weave of its boundaries
Taking in my surroundings and releasing them  
for another may find them useful as well,
I find still no sign of that last phrase,
spoken softly but misunderstood…is my understanding

A collection of stone and gravel stew
finds my shoe souls imaging in the dry dusty paste
Outlines of thoughts, perhaps poetry in oblong shapes and
perfect tread patterns stamped and posted,
showing no indication of my ever being here
Staring now at a cocoon on a lone branch, I see
what my life had been, dark and lonely, dreaming of the colors,
feeling confined but grateful for the transformation

You smiled, I smiled, my wings appeared and I flew,
as might a rainbow on a balloon, soaring until the tiniest speck
in the sky could be me or just something on your glasses
Light headed in a good way, free at last to define love,
the metamorphosis of my heart,
the changing of a man into more than he could hope to be,
seeking and finding that blossom,
sweet nectar, a sugary substance, love deep in the petals of life

Though, no one told me of the life span before hand,
no calendar hanging on my wall with circled dates highlighted in red,
nor a stamp of expiration anywhere on my heart,
good if used by…used by, funny I should write that now
as my attention rests still on this cocoon,
wondering where I went wrong,
somewhere on this path lies the answer…
for I once was a butterfly, just as you will be small cocoon,

at which time you will learn…

it is easier to fly with a heart that is unbroken