A contrite flash of blue
Coolly coquettish whispers
Are a far cry from the temper
Tantrums of yesterday's
Heated tropical tears:
Torrential downpours amidst
Sultry sobs and gusts
Today's clear skies contrasted
With Irene's angry outburst

Everywhere I travel
I am accompanied
By many companions
Most are long familiar
And a few are new, though
Easily remembered
They keep close company
In times of solitude
Old friends speaking of
Times past, and new faces
That remind of more
Recent occurrences
Like family, they help
Me to be well grounded
Ensuring that the sin
Of pride does not become
Another one of my
Many accomplishments
Once I believed that I
Was good at decision
Making, but I know now
That while I may be quick
Being decisive is
Not quite the same as good.

Littering the seamless silk perfection
Of my best and newest suit
Lint clinging to my slacks
Little white dots
Legacy of a white cotton napkin
And an awesome evening out

To my funeral, wear a dress of red
Please, in lieu of a black one stark and plain
display one last time your beauty, instead
Of concentrating solely on your pain

The best and sweetest moments in my life
Carry with them the highest price of all
It's agony to see you face such strife
I must end this torture once and for all

I dread the ghosts which doggedly hound me
I can no longer bear the sullen weight
Of my past decisions. I must be free
of it, it is past time to face my fate

To my funeral, wear a dress of red
Show your love for me, now that I am....

Long, tapered and slender
They cup the chill blue sky
And with a stately pirouette
Toss it casually behind

Then arching high again
They knife the air once more
Gracefully cutting spirals
Into the winter breeze

Soaring Purposefully
Then plunging fearlessly
Flying, forever rooted
To the same spot of earth

You left me, long ago
At first I was puzzled
Where were you, where had you gone
I tried everything to find you
I begged you to return
Bribed you with expensive gifts
Built you a wonderful nest
Listened to your demands
And badgered and begged you to return
I gave you the best years of my life
And some of the worst ones, too
Now we sit on opposite ends of the couch
A distance of two feet,
Yet light years, parsecs, universes
There is no measure of the distance between us.

Crouched against an icy wind:

the motor howls a banshee wail
my metal demon rends the night
blazing an uncharted trail
choices flashing left and right

Rushing blindly through the dark:

the road to anywhere before
faster, flying through the gloom
life adheres to plan no more
racing headlong to my doom

Clinging to a metal steed:

turnings taken without thought
follow pathways without name
when all order leads to naught
all roads to hell look just the same