sun sizzle pop-rock hopscotch round the rowdy block of troubled spots,
and iron-lock your dirt-soaked sock to a gumdrop your friend forgot the last time you stopped to watch the lilies bloom
in slow motion loop-de-loos.
sinking smooth waterloos,
darling just look at you! beaming with gooey honey dripping sooloos -
woohoo baby!
the lazy river bends her neck to spend extra time with the water bed,
so shed your excuses and wear your heart on the tippy-top of your head,
if it falls, mend it by sending ends of threads spinning fractal patterns round the edge,
crafting a hand-patched garden to bake batches of laughter from.
latching your fingers, pull and tug those weeds into soot underfoot tearing remnants of long lost looks your lover took and shook off your balcony in a hazy dream.
alchemy your bones to seeds
and feed them with tears of gold sweet memories.
reading poetry from socrates thumb
won't translate the sacred humming running through your chest,
only you can sing the refrain of broken hymns and lift the soul from the rims of the black hole pit.
the universe lives in you, don't forget.

I will finger the hem
of your gown
and place my smile's cheek
against the shadow
of your leaving.

What does a man do with his time, when his time is meaningless?
When all the years of productivity, produces for someone else.
Fruits not eaten nor enjoyed seem to rot when put away,
For the promise of a future meal at a table you may not make.

How do you maintain a purpose, when you lose the sight of youth?
When your memories are dreamlike, and struggle for their proof.
When dreams intertwine with memories and the past it blends away,
And the plateau that you finally reach is just another dusty plain.

Confined upon the seas of time, this voyage we’re ****** upon.
Are we indentured to the helm of this mighty ship we’re on?
For billions seem to sail this line sans the few that drift away.
Who navigates the future, when the clouds block out the way.

What future shores do I hope to hear the crow call out to me?
When the journey nears completion, with no youth to reverie.
Will I come to on the beaches of a new and pristine land?
Or will the currents ferry me away, never to be seen again.

they say we make our own choices,
that we choose our own paths.
we only have ourselves to blame,
if we ever fail.

but we,
we are all bound
by the same chains,
threads,
and webs
of the inevitable.

we meet new people,
and from thereon,
they have affected us
and,
we have affected their futures.

we spit out words--
words that may not hold meaning to us--
but influence others
so, so much
(in all kinds of ways--the good, the bad, and the in-between).

remember this:
we should not be pulled down by our past.

rather:
it is because we only have one past,
but we have infinite futures.

Surrounded by friends
A welcoming hug lingers
Filled with what ifs
Uncomfortable for some
Warmly welcomed by others
Conversations fueled by
Wine, beer, and martinis
The comfort of acceptance
Non-judgmental reception
Imagining what’s not said
Some thoughts you can read
Others arise unbidden tongue-tied
Accidental truth shared
Sheltered by laughter
We retell our practiced stories
Not noticing the kind
I’ve-heard-it-before looks
Oh to hear the late night summaries
The evenings score card
We sway from oh so silly to
Pugnacious
We may have crossed lines
We never saw and wouldn’t have cared
If we did

The words I'd like to tell you...
All the things I'd like to say...
I've decided they're simple
Let me put it this way:
I love you
I'm sorry
I miss you
Don't hurt me