Dear mr. Cole.
I allow myself
"Joe", with the deepest respect
For a man I barely know.
But I know...

You contain
Multitudes, no less than
Whitman. Supporting posting
Writers with the warmth
Of an all-loving Allfather; raining
And shining on seedlings sown
By poets of varying confidences.

Larger than any poet
Ever read
Is he who encourages writing.

Joe, yours is the hand that swats
The one that holds back the
Pen of the uncertain poet.

Your poetry reflects
Your garden, God's Creation,
The beauty within wild things
Growing...

And all that glory and grace
Of which you write,
My friend, our Joe.
Is all a mirror
Reflecting
Its beholder.

Cold

The IMS ambulance stands by the shore
as the table top wind sends its Antarctic breath to us
across the Indian Ocean while
we are wrapped up like parcels protected from the
temperature of the night,
an army lost in the dark
awaiting the gathering day
holding hope in our aging hearts
that the sun will come again .

We are lucky enough to have hope
unlike those somewhere out there
forever entombed and cold

Smoke from the Fire © 2003

You tore through the crowd like Light
Then burned like a Fire
I wondered if you just might
Melt my Desire
Oh, but why does it seem that you’re always too far
I never can Reach you
Oh, but why would I feel that I'd need to be near
To Cage and Control you?

Come Back Now…React Now Please forgive Me but you tear Me apart
I Need It…You Feed It
You’re the magical beat of my Heart

So We dance by the Fire
Feeling Cleverly Crazed
We are here, in a flash before my eyes
In a Dream as we drift along the Fabric of Space
On waves that fall and rise ….Like Smoke from the Fire

You’re a Portrait that lacks all Design
A Work of Confusion
You’re Awaiting in Hopes that we’ll find
Your Secrets Within

Oh, but why does it seem that the Search never ends
It’s always Evolving
In a Game we could win if we ride on the Breeze
That knows where It’s blowing

Come Back Now…React Now
I want the Love that you had shared from the start
I’m Deep In…I Sneak In
And push the Tension ‘till it pulls at your Heart

So I’ll take what you give
Just to want it again
The Truth, the Love and the Light
That I’d like to believe that I have growing within For some Peace in my Life

I am the Fire you Dance around when you’re
Dazed
I bear the mark of Air and Space that you Breathe

For four  days now we've run before the bitter raging storm
timbers cracked and broken,  sails  rent and torn

Hold fast my boys hold fast for a mighty wave is bearing down
and if your swept across the rail you will surely drown

I should try to wear the ship, get her head into the wind but if
I do my bonny lads we might end up twenty fathoms down

Helmsman stand here close by me, I will lash you to the wheel,
I can't afford to lose you lad for I need your arms of steel

Lads  I will do my best to bring you safely home but we stand
into terrible danger and still yet may come to harm

My crew are tired,  weary, lashed by wind and rain, but still
they bravely fight the raging storm bearing all their pain

Then comes a mighty shout,  see there a patch of blue,  the storm
clouds liks curtains open and the sun comes into view

Gather round me now my lads and give thanks to him above for
through your courage and his guidance I can return you to
those you love.

I walk around crazy some say,
but I'm talking to you even
though they cant see you, I
know your right beside me
every moment of every day.

I grip my hand, even though
I cant touch you, we try as your
fingers pass through my palm
I shiver slightly. The cold grip
of death but its your touch that
is felt even if not warm its the
cold shiver shows your trying
come what may.

I see you in the mirror, turn but
you are not there, this existence
is killing me knowing your hear
but not really there. I want to be
with you I want your hand in
mine but as long as I'm here and
your there, are love will be a distance
that I can no longer bare.

I sleep never wishing to wake, I
want to feel you next to me, unable
to do it. To weak as I am living
and I miss you even though your
here it isn't really the same.

I must move on, I still do love
and care, but I can't love a shadow
that isn't really there. I feel you
next to me, I feel your touch when
no one is there, but I will see you
again when my time is up and are
love will continue there.

You're nothing like
a good back massage
after a really long day.

You're more of a toe
that has been stubbed
off a coffee table
at 3 am;

You **** me off.