red fragments of plastic litter the
sandy soil at my feet
i gather them with one at a time
while my soul searches for a song to impart
my pen grows strange in my hand
its words have a feel to them
foreign deranged

the phrases float disjointedly
they refuse to knit into a poem
while my mind is troubled by a scattering
of autumn winds
the red fragments arranged randomly
on the small backyard table
sunshine illuminates each with precise clarity
the fragments are my poem
and i shuffle the pieces back and forth
trying with a maddened mind
to knit them into a beautiful bird
but they only keep forming the ugly face distorted
they keep moving of their own accord
to form a jagged edge
i breath and **** at my coffee mug

the red fragments thorny in my head
they have sand clinging to them
and bits of the brackish water that
the nights rain had left for me
these words are incomplete visions
mere phrases like incongruous men walking
random paths in a field
when two meet they shout their ideas
at eachother and part company full of
suspicious glares
a draft of this randomly worded madness
flows from my unwilling pen
the red fragmentation
of the incomplete poem

she is a blatant caricature in loud technicolor
her presence shouts ****** innuendo  
alluring with dark undertones
her past shadows her every word
like clouds passing over a weak sun
she is the road untold but by the few hardiest of souls
her skin tangles his mind
as she watches him in the rearview
runs her hand through her hair repeatedly
he is mesmerized by moist lips parted  
around phrases dark and foreboding
the cool calculation of her casual appearance
he is sleepwalking a dangerous dream
he is a dramatic parody in shades of pastel
a sorrowful tale told hesitatingly full of doubts and fears
full of the gentlest of loves
weak and stained he stands in the fell shadows
waiting for her rusty razor blade kisses
she has him
like clouds passing over a weak sun
and he loves her for it

tookie winfeild was a friend of mine
from way on back down the way
back in my river days
mean old man with a heart of gold
ugly old geezer with a silver tongue
ole tookie could talk a mile a second say nothin at all
ole tookie was as crazy as a jackrabbit in heat and twice as slick

used to see that ole codger strolling on the avenue
with some young honey on his arm
carefree as sin and twice in its debt
yes sir...ole tookie was a friend of mine
back in the day we ran that river
like it was our private playground
mean old man with a heart of gold
ugly old geezer with a silver tongue
both barrels for the lookers
and a bottle of shine for the sippers
yes sir back when i was young that river was ours

they found old tookie winfeild up on the river
frozen to death in the dead of night
took to drinking up there by his lonesome
and shouting at the moon
aint no good ever come from no crazy man
least thats what they say
but old tookie was allright
in his own crazy way
mean old man with a heart of gold
ugly old geezer with a silver tongue
he was a friend to many a poor boy
down the old river way

she builds better butterfly's from the dust on rusting pipes
they fly in the starry sky while i cry
in a panic she paints them into a panoramic
but butterfly's recognize their own limited size
so they build their own chicken coop in my soup

close to sunset and a chill wind starts
but the light that warms my soul comes from her eyes
enticed out of sleeping memory by
this falling shaft of sunlight in my backyard
as i rake some spilled leaves
a lifetimes of summers memories rushing back to greet
with their own legends their own grand tales
spirit flys like a summer bird
with open wonder at the beauties of a world below
in the clouds where nothing but sunlight can touch
these lifetimes of summers daydreams all bid fare thee well
and one by one lay back to dusty memory
closing eyes to dream once more
of thouse days in childhood
and that moment running out the front door
with the whole world to play in and a whole day to do it
that endless freedom and joy that childhood gave
my life with her is like that
its close to sunset
but the light which i endure by
comes from her heart

rainswept morning leaves me
in a soul deep stillness
where my mind wanders the reflections of my heart
the sorrows that held me captive
the dreams that set me free
the hopes that i cling to when darkness threatens
the love that sustains me

the rainswept morning
full of winters shadow displaced by
the last vestiges of summers warmth
the fall colors washed out and dulled by the grey skies
my mood melancholy as the day

the remainder of photographs litter the
wooden floor where she had sat in blue lace perfection
flawless and lovely
where she had with delicate beauty been legendary
while speaking in her silver screen dreamy voice
had created creatures to cavort from thin air
she had taken ashes and made worlds i could only dream of
i now regret this room and all that it could have spoken to me
but now cannot

shadows of yesterday on the transitory sands
of this strange paradise
within these blurred images
are the places in the soul where
grey dust gathers as a parched illustration of times passage
an image of abnormal life lived vicarious
hands i only dreamt of holding
smiles i only wished to share

natural light falls with
such beauty through the autumn leaves
sets the heart ablaze with reminiscence and wishes
the day filled with brilliant color and life
makes my heart as carefree and light as joy itself
the crisp air with its winters foretaste
the autumn afternoon gives me wanderlust
my thoughts beautiful with your presence on my mind
if i could only live my life within these moments
so my heart dances with warm visions
of our precious time together

the quintessential beautiful day
but there is shadow etched in the patches of light
there is taste of misgivings in sweet afternoon air
the heart sketches its dreamscape
but distant thundercloud ripe with storm encroaches
but it is the image that intrudes
a vision from the inner mind
that sends precursors of darkness into my perfect day
an unsettled mind always creates dark creatures
to hunt down and haunt my best moments
why cant i leave myself alone
why must i hound my own footsteps with these dark tidings
the vision that creeps into my heart
is of the girl i left in the mountains
and what joy she would find here in paradise
if i had only
if i could only
would have...should have...didn't
why must i hound myself with all the possible things
she wouldn't even lower herself to talk to me
and i just beat myself up with desires to rescue her
she should be a forgotten bad dream
she should be forgotten....
the quintessential beautiful day
but all i can see is the tombstones of sorrow
and the paths not taken
it will change
it will change
with time
i will leave this dark girl behind

her eyes invest in me the truths of her fragile heart
she wished to know happiness and freedom once more
she leaned gently against the window frame
her eloquent beauty whispered gently on my eyes
she gave me a soft sorrow by declining the offered flower
my words like autumn leaves gathered dryly at my feet of clay
my intents pure of heart stumbled weakly
as i tried to explain
that a breathtaking glimpse of her had found me
she was standing subtle and alluring in sunshines vivid light
highlights in her hair a golden hue like a regal crown
lost in the imagery of her smiling moment
lost in her radiated gentleness
that engulfs like silent fierce seduction of your heart's better natures
you only think of heartfelt wish to see her joy
you breath and live to see her smile
you will love her presence like summery sunshine's kiss
you will adore her silken voice like moonlight dance upon water
the offered plastic flower but a token of adoration
a bauble cast with noble intent
for a fine young goddess

she moves sleepy-headed in the bed next to me
and in the stillness of the mornings dim light
her hand finds its way across my chest and like an idle dancer spins
nonchalant circles of heart shaped wishes on my skin
her lips draw next to my ear and
with a soft wet sound give a tender
lesson in the beauties of her naughty delights
the first tentative kiss in the tempest of her seductions

she wraps herself up in my arms
a gift to own darker delights
and caresses my eyes with her own
the soft texture of her gaze thick with passions and desires
deep with her heart touching mine
and in that gaze i feel her soul moving as one with mine
as our kisses melt us

she pleads with her hands all along my face
and down along my body
she begs and teases the flickering desires
of our heat that rise like the fires of a thousand suns
and with delighted sounds from deep within her
as she explores and plunders
as we dance in the tangled sheets
she finds again the desires that go hand in hand
with her hearts loves
that go hand in hand with her hearts dreams

timeless times later
as we lay entwined in the afterglow of our love's hot tempest
and with such a tender and timid voice looking deep into my eyes
tells me she loves me and no other
i brush back the strand of hair that
has fallen to her sweat bound brow
and kissing her gently
tell her that i too love her and no other

this is no ordinary love affair
this is one soul romancing another with every carnal delight
with every souls true treasure of loving embrace
this is passion
she is my dreadlock princess
i am her poet in shining armor
this is how love was meant to be

she is alabaster and brine
she is a faster lairs line
unwind her spooled mind
memory a keepsake in hand conquers a trinket lost
eat mandrake to the root but what the cost
unspoiled her thoughts broil in her head
steam from every seam
salty her groin but she declines the offered coin
she will reap the bliss of your salty kiss
as you bite her short hair she will sing a country tune so fair
she is alabaster and brine
a master of wasted time

stop by the side of the road
and sitting scarecrow's style cross-legged
waiting for the sunrise
waiting for the swift silent desert world to unfold
come sit here a silent sentinel with me
wait for the swift sun to beat its hard feet upon the ground
wait for harsh winter's hand to be rescinded
for the cold night to recede
here in the desert stillness
come sit here cross legged in the dry sand
feel
the air itself holds its breath in anticipation
you can feel the heavy hard excitement moving
in the clouds overhead
burnt dry by the anvil of the sun
love the sand on your tongue
wait here with me  
scarecrow's cross-legged style
on the sands without a sea

a page is such a cold place
pen has a sage who delves for inner face truth's
the page entrances with silent mocking
word thought dances just outside the blocking
the sage thirsty now craves sweet success
but only digs graves in the sheet of paper white
mourn the poems never born
sorrowful worlds in the words
sage now sleepwalking
his empty words never talking

an autumn songbird gives voice to the luxurious late day
beautiful its song caresses the ear
all natural world breathing as one with your heart
as the sun itself kisses you tenderly
as if saying farewell to you and the day
and as the sun slips to the horizon
you close your eyes and can feel heart take to wing
with the autumn songbird playful in the crisp air
feel your soul breath and soar among the clouds
floating in the warm breeze of
that eternal summer dream where
everyone is forever young and in love
forever happy and filled with wonder
the autumn songbird fills me with her song
fills me with the strength of possible beauty that the new day promises
fills me with the peace found at the heart of kindness
so will you join me
rejoicing her song
will you take a moment to breath in
the wonder of late autumn summery day

we skipped stones into steel boxes
we sheltered pretty songs from dark nights
we were strong as the sun
we were men of the concrete woods
hammer in hand we smashed stone
hearts in mystery we broke natural laws
gave voice to the unspeakable
made us stronger men
stood on the boulevard and saw the world fall
we brushed back the lace curtain
stood in the pitch black and watched moonrise
with younger eyes and it made us men
wills entwined striving to conquer
striving to find
we were men of shadows
we were men of light
as we skipped stones into steel boxes
and struggled with our demons
we were men of shadows
stronger than the sun

fragile heart she lay ruptured in my lounge chair
grey faced i mumble a few parting words over her
before i lay out the finest bone china
all the makings of tea and biscuits
all the fixings of ******
with the sounds of the snapping of necks
sharp wet sound fresh on the air
she was here to mourn her lover-boy
gone astray
i was here to see the deed done

i was the grey faced hangman
come to get his pennys
in my song you can hear the rope snap
in my heart you can feel the fall from the gallows
and my hangman's noose swinging in breeze
has its own peculiar creaking sound that sounds
like love to me
i was the grey faced hangman
that knows no sympathy
come now you wicked ones
sing my song with me

grey faced i lead the procession
up the graveyard road
the overgrown and thick summer feel to it
claws at the senses
but i keep walking stiffly
with the sound
of snapping necks ringing in my ears
its my song

he had cried like a child as they carried him to the gallows
he had begged and wailed
but my hangman's noose had claimed him
cold comfort awaits
to the tomb they cried out with joy
to the tomb with the scoundrel
while she lay weeping her lost lover-boy
and while grey faced i cleansed the world
of scoundrels like him
while grey faced i silently mourned
for i had run out of rope

her paint by number love affair
was planned down to his kisses
was everything she expected it to be
wasn't long before truth showed
it was a love like a paper flower
but it would never grow never thrive
it was just ink and paper rendering of
what could have been
her paint by number love affair
so sad and forlorn
pasted there on the wall
like child's keepsake
gives no warmth holds no future....
paint by number lovers
never argue
never cheat
hollow smiles carry no joy
meaningless pleasures under the covers
meaningless words that have no answer
paint by numbers love affairs so easy
so hollow
sad and forlorn

this noisy head i live in
it just never quiets down
theres some motherf#@ker screaming at two am
about some unpaid bills or parking tickets
and some other idiot going on and on about some girl that left
somebody is always throwing trash out in the common area
little bits of some ancient relationship
small parts of some old mystery
just want to tell em all ''will you all please shut up"
stop that godawful freakin racket
some fool on the roof shouting poetry just when your drifting off to sleep
another idiot in the basement throwing monkey wrenches in the works
always somebody causing some kind of ruckus
just want to scream
"can we PLEASE get some peace and quiet for five minuets"
this crazy head i live in
i want to move
to some nice quiet country house
where you never hear a sound
peaceful with birds chirping
where i can get some rest
not this confounded noisy head i live in
not this apartment building of lunatics i call a mind

she seems like a saint in my dark moments
as she graces me with her gentle smile
because her nomadic heart came to rest for
a butterfly's moment within my grasp
and with noble intent i heart and soul to her attentions
so she unsticks my head
with her own road of good intentions

she is tender in my wilderness
placing small acts of cataclysm in my path
to dislodge my mud filled head
and with her devices nailed to my mind
it is easier to think so i think

so with her delighted mind she tinkers
with my comfort zone
trying to find the greasy spoon
that i eat my metaphysical meals with
leaves me hungry for words
when it comes time to put pen to paper

my head full of mud
grapple with the notions of her divinity
but the weight of thinking too much
keeps me from doing freestyle take to wing
so it is me that must unstick
from her influences
and her rubber band heart
that keeps bouncing back

a woman's lust is as carnal as any man's
but has desires of the heart to match
necessary as breathing to have both....
the soft line of her body speaks to me
her eyes burn hot with meanings heartfelt
powerful desire to caress her lovely features washes over me
wanting and being wanted little game we play silently
she is feasting on my blatant lust
heart knowing the beauty of being desired so deeply
wanting to be wanted is its own fantasy furrowing deep in her *****
but a woman's lust is love's strength and body's craving in the same breath
true beauty is found when the two desires meet
when a woman's heart finds the heat of her lust
gives herself to it and takes it by strength of will at the same time
i feel it in her hard embrace while she softly caresses
her soft skin devours my mind
salted hot lustful
run my bare hand over its velvet warmth
and her silken skin speaks to me in
ways only a man can taste with his soul
...her pale thin lips dangerous...eyes closed
kiss long wet deep gentle hard hot
she bites lower lip soft with anticipation
by the nearness of me
i can feel her deep lustful breathing faster longing
her bare skin sets me on fire
her eyes drug me
her soft lips silence me

black and white butterfly's
pasted to the cold glass windowpane
against the grainy image of clouds
but to the butterfly's they are forever sailing the windless world
forever following eachother in such
sweet refrain silent and numb

black and white butterfly's
pasted to the glass wilderness
the urge to give their lives color
the desire to be more than born to be
to see the better world
greener pastures
to be the apple of some young girls eye
to be the happier dream

brief moment
when head above water
the thoughts are clearer
the feelings less fractured
swimming the last mile filled
with sunshine breathing
feels so free
after the nail to the head laughter box
creature image hollow pool
where we have run out of water
while i'm still trying to swim upstream
beat the butterfly's home
while i'm still
silent and numb

the quick natural boys run fast in the the shadows
powerful to the truths of their age
young with wet cowlick face i ran too
holding a dogeared book
of her gentle phrase
felt like the world could have been mine
gentle breeze stirring the faded leaves
and all thouse bright summer faces
who's names have now gone

so strong she took to wing
flew so high saw the sun unadorned
so beautiful this elegant one
her quick smile had no cracks
her clean eyes were full of loving joys
so like the majesty of night
softly entrance
with such gentle caress
so strong took to wing
soared above the green world
swimming in the summer skies and clouds
bathing sweetly in the heavens
with stars for jewels
with moons for toys
so beautiful elegant one

tight the young hand
on the broken book
where her singsong voice was captured so beautifully
could see the worlds mystery's
with such young clarity
she had a way about her
that explained to my young head
all the fresh young boy things i would need
to be with such a strong beauty
with such an elegant promise fulfilled
so i ran like wind
ran like compassion and lightening
fast as the summer sun
strong as winter whispers
for her
my sweet her
in my heart
while her singsong voice captured me in every way

summer had slipped away
but the days still had sunshine clinging to the fading trees
and 'neath one such white picket fence copper colored oak
she lay in the cool cool shade
with the magic of her momentary grace
with the delicate beauty of her face
and gave me back all my summer days
wrapped up in one of her smiles

we ran hand in hand in winter fishing town
we had been laughing sweetly over some nonesuch thing
and our joy was a beauty to behold
could have warmed the world with the love laughter shared
with the heat of the hearts beating
with the magic of her momentary grace
all the delicate and lovely beauty of her face

winters eve
found her in my arms
never could have known just what
wonderful things the world can hold
till you find yourself in the gift of loves tender kiss
could have warmed the world
with all i found in her tender eyes
we made our way back to our white picket fence oak
now bare with winters hand
stood neath her spread branches
kissing in the moonlight
her momentary grace
and all her sweet beautiful face
could warm the world with her heart
even on winters eve

tidal pool of light
gathers round my feet as day evaporates
without sound it echoes in my minds eye
a thousand years breathed in a single moment
the weight of worlds falling within
the graceful collapse of a single feather touching
like tender kiss tumbling lost
like me
to the same battered wood floor
she once laid in such divine supplicant pose
bare to the golden light as i am now
and for a fleeting moment i share imagined space with
her presence
i can feel thunderstruck awe of her casual passing through this place
she
she
but as the tidal pool of days end dries
to the inky darkness
and the moment of perceived shared destiny's fades
i gather one last kiss to her soft hand
one last fare thee well
for one so loved and yet so lost
left behind all delusion
that i could deny you anything you desired
i forgive you for being the object of my affections
i forgive you for being the crux of my self illusion
i forgive you for being the thousand years i breathed in that moment
i say goodnight
because you are...
i kiss you goodnight
because you once were the...
tidal pool of golden warm light now gone

her nails are a powder blue
each finger adorned with a ring
that has a meaning and place in her life
this one she got in her hometown in the south of france
this one she found roadside leaving denver
each has a story to be told
as if her hand is a roadmap to loves secret places
her delicate hands weave her thoughts
on the air when she speaks
the brass bracelet with her moonstone
and the silver ones ****** softly accenting her lovely voice
her elegant gestures flow and ebb with the conversation
but her soft hand always finds its way back to mine
and in that warm embrace of her tender fingers
where i find such joy and love
i could spend a lifetime telling
you about all the wonderful things i love about her
so let me begin by telling you about
her nails are a powder blue....

so rich and thick all these things i'm feelin
makes my head spin when your near me
such a strange dance we do as lovers
the poke and run
tickle and fight
laugh and cry
you talk to me of wonderland to be
i say to you obscure tales of things that were
you revolve around me in a parking lot
rollerskating round my bicycle
kiss round my speaking
what a strange dance lovers do
i see how happy you are
showing off engagement ring
showing off your own private personal poet
little girls wish
romance thats all dreadlocks and naked fun
thats all beautiful things
come with me baby lets run real fast neath the soft trees
come with me lets go find some spot we can
roll in the grass and kiss round eachother
we can find that moment when we
tickle and fight
laugh and cry
do the lovers dance with all the haste of eager youth
with all the desire of old lovers knowin eachother pleasures
do the lovers dance
all fingers, lips...
soft caress hard...
kiss round eachother

how did i breath before i knew you
how is it possible that i existed before you were here
fill my senses with everything you
that smile that is a summer day unleashed for me alone
the way you brush back that dreadlock from your eyes
the way i can feel you with every inch of my bare skin
from ten feet away
the way you taste on my lips
how did i think, breath, exist before you found me
you are a waking dream
its in the way you walk
its in that brilliant light in your soft brown eyes
its in the beads woven into your dreads
its in your ****** rings
i lived in a cold dark mountain world
full of sinister people
you saved me in every way
i was not alive till there was you
i did not exist till there was you
my lover
my wife

her tinderbox mind
burst into flames of mad sadness's at any moment
that will burn like a river of tears
she will strain at speaking just the right words
terrified that she will get it wrong
so she paints her one word at a time tale
in brilliance colors on bathroom stall windowpane
hoping to compensate for all the written fears
no frilly graybeard teddybear to save the queen of forever's this time
so she will lay in her lovers arms
staring up at the wonder wheel of stars
wishing upon all the falling hero's
that she had her knight
that she wont be alone for all her tomorrows
that just one hero has survived to craft her
tell her who to be
how to not feel the tears

her happier eyes
brilliant even in the sun
but she has a rough feel to her soul
she walks along the hot sidewalk with a dozen bags in arm
looks like it would tire an army of horses
but she says shes fine
"don't bug me with that 'good guy ****'
know your good, just not right now...
cause id rather be mad"

three thirty in the pool of a streetlight
we both swim in reasons
we both have battleships on fire
and its really only the hot humid air that keeps the blow by blow going

by dawn we are curled up in a park
miles from home
making love cause there aint much left to say
shes still mad
but shes ready to cry
i tell her i'm wrong
but we both know that don't matter
we both are just confused by the her that aint here
we are just confused by what should be

her happier eyes brilliant like twin starlight trains
keep speeding over me
and i keep kissing her hand
cause it s the nice guy thing to do
two hopeless romantics lost in the south florida rainforest

greyhound station
quarter to three am
in the rain
she is sitting on the bags
playing a vampire movie on the kindle
the screen lights her up
as she leans in close for the big wedding scene
run my hand along her dreadlocks
stopping to eye a new bead
thats her...a new little treasure for my heart each day

she leans on my shoulder as we
sit in the very back of the bus
bare to the warm night air
while dave matthew's sings to us
a little ditty from his long ago
has such a style don't he
she whispers a kiss onto my cheek
slips into dreamin

miles run past breathlessly
just an ebb and flow of u-gas and jiffy ****
just a parade of kids playing by an endless river
right outside this dim window
shes sleepin softly
i'm so awake to how i feel
to how much she means to me

where ya going mister
where ya headed
i point ..."thata way to the bright future"
so full of promise
so full of joys
with her at my side i can do anything
with her i am superman

the promise that her tenderness has no fences
made her linger on my mind
like a rough bottle of fine wine
and as the evening rolled back daylights clutter of thoughts in my head
that smile she flashed me came back to kiss my heart
it came with such delight sparking in her sweet eyes
that i just felt myself drowning in the moment with such wanton joys
made me illustrious by her soft-spoken side
made me happy to be alive...

once the sullen girl in baggy sweat pants and pink slippers
dragging a bag full of noisesome beatnik romances
she has grown to love freedoms road
cast aside such tin-plated gods and rough-house boys
that a pretty boy isn't a man if he wont make a stand
found herself holding a wishing well coin
and a map showing paradises shores
and came down to find me again....

sitting in a coffee house full of lost voices
full of magazine honeys chilling before the big break finds em
listening to the sounds of heartbreak in glasses chatter
and waiting for a road that made sense to me
when she walked back into my life
like a rough bottle of fine wine
like a candlelight evening with true loves joys
i will be here forever know that now
florida moon-surfing
holding her in my arms
breathing the magic that is her
exploring her romances