Our time flicked with drops of summer,
The numberless nodes, mellow cicadas,
Pixelated a world swirling of music—
All dates, sweet tabulations of primes,

The savours swelling in fragrant breeze,
The still waters of pond mist and flame,
How your eyes, with mine, gazed into—
O sleepy windows of eyes being born,

Flowers made a bed and we drank it all,
The light of the sun as it passed in grace
And the birds sang songs of remembrance,
Water fell but once from mothering skies,

Wind whined, such days could never last,
One flesh of burgeoning— moon in the grass.

More than I can
Possibly try to handle
Is the raucous breath
That sears my lungs
Once in, once out
Is at first much harder
Than near anything
I have ever done

Then footfall softly
Creeps by my door
And oak's deep creak
Declares I have
A solemn visitor
And two crusted eyelids
Part ever so reluctantly
To discover who looks on

A smile sweetly blesses
My tear-stung face
As I recognize the love
That gazes down at me
Slowly, carefully, I rise,
And an arm meets my side
To take me gently up
Out of the darkness where I lie

Through those eyes,
Warm with patience
And caring support
I find I have strength,
Much more than I believed
I could ever keep again
And neglected legs
Find strength to revive

I find I can stand,
And so, of course, I do
Rising straight into
The loving embrace
Of the one who found me
So far lost in misery
Without a spark of hope--
And brushed my tears away

Arms wrap around me
Warm lips press
Softly on my head
And I hear a whisper
That I more feel than hear
Which tells me tenderly
That absolutely everything
Will be all right

There is this little poem I wrote
I hope you learn it mote by mote
Like good little children
Don't worry, be happy
Listen to what I say
In your life expect some trouble
But when you worry
You make it double
Don't worry, be happy......
Don't worry don't do it, be happy
Put a smile on your face
Don't bring everybody down like this
Don't worry, it will soon pass
Whatever it is
Don't worry, be happy

This love is death.
It is nothing more than
A crisis of the mind.
It's worse than ****.

Maybe I'll begin to feel
But I'm not sure I can.
I want to possess you
So your heart won't seal.

I plead with you now.
Love no one else
But I'm alone and no more
Can I think this is real -- how?

I plead with my heart:
Don't leave. No longer should
You wait, yet I've realized
I need you- my essential part.

Stay -- I need you through the end
Of it all. When there is nothing left,
I wish to leave this demolishing war
With one thing intact to send.

With all the science of this world,
In all the waters of the earth,
You'd think there'd be someone for me.
The right man would be unfurled.

But no. Instead, this love is death.
It is not real, it merely kills.
I read about love, and wonder this:
*How much can you destroy
      with a mere breath?

He walks back to my welcoming doorstep,
Hand over his face.

I ask him what happened... what his emotions are.
He reveals a smile.

As he opens his mouth to reply, I already know.
I hug him hard.

Surprised, he whispers, "How could you tell?"
His face is an open book.

"I just know. Was it good? What was her reaction?"
I smile as he blushes.

"She was pretty confused, but it was good."
He's excited.

Careful, I thought, hold in that new, unbridled mustang.
Don't become too wild.

"Tell me everything. From the beginning." Consenting,
He sat down by me.

"We were dancing, but got too tired.
We sat down.

We'd only been there for an hour and a half,
But we were exhausted.

She was flushed, but laughing. We had just
Danced the polka."

Inside my head, I imagined their dancing.
I snorted.

"What?" He asked, a confused smile lingering
On his tanned face.

"Oh, nothing," I quickly assured him.
"Continue!"

He didn't notice my head shaking as he went back
To his dreamy expression.

"Well, I asked if I could get her punch...
She said 'No, it's fine.'

So we just sat for a minute, music playing.
And... I felt it."

"Felt what?" I asked, trying to remind him
That I was still there.

"That overwhelming urge... so, I leaned over,
And asked if I could.

She was so surprised, and that made me
A little sad.

But she reached a slender hand towards
Her neck.

She pulled the necklace I made her into the light.
Its reflections danced."

He had made her a necklace on the finest chain,
Delicately, carefully.

"Staring at it, a smile crept over her face. 'Okay.
You can kiss me.'"

He looked like he could sit there for hours,
Remembering.

I had to nudge him along. "So.... what happened then?
What'd you do?"

He looked at me, as if surprised to suddenly find me there
Next to him.

"Oh... umm... well, of course I kissed her! What else?"
His eyes spoke volumes.

"Yeah... I got that part... but how?" Sometimes I had to remember
That boys weren't girls.

If he were my sister, we would have talked for hours
About one kiss.

But, this time it was my brother, and I needed
To be patient.

"Well, I leaned down, eager but a little hesitant. An inch from her,
Her lips reached to mine."

Satisfied now, I watched him stare at the stars. Quietly,
I went inside.

As I looked out the window at him, his eyes still searching
For answers in the moon,

I wondered how I became so experienced, so knowing
About love,

And wondered how I managed to give advice to those I love,
Advice that's useful,

When I have never yet experienced love for myself, except
In my dreams.