Driving back
beside me
became a man

he said
cigarettes
and driving
are bride
and groom.

The crow
agreed
for me.

I've never gone anywhere
without seeing crows.
In fields and malls,
classrooms and bathrooms,
they're never missing.
Sometimes they'll come right up
and those moments are petrifying
because there aren't any breadcrumbs
but the bits of fears on shoulders.
When they land before you,
you can feel a massive pressure
on your chest, trapping you
and catching your breath.
I know other people see them too.
I've seen people cursed
with crows always hovering,
whispering in their ears,
pecking at their insecurities,
and screeching self doubt.
Mine is never far behind me
and he'll never leave.

The sound of your name,
The image of your face,
Fill my being.
They resonate in
the room that is my mind
touching on every memory
that we share.
They reverberate inside
of my rib cage,
echoing the beating
of my heart.
They seep through
all of my limbs
to the tips of my frame,
magnifying every touch
of my fingers and
every bit of my feet
touching the ground.
They give me the energy
to breathe,
to live.

When the reduction is redoubled,
An introduction is discovered of the
Determined terms that describe this
White-washed weeping-willow world.
Winter, spring, summer, autumn are
Rendered as enduring lies for
Endearing eyes to deceive fearing wives
Glazed over from being raised under.
A blunder to hear what is true,
Torn asunder I'm left to rue
The rift between my ears and eyes
That cleanly lie to my mind.

At a crossroads we write the left
Unburdened and unabashed, we are felt!
As a clumsy hand balancing tarnished copper
But we think it brass and boldly she calls
"Sit for this metallic weight is straining!"
On words we wonder, curious what lies behind.
The ground at our zenith, no wonder
We mislabel worms as stars, praise them great,
Quaking creeks sound as ants in our clogged ears.
"Uncork your wines, fellows; age more yields grey
Though we feel it golden."

Across the room they sat;
Sipping coffee and chatting.
Young, engrossed in each other,
Blind to the bustling cafe around.
But in came a man, maybe a bull;
His breath vanished when he saw her.
Boldly he challenged, "A duel!
For that hand, fair and pure."
At once hushed, we watched;
The challenged stood with pride,
"With sabres; at once!"
Aghast she watched lover and challenger
Take up arms for her favor.
Quick as lightning they began
Dancing with death as wounds developed.
Equal they seemed after countless clangs,
Suddenly slash! A **** grew
Across his throat, red blood sprayed
Spattering the victor; a messy trophy.
The challenger threw his sabre
Into the fresh corpse of his enemy,
"Now where is my fair hand?"
He could not find her amidst the cafe;
She had vanished. Enraged he withdrew
The weapon and impaled himself.
Where had the beauty gone?
Away with the victor true; who?
I, the bystander.