I am escaping by boat
and eradicating the ropes
that kept me bound to your suffering
in limbo she waits for her heart to be recognized
tired of this drawn out sequence
all she wants to do is rest
pushed beyond the edge of exhaustion
she knows she can’t go on like this indefinitely
will she swallow her pride and admit her tiredness
or will she yield to the pressure of her mind
and push blindly on against her body’s better judgement
what a presumptuous question
the stolen answers are ubiquitous
sleep confounds you
surrounds you like a blanket
i am awake
waiting for my release into the ethers
ethereal tears stream down your face
i say grace and drift upon clouds of memory
and fragments of emotion
what a mystery how we escape the most fragile feelings
only to return to childhood memories
that linger on our tongues like the taste of cotton candy
sand and sweat fill the space of your nightmares
share them with your neighbor
and become the avant-garde artist you always dreamed about becoming
what’s more important to you anyway
faith or family

sandpaper or cigarettes
do you persist in coming clean
or would you prefer to lounge on lawn chairs and living room furniture
the carpets were just steamed
and so were these greens
with spines and volumes of identifying marks
strike the match and let the spark illuminate the darkness of our misconceptions
no exceptions to love
only lovers crying out for hungry minds
the fire encircles us
turns us purple
love is merging through the haze
stage 1 begin to undress
stage 2 do it all again

serpents painting along the corridors of our houses
sound and flowers persecute the daughters
who waited too long for you to grow up
alone in empty basements
a passionate silhouette among the flowers and field mice
streams of tears cascading like waterfalls down their rocky faces
spraying wind and wave
staying cool yet safe
all our hearts are standing still
on the edge of a needle
billions of beings dance in turmoil
strolling through volcanoes on a windy afternoon
monsoon weather equals heaven’s idea of a joke

shake me till i bleed
bleed me till i come to a boil
i’ll follow the diagonal road
under crossroad’s formidable abode
swift like the lion on the savannah
i’ll trade you a banana for a band of gypsies
simply delirious she spent her allowance on tea and ornaments
the scent of cattle
a magic rattle made from bone and pebbles
the shells were held at right angles
and lined their faces like the frame around a picture
the pages in the book were yellowed by time’s ***** fingerprints
a hint of irony
a humorous blunder
some people stare while others are perplexed by their own wonder

i speak volumes in my thirties
a missile of connection and yes i am planning to get *****
and women come for miles to hear these words of beauty
they taste the herbs inside them and dance within their nighties
a flute in the woods called you back home
and sent you on a journey through thorn and bramble
we stumbled into each others arms and made haste for the carriage that would take us safely beyond