Petals falling
Over dead leaves,
Desecrating the earth’s
Lifeless memorial.

As the lifeless
May be sacred
To the living,
I still stand;
A living insect,
To be toyed with
By (in)human gods.

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

I asked her
where she
was going

I asked her
where she
was from

i would welcome it with a warm mug of coffee,
venture its entirety beyond what i could see,
wrap my soul's arms around it, never to let it go,
for cynical pain was death and chaos,
and i have learned that to live was to love and grow.

IA

My cat lies across my stomach
her eyes squint when I rub
the back of her head with
my thumb

when she's had enough
she jumps off my chest
makes for the table
and parks herself dead center

it was sunny today
but that is a mere distraction
right or wrong
better or worse

she's my child
my life
the center
of my universe

Whit Howland © 2020