took a trip to the store today

bought fried chicken, shrimp,
potato wedges, Hawaiian rolls,
macaroni salad and coleslaw

a women was sampling
free Christmas *****
at a booth near me.

I had no intentions to divulge
as I walked past without
saying anything

but she offered
(not that she wanted to but
because it was her job)

I stopped and said “sure”

she gave me a grotesque look,

a look I’m often familiar with,

like I was human garbage

she handed me the *****
in a tiny shot glass as our
hands accidentally touched

she was hiding it well but you
could tell she wanted to dip
her hands in an acid vat after
touching me

I lifted up the drink til it was eye level
and she proceeded to tell me all the
unimportant facts about the drink and
how it was on sale and so forth,
I started to tune her out....

for that split moment,
as quick as the blink of an eye,
I had a realization that
your first job is
your first experience
and wake up call to how
doltish and bias and cruel
the world can be,
myself included.

I set down the drink down on the table
and walked off without saying a word,

I could barely hear her whisper under
her breath, “******* ***”

who am I to judge,
she had every right to judge me,
I did look like a ***

but I don’t want to look
like a million bucks,

just a well polished
five dollar bill
should suffice

I got home and poured myself that
drink I didn’t have at the store and
also ate the fried chicken, shrimp,
potato wedges, Hawaiian rolls,
macaroni salad and
even the coleslaw too.

what can I say?

every hand you’ve
ever shook has had
a **** in it.

Why does rain smell?
How come leaves make that
Crunching sound when walked
Upon in autumn? That
Great October Sound.

We love seconds and minutes.
Hours and days are for the
Weak,
Weeks and years for the
Hopeless romantics.

Nothing hopeless
About our romance.
We just shut up and take it in.
Love? Photo album in words?
Yes.

We know it.
It's like laughing when her
Dog Shelby
Kisses me, and I kiss her back,
Wet snout and all,

And she carries that kiss to her
Owner;  
So beautiful by the mirror,
Asking me:
Should I wear the black or the

Purple dress? and I lean back
And enjoy her trying them
On.
We are the Moment People.
We snapshot microseconds

And capture them
Like this.
This is why we're poets.
We help them remember.
We write for the ones we love.

In the pursuit of happiness I walked the roads,
I stopped at milestones, leaned on posts.

I saw a flock of birds in flight,
Rings of gold.. an orb so bright.
I looked around at mountain walls,
The raging sea, white frothy falls.
I looked up at the sky serene,
The valley lush a summer green.
Banyan trees with leaves  bedecked,
Gulmohars lined with blossoms red.

Faces walked engrossed in streets,
A touch, a nod when eyes would meet..
Saw hunger, anguish, weary eyes,
Sorrow, terror, shock, surprise,
I saw the tears of loss and grief,
Faith, resilience, resolve, belief.

I heard the laughter of a child,
I saw the magic of a smile.
A hug, a kiss, a warm caress,
A helping hand that love expressed
I felt the cord of love that binds,
Hearts across the world and time.

I found happiness in little things,
In nature that surprises springs..
His art, the colors that I saw,
That left me breathless, full of awe,
Happiness in that special touch,
In smiles, laughter, that gentle brush.
In kind words that wonders do,
In love that breathes life anew.

In all things that I could see,
I knew happiness begins with me,
Within me what I see or do,
The trail of thoughts I send to you.

And happiness is what I found,
When happiness was spread around.

in our daily haste to not miss
sales, appointments, buses, flights,
we tend to overlook the world
that gives us all these options

the awe-inspiring heights of our mountains
frightening majesty of our seas
powerful forests breathing life
the elegance of animals
a pleasant view of cultivated land
even the buzzing habitat of cities

we may be only a small part of seven human billions
yet it behooves us well to be aware
     and celebrate
the fragile beauty of our world

Unloving thou is but Sisyphean,
Like scoria craves mixing with sea salt.
Thus akin to night and day we're but twins
Whose burning candle is never to halt.
But ever brighter than snow veiled mountains,
And perpetual as the golden Amaranth,
Yet as pure as heavens silver fountains,
Thrice fairer than the Moon of the May month
Or the sea's mighty glow against the moonlight.
Always in full spate if she be a stream,
To draw us in a realm of sheer delight
Where daylight to fade shall be but a dream.

So true love is a gem precious than gold
Both young and old in their palm crave to hold.


©Kikodinho Alexandros
Jumeira, Dubai
       22 October 2016

The meaning of leaves in
a refreshing cool wind
He chose to live
for friendship
Not for that
other thing

living life like a photograph
I am captured in that moment
a record of images of the past
the black and white of atonement

the negatives scroll through my mind
by now, I guess I get the picture
a flash frame from that place in time
on this wall, I am a fixture

living life like a photograph
it's on my wall, then I own it
a snapshot of images of the past
a still frame of atonement