one with one's storm

window to window

watching water

Thunder BAM and Rumble

to answer

flash of light

heavy pounding

rain seeking

its own

way out

*** is one of the sillier of human behaviors
along with bowel movements
vomiting
and sometimes eating
trees are so  much more civilized
orderly mating
quietly courting
producing and sharing
their efforts with all around them

their singing, dancing ,and laughing
is choreographed
not a frenetic jazz interpretation
but ballads
sweetly put
no *** crimes
no need to dominate


I know we are not trees
but we are related
they're the branch of the family
that plays instruments
reads long novels
discreetly meeting their needs
without high heels

hang me above your couch

I go with everything

I'll keep quiet

You'll forget I'm there

until the butterfly

comes between

the sun and me

casting a shadow

and you see me again

formulaic

derivative

uninspired

sophomoric

myopic

misguided
­
decorative

nicely framed

there was no fire
there was no smoke
only firemen
and a burst sprinkler system
but Mom could lie
in bed
looking up and point to
where the smoke
had seeped in

even weeks later
in the dining hall
the repairs finished
she would still ask me
if I could see
where the fire had been

I looked at her
and saw where the fire had been
I saw her
in the bright morning Summer sun
walking through heavy dewed grass
thick with crickets
wiping down the lines
hanging our laundry
up to dry
whistling along
as Nat King Cole sang
Mona Lisa
in her head

went to a wedding
a straight white wedding
full of straight white people
who lean to the left
I was an island there
floating
a small gay resort
watching the rituals
thinking of color

now we can marry
mine would be different
full of living color
no purity of white
but the shocking hue
that is hot pink
guests in their getups
would leave
dull at the door

there'd be open flames
burning bright
orange haired boys
serving the drinks
projections of past love
lighting the walls

and only 60 seconds of silence
to honor the vows
then back to the dancing
and on with the show

this morning I mistook
my streetlight shining through
the Summer leaves
for the full moon
and for a few seconds
I believed she was off her track