When the rain has driven away the dry
What’s left of us sticks
To the soles of sockless feet, between the toes
Where nature and the self meet

I can taste it, building plaque between my teeth
With hopeless fingers scrape it
Wait for tooth decay, part with the idea
Of a life fulfilled and the perfect day

You can’t run away from death
The harder you try,
The closer it seems you get, and then
Your knees are hitting the mud again

There’s nothing I can do, the night closes in
The doctor’s orders
Are to kiss once again, and part
You have my beauty, you have my art.

speak,
my loves,
of your fury and disappointment.
chant,
my sweets,
a relatable rhetoric that touches deep.
sing,
dear warriors,
a tune that cries for safety
of the oppressed
of us
of the world around us.
fight,
in companionship.
as one.
for there is strength in numbers.
for there is power in truth.

It has proven hard to forgive
The moon and the yew tree
Even at such a distance
I cannot consider a warm glow
Warm

And talons are not so
Simply mistaken for
Red scarves
Even with the blood on my shoulders

The lady of the wind she knows
How hard I fight to fly
Wings outstretched
But my bones are not hollow

My face in the mirror
Spreads like microwaved butter
And soils all those sunsets
With the promise of tomorrow

How is it that you hold so still?
A heart of silver coins in a fountain-
as your sky shutters and breaks apart above.

In the moments so tender
You seem to find a home,
never looking in, but out-

you are the softest of sounds

She tells me it’s best
we disembark.
That we should
“stop hanging out after dark”-
There are too many listless shapes around,
All the regret we share-
Passed between us by the pound.

"used to" Is an easy phrase
The tongue grasps the words.
How time passes that's
a lesson learned-
the heart, she scars or yearns.

In the evenings
I douse my memories
in gasoline-
I sing to bright Saturn.
She and I like sisters-
much too cold to burn.

Cardinal in a winter's willow
shiver in the breeze.
I swear I meant nothing by it-
even when I'm on my knees.

Short tempered weather
days pass and people too.
I've never quite met anyone-
who could sing that song like you.