The silence it deafens me
with violence they threaten me
to carry me off to an asylum
unless I can provide them
with an ulterior motive
till I hand in my notice
relinquish the chains upon my bed
the fiendish brain inside my head
deviously plotting my own demise
take leave from this place to warmer tides
bathe my body beneath calmer skies
naked like the day I drew breath
naked as I stare upon death
one hand holding a crooked scythe
the other beckoning to me, my life
did you forget to count the die?
or forgo the countless lies
that made the Countess cry
neither man nor mystery could change her path
so it's left to me to rearrange the past
jigsaw pieces scattered upon my pillow
connecting dots to draw the willow
who could forget the weeping widow
that cried herself to sleep.

they all turned their faces away
bore flares
of sleeping suns
sails billowing
unfurling stems
heavy with blood orange petals
carpeted burgundy
twigs
cracked stone
acorns
riverbank of leaves
flaxen deeply
covered in willow hair
tidal river’s race
idyll

The wind that shakes
the willow tree
That slowly bends
the rods and reeds
My iron bones
and sulphured soul
The roots grow fast and deep

I twist, I give
I stretch and flex
The bark, it groans
from sweet duress
I crave your touch
your whispers' true
Oh blow now, through my leaves

"Can I take you home?" Home-
"The place where one lives
Permanently, especially as a member
Of a family or household"

It was August of 1993,
Summers were always humid down there
We would sit by the lake and watch the boats
With their bright lights and distant laughter
We would swing under the branches of the weeping willow
Catching fireflies in jars, just to let them go moments later

He would only come 'round when it was warm again
He would take the boat out with us, teach us how to fish
We ran to the end of the driveway-
Where he would pick us up to go get ice cream
I would stare at his hands, shifting gears, ***** and shaking

She would get angry with him and smash the dinner plates
We would sit outside and hum our favorite songs
Falling asleep under the willow, just beside the motionless water-
Shaken awake by the sound of yelling turning to screams-
Then, the sound of a hammer snapping against thick steel- again-
Muffled cracks stuck in our eardrums, repeating

Under the willow lay a fresh mound of soil
Next to it, a small cross we had woven out of sticks and twine
He left as suddenly as summer days, never found
The fireflies didn't come 'round anymore, people in boats didn't laugh anymore
Soon after, it was abandoned- that home -and never spoken of again

I sit beneath the willow
As all my thoughts run free
Skipping through the meadow
Of true tranquility

I sit beneath the willow
As winds begin to blow
I feel the stumble of my thoughts
Into the valley's low

I sit beneath the willow
As rains begin to pour
I hear the gurgle of my thoughts
Till thoughts I think no more

A cloudy sky is all I see
A mind of dull torpidity
I sit beneath the willow
I sit beneath the willow

Cradled by lungs both breathing and still
It arches over harsh pavement,
         Sun stained shingles, and green blades.


Three princesses claim all the shade it drenches their kingdom.
Wonderment of the giant enchants them,
         convinced by the creatures who call it home.

A whiskered grey soul
   lays upon its arms,
         basking in the sunlight that escapes its umbrellas.


Remove its appendages
     still it thrives,
          as if its godly to do so.  

Tiny antennas caress
     its mountains and valleys,
          in search of grains of food.

A shelter,
   sanctuary to fluffy tailed tricksters
          and flying dinosaurs.

Behind glass,
     Investigated by a determined child
        she approves of its many photosynthesizers.

Extending its arms like a waking giant
   it stretches across blue and black,
         giving passage to stars above.


Swaying in certainty,
      never unsure of its purpose.
It grows.