On the road that never slept
And never stopped
Trespassing through the ancient ways
The badger took his last breath.
And when the sun appeared
It was a thin cold gauze
Not nearly strong enough
To warm his back
Let alone
Stir a life's blood
As if it accepted
His death
Was inevitable.

Sometime between twelve and two
In between shopping and cleaning
And cooking and seeing a friend
She goes to a room.
She kisses him once
Eats one chocolate
Drinks one glass of water
Closes one curtain
Takes off her layers
One at a time
Makes love to him once
Holds him as if he has just saved her
From a dragon
Falls asleep and wakes with a jolt
Not knowing where she is
Until she sees him smiling
She wonders again is he the one
So to make sure
She kisses him twice
Once upon a time.

Nature does it better
Tides ebb, effortless rhythm
Frothing on pebbles ****** clean.
And then there's the muddled heap of us,
Arms, legs strewn, disfigured,
And kisses to stop the questions,
We dare to call it love.
Leaves quiver, untouched,
Yet hidden by a single silent breath,
While we lie pinned underneath
Roughly reaching under clothes
For feelings, something outside me,
Inside you,
Trying to capture the other
Or help them escape,
And we dare to call it love.
Moonlight and stars flickering,
Teasing, half way to heaven,
Still I marvel that you came,
Wanted to be with me,
We dare to call it love,
And it is.

I disintegrate into a thousand stars
Of myself, when I see
Your footprints in the snow.
I am still blinded by your winter beauty
Yet you have banished me
To the edge of your world.
Every day I return for your broken water,
The scraps of love you throw out
Keep me alive.

I must get word to you
But my clumsiness gathers dust in the corner.
I will always love you
In unwritten poems.

When the waters broke
I remember feeling surprisingly calm,
So I made some cold tea and burnt toast
And tried not to get under your feet
As you finished packing.
Then clutching the car keys
I went outside to wait for you.

The first streaks of morning
Were just finding their way into the sky
But in the immense darkness
I was still as vulnerable as a baby.
Please, please give us life
I found myself whispering
And am certain someone heard me.
Then I blew very gently
The ant hurrying away.
For I could not take his that day.

For better or worse
For richer or poorer
In sickness or in health
There were no choices really
I had to love you
And come what may
Even if it all goes wrong
I finally get the chance to say
The three things I have wanted to say
All my life
There are no regrets
I wouldn't change a thing
I would do it all again tomorrow.

The soldier waits ...
With rifle unaimed
With bullets unfired
With bayonet unfixed
With uniform unknown
With boots untrodden
With rations uneaten
With canteen unrepleneshed,
With words unspoken
With letter unread
With locket unopened
With face unseen
With dreams undreamt
With life unlived
With love undiminished,
For a grave to be dug.

In the bookshop, the museum and cathedral
She is looking for you
And does not know it.

In the dress she has just bought
The new hairstyle she is unsure of
In the something different she might cook tonight
She is getting ready for you
And does not know it.
In her thoughts and actions
Which have led her here
To this city today
To the doorway now where she waits
For the rain to stop
She is waiting for you
And does not know it.

In her turning to go
Her change of mind and footsteps towards you,
In the carrier bag spilled at your feet
And her voice saying thank you
As you hand her life back to her,
In her walking away
She is looking for you
And does not know it.

You were in none of those places
I looked
Did somebody move the world
Or heaven at least?
And before you say anything
I do know it exists
Because I used to go there sometimes
With you.
On good days
You make my earth quake
You're the nice *** in disaster
But I can stand some hurry
With my cane
A little rain with my bow
I hope you get the picture
On bad days
Don't go PG on me
You are the mate
In my soul.

This beautiful rugged
Timeless land, still exists
Between the slow ticking seconds.
Clouds sweep the valley floor
As they have done for centuries
And week old lambs
Cease their chasings
As the shadows loom
For in that instant
They see their destiny.

A ewe has a twisted leg,
A dislodged roof slate
A breached wall, and a *****
Lent last year to a neighbor
All need attention
So this morning we will do what we can
And later we will know ours.

When you kiss these lips
That have not smiled today
Without my need to say,
When I fall asleep in your warmth
And wake
Bathed in your beauty
Gentle laughter and conversation,
When you touch this body
With your whole
You touch my soul.

I am the scurvy knave
You are the angel who can't behave
I swear you'd turn a church picnic into a rave
With you I'm either languishing in a dark cave
Or riding high on the crest of a wave
Still I believe you are the one to save
Me from an early grave
But I know it will be a very close shave.

Throw caution to the wind
Cast off all misgivings
Set a course for the unknown,
Abandon fear, quieten worry
Dispel uncertainty, dive on in
Give yourself up, trust me, hurry
Dare me, hold me, hold me
Responsible for all your longings
With a kiss.

Look not at skin
Frowning pale, wearing thin
Or at eyes staring through red rims.
Be kind to hair receding
And a stomach breathed in
For I am more than flesh and bones.
Blow out the candle
Make believe that I am he
Come with perfect love
For your new body.