it is quite simple
really
this world
and all its spinnings

joy
into            into
sorrow

clarity
into           into
madness

day
into           into
night

sooner or later
everyone’s flame
goes out
floating off
as we do
like slow ghosts
of smoke
in the end
all that matters
is that you find yourself
on one side
of the fence
or the other
no explanations
or apologies
needed

full moon lifts
from left to right
saffron chants
unstill the night
shadows dance
in candlelight
lanterns ember
then ignite

      an
d
s
     of
t
l
y
d
r
    if
t
     ou
t
    of
s
    ig
h
t

green

bodies
of
bamboo
yield
little
to
the
wind
bending
just
enough
to
trust
what
is
not

seen

she    loves the sound of rain   she   sleeps until noon   she   kisses with her eyes open   she   sits in the corner   she   does not drink   she wades into the river   she   does not eat   she   is addicted to sadness
shehidesincrowds   she  is one of seven children   she   loves tequila   she  gathers ghosts   she   is her own worst enemy   she   cannot have children  she  applies her make up on the subway   she   attends sunday mass   she   is terrified of hospitals   she   has never seen a dead body   she   sings in the shower   she   lights candles   she   does not know how to swim   she   is angry with god   she   never has money   she   trusts no one   she   places flowers in the vase   she   makes excuses   she   collects lladro   she   died in
her sleep   she   speaks three languages   she   has a laugh like sunshine   she   loves children   she   was *****   she   studied chemical engineering   she   wants to be a dolphin   she   staggers with the weight of loneliness   she   reads shakespeare   she   smokes when she is drunk   she   cries in the dark   she   has a small tattoo of a seahorse on her shoulder

re
imagine
me
in
a
field
of
blue

wind upon wax wing
climb cloud up and down

above

the hedgerows the meadows the strands the things
we do not yet know the music to

until the sun whispers
it is time

and
marks
my
cascade
into
the
hands
of
the
sea

up on the hill
  
an elderly man
slowly made his way
through the crowded bus
  
they think i’m ok
  
upon finding a seat
he asked aloud
to no one in particular
where are we going?
  
or so they say

i was born
under the sign
of candy corn

drop                           down                            dirt
(love gently)                  (into the)

s           it
eed
f            it
eed
w          it
eed
n          it
eed

new roots
shoot
and stems
stand
to
the skyblue

                                                                      i do
                                                                      i do

youneedthis
and                               i                              need                                     this

autumn creases
with leaf releases
it never ceases
until it’s out of pieces

aut     (um)ns
(brella)     stum

bl     ing
h(ope)     less

ly      (ns)
unfet      te

(red)      let
ters       phoe

nix      feat
hers      all

mix      ed
un      done

fall       in
fun       &

fla       me
your       na

me      to
me

minimalism.
mnmlsm.
mmm.
mm.
m.
.

the sky the sea
inside               inside
you                              you
corners                                 circles
of                                             of
the deepest                                              the deepest
blue                                                           green
at night                                                    at night
stars                                                stars
dance                                   bell
from dark                     then blink
strings             unseen
and spark and sink

when
kramnik
defeated topalov
there were riots
in the streets
of elista
elated crowds
spilled into
the squares
convulsing
to crown
a new king
wild to be
the first in line
to dine
as they do
on caviar
and *****
oh the stories
that were born
of that evening
when order
was eventually restored
and all the pieces
carefully returned
to their proper colors
a slow white moon
sickled through the evening sky