The Lonely Harvest

We are
walking wounds,
seeping sores of
loss and
lamentation.
A swollen
sickly people
plowing into
one another
tearing at
the soil,
uprooting,
spreading seed,
for a slippery
second,
a breath…
of relief.

We bury
turmoil
in bodies.

Perpetually
planting
an incessant
harvest of
loneliness…
that madness,
of the sad.

We are
walking wounds
covered
crown to boot
in battle armor.
Fighting for life—
to the death.
A warring tribe
clashing bodies, yet
terrified
to touch
a soul.

Deep Divers

Diving deep
into hyperbole,
mouths
string words
into phrases,
tongues
embellish
with emphasis
and pause.

We call this
connection.

Diving deep
into beds;
flesh upon flesh,
muscles flex
and stretch
into motion.

We call this
connection.

We are out of—
and so far from—
depth.
These are
the shallows;
the tip
of ego,
the surface
of lies.
Scratch as we try,
our nails only go
skin
deep.

This is not
connection.

sip of heaven, bottle of hell

At first taste he
slips down easy;
subtle sweetness,
flash of flavor,
warm buttery finish.

each drop thereafter
a touch more
of the dragon.
flash of teeth,
tongue of fire.

hot flames creep
from the belly
to the cheeks;
flash of fury,
burning char.

He’s all devil now;
seven heads,
seven crowns,
a drunkard…
and my love.

God Maker

memory
intertwined
with fantasy,
so
entirely,
so
intricately,
that lines
blurred,
and colors
bled.
out of this
tangled
tapestry
men
were lost
and
gods
emerged.

The Buffet

She left a bitter taste;
a tongue stained
in disappointment.
Now he only dines
at the buffet;
filling his plate
with hot flesh,
meaty cuts,
lean legs,
oiled skin.
Spoonfuls of red,
or brunette,
on the side.
Dips his fingers
into chocolate,
white cakes,
strawberry pie.
Thickens his heart,
feeds his eyes, yet
disregards the hunger.
For nothing here fills.
Nothing sustains.

Alpha Omega

He only exists
beneath the plane
of her fingertips,
below the trail
of her parted lips.
All else is vapor.
All else is mist.

Jigsaw

the walls you build
fail to conceal
the sweetness of your soul.
A sideways spirit
with haunted eyes
besieged by Almost Forevers
and Firelight Lovers.

Strings of paper doll darlings
one size fits all
won’t pale the horrors
fill the hunger
or patch together
your shattered heart

winter was fierce
so lets spend summer
patiently picking through
the scattered colors
starting at the corners
tracing the borders
piecing together
our puzzled hearts.

To Tame a Predator

Love him-
like an exotic animal.
Respect his power;
Keep him well fed.
…read more

Desert Darling

You’ll know her by
her wild heart;
Hair
Tangled as the land;
Lips
Ripen pink
with the prickly pear;
Curves
Rock
like an upright bass.

Her sun-baked skin
painted
with desert dust;
Brown
For those long passed;
Red
For bloody heartbreak;
White
A warriors perseverance.

You’ll know her by
her insatiable thirst;
Eyes
Pierce the cactus;
Hands
Calloused by the climb;
Feet
Blistered by the journey;

A wild heart
ba-bum
who
beats
ba-bum
with the desert.

Grace & the Ephemeral Embrace

“Keep your feet on the ground my child”
“Impossible”, I say. “I live in the stars.”

Midnight dips in the milky way
bathing in ancient light.
I’ve felt Draco’s fire,
I’ve loosened Orion’s belt.

I can’t know its significance,
its measure or its weight.
Yet atoms split
particles crash and a
universe expands nonetheless.

“Be cautious with your heart my child”
“impossible”, I say. “I wear them on my sleeve.”

A believer. A mystic –
in the oldest form of alchemy.
Rudimentary chemistry and
paradigm shift.

I can’t know its significance,
its measure or its weight
yet electrons vibrate,
elements attract, and
matter is shaped.

“Keep yourself guarded my child.”
“impossible”, I say, “to ever be prepared.”

A moment is upon us
then gone in a breath.
That ephemeral embrace
leaves its mark, nonetheless.

I can’t know its significance
its measure or its weight
Call it chance, or call it fate
either way –
I stretch to brush the skirts of grace.