she said
paint me a cloud
and he
made her his wife
::
he said
make me a life
and she
broke into song
::
she said
feed me some hope
and he
built her a nest
::
he said
watch for the crow
and she
buried her heart
::
she said
teach me to fly
and he
brought her the sun
::
he said
stay by my side
and she
looked to the sky
::
::
::
there is never enough
there is always too much
time mocks me from the corner
as i pace the perimeter
of this room
this life
that keeps me laughing
crazy silly insane girl
laughter
sometimes
yes
but always
laughing.
::
it’s the echo
that drives
me.
::
::
::
::
summer night
purple glow of
twilight
softly shadowed
insight
a dragonfly
pause
in mid-flight
::
::
::
::
what you said was always so different
than what you meant
and what you meant was almost
never there.
::
but you had that smile
playing music in its curves
one note always stuck
to the corner.
::
::
::
i might wish to
live in a tent for the summer
run through the forest at dawn
breathe in the scent of white roses
roll in the green sheet of lawn
::
but at night i find i’d simply rather
bathe in the silence of moonlight
fold my heart into the arms of dancing stars
smile at the envelope of birdsong
lie beneath this veil of muffled charm
::
::
up late, working late, back aches,
it’s already past my bedtime
and i’m not finished yet.
hand work, piece by piece,
busy work or works of art
i wish i knew the difference.
and then these words
bubble up to the surface
the way they will
when i forget to watch the pot,
songs and syllables that boil over
and make a mess
one that will stay there for days.
::
night owl, always
wandering through the dark
with no light
feeling my way
along the path i’ve worn
in these floorboards
in this room, in this house, in this life
with one impatient peony
in the garden
already bloomed and withered
before any of the others
have even begun
to open.
you can’t walk through fire until
you’ve sunk to your knees in the mud
or smell lavender promises
before brushing dirt from your lips
you won’t ever see sky
if you wear lost glasses
you’ll never talk to a bird
if you keep yourself grounded
you will always lack focus
if you ride through the mist
green will always be just a color
if you never lay down in the grass.
you can’t circumvent hope
if you wish to survive
or hold hands with a rock
when you seek all that’s tender
but you can talk to the wall
that has built its own tower
and form a ladder of change
that will grow with each breath.
:
:
:
yes
i have dents
and bruises
patches of rust
worn spots
leaking wisdom
each one acquired
through trial
and tribulation
and this weather
that offers
no mercy
most days
i would not trade it
but every so often i recall
an unblemished version
all new and shiny
whole and innocent
and
just for a moment
when the wind
passes through me
i whisper a tune
that echoes
regret
but then
i slip myself back
into this comfortable
broken-in skin
and try hard
not to smile
as she
stands there
all shy and quiet
absolutely alone
knocking softly
at time’s
back door
:
:
::
petal dance
skirt blossom
bare shouldered
morning
::
flower song
fragrant muse
silhouette of
promise
::
whisper breeze
columbine
masquerade in
wing tips
::
listen still
touch gently
curve and spine
reveal
::
::
birds but no bees
blooms but no leaves
silence but no golden
wind but no breeze.
::
day with no break
night with no rest
music with no refrain
heart with no ache.
::
smile but no grin
harm but no foul
simple but not easy
loss but no win.
::
life,
she says,
life.
::
::
::
