I wonder what it is that makes me
reach for what exceeds the grasp
but disdain what lies so close at hand
Maybe that's what puts that puzzled, shy smile
on my face when you walk in the room
and makes my eyes linger upon you
for just a little too long
I shouldn't want you
but I do
all my strength
all my knowledge
all my power
and I was defeated by a child
who was not impressed with my strength
nor my knowledge
nor my power
who simply asked,
"Why is that man so sad?"
There's a storm rolling in
thunder growls softly
knives of lightning
tear through the sky's dark canvas
drops do not fall,
though it is not yet time
the wind picks up
blowing a few scattered leaves
scattering them even further
like an evil god terrorizing
cowering forms
the sky grows ever darker
and shadows lengthen
only to be destroyed
by the swords of light
I stand in the rain
hands on the wrought iron fence
around the place where you dwell
The rain doesn't really touch me
because my uplifted face is
fixed upon your lighted window
I watch you walk around your room
putting things in their place
singing to the radio
and then the light goes out
without you noticing
me standing there
with a sigh, I remove my hands
and disappear into the night
[10/3/02]
kisses from your lips
elicit a flush from rising passion
intoxicates as surely as the warm wine
the discarded ribbons from your hair
complement the filmy undergarments strewn about the floor
the dying embers from the fire
recall the memory of the noon sun shining through closed eyelids
and later the setting sun's eventual retreat
reflected on the water
[10/5/02]
see the dark landscape
and the tiny lights below
twinkling in the night
[10/19/02]
steady rhythm of tires on pavement
mile after mile
your sleeping face in the rearview mirror
so peaceful and innocent
a smile touches my lips unbidden
and I simply must touch you
to reassure myself that you're real
sitting in one of my favorite haunts
sipping a cup of coffee
I still can't get you out of my mind
I fancy that I can still taste your lips
your soft kiss left a lingering taste of cherry in my mouth
our encounter was too brief
for this deep effect that you've had upon me
yet I still watch the window when I sit here
hoping to see you return
[1/24/03]
murmurs in the glow of neon
overprivileged peacocks
too stupid
to know what we sound like
when we cluck
self-assured that the world
needs us in some way
when we are beneath notice
getting louder
fatter
and more self-righteous
[3/17/03]
I must admit that you did warn me
without a trace of irony
I chose to believe what I wanted
the lie being more seductive
than the truth
you don't seem to notice
the difference in my eyes
or you simply don't care
I know you did once
but history gains me
nothing but the disdain of the familiar
this rabbit didn't become real
he just got dusty on a shelf
I'm not surprised
after all, you did tell me
[5/26/03]
when it's too bright
the harsh sun highlights every flaw
making him look older,
more tired
it could have been different
if only he were someone else
Poetry is dying
Perhaps it's already dead
No longer does the ardent suitor
Need to compose any lines
To woo and win the object of his affection
Forms are discarded
To the point where poems and prose become one and the same
No one reads it anymore
And the greats are quietly mouldering
Leaving the rest of us to scratch out
Our tiresome doggerel
the sun always rises, 'tis true
when we remember to look to the sky
too often we forget to
wrapped up in the little dramas we call our lives
it still shines
if only we would see it |