Alive

Bring it alive
To me
On the stage.
Contain this, that which I want
In a few steps
And turn it into genius
Make the shapes and arrows of the way
That we flow
Into and out of all things
Produce the meat of my love
And put the blood in it
Form and fuse
Then find the heart
In which rests truth.

9/14/10

Prufrock's Mermaids

One of my favorites....


Tell Alfred I found his mermaids
They were at the bottom of the sea
Their bodies weighed like sand-filled shells
They had all taken bioluminescent lovers
And barnacles
They were ready to be filled with cement
And made into figureheads.
Dredging the deep
We found a whole graveyard of them
Their skin pure white and rich chocolate brown
Exiled children of the gods
A kelp-harem of Ophelias.
Oh Alfred,
How did you know of this
Exiled colony of demi-goddesses?
What did they sing to you?
I know you heard them
I know they gave you a treasure
that no mortals can understand.

12/20/06

Untitled in Memoriam

I bumped into you
In the air
Somewhere over Arizona
I said
Sorry I didnt see you
Before you left
I said
You said
Theres no need
Take my strength
I’ve been hiding it
For a long time
And she put my roots down
Further, deeper
Inching closer
To the heart of the earth
She put her life given
Into my eyes
Her words shed been longing to speak
Into my mouth like food
There were so many I almost choked
Somewhere in flight over the middle of the country
I met her
And she said, I wouldnt have let you get
Off so easy
She said
Eat your youth
Like you are starving
And of course
She spoke English
But she didnt need to speak at all.

12/20/06 (written Feb. ’06)

A Dream of Snow

Eating at my insides
I wait
I wait
I wait
For you to step through my door
I can feel your energy from the other side
Our eyes interlocking that say so much
I get pulled outside into the snow
I used to dream of it as a child, even though we didn’t live where there was any
Outside is dreamland and you’re the warmest thing I’ve touched
Inside is a cave with a few candles.
This house once had laughter in it
Now there is only snow, piling around windows, corners, sills and doors.
I wake to a quiet, dark morning.

12/19/06

Hold

Slow
Organic feelings
My blood does not rush out so easily
The things beholden
Do not pass
Harshness does not take the place
Of a soft word
I touch, and keep, forever
Pictures that have long faded
When the day is through
I stand, anchored
Holding,
Waiting,
Knowing
But holding anyway.

9/2/10

Stones in Our Pockets

The tides put melancholy stones into our pockets
And even though
We cannot iron out the sand
So that the sun reflects perfectly
Or falls with lightness
Over the jutting edge of land
We are the wind who speaks to tide-time
And we plan our own ceremony.
We are the local forces
Moving seamist gently.
A thousand agents
Under the water
Against one of us
Should yield joy.

Circa 2002

Read to me in the winelit night
Covered with vines and heavy flowers.
In the eternal dream of paradise, the lulls are no more to us
Because we whisper of contentment.

circa 2002

On the days that are bad
I wish that poetry would come
And envelop me in laughing waves.

circa 2002