I close my door
 on the descending darkness
A smile gently clings
 to the afterglow of youth’s
 sun–soaked pageantry
Lonely eyes take in their new surroundings
 tired limbs prepare to
 embrace the night
The incessant call of
 a solitary nightingale
 sings so close to despair
as innocent as a heartbeat

One never expects love
She always descends
 in such inappropriate places
Soft, dulcet–smooth
 some kind, caramel–honey
Pouring into my ears
So low–down
 every murderous word
 tender
I bike against the flow of traffic
futilely thumbing for her to raise her voice
cursing the onslaught of society

The first time
 I allowed myself to see
 beauty in every being
was the first time
 the universe smiled upon me
 in the knowing smile of a woman
I stopped
 planting my feet to steady my bike
 as she crossed the street
 the air applauding with a
  chorus of strings
  from a idle car’s stereo
I gazed
she pondered, puzzled
then she saw
and smiled
knowing

Avoid the travel agent’s
 hellish destination
Thank God for the angel’s
 abundant journey

Flower strokes its petal
Asks “Who am I?”
The sky and the earth dance
Roots feed petals
               petals feed roots

I cry, acknowledging
 each must face their pain
 as natural as the rain
dripping leaf to branch to root
 drowsy, heavy, tip-tap
(Gasp)
 touching my innermost part
Heart-pleasure piercing through
 dissolving, corroding
(ah: oo)
 wondrous (pain)

Whatever you are
would be good
only
let it be

The secret
of a rose’s blossom
hides in its every breath

There goes the best part of me
A bee cries, losing his stinger
 Long held at the ready
I give it away
Exposed innards
Font a forever river to the sea
A menthol balm attends the open wound

Why did they forgo the spice
 in the mystical concoction?
Milky smooth holding the bitter
The food burns with taste
My mouth aches to remember
A sip, ah, rekindles the embers