He struggled with himself
Madly wrestling the angel of death
Crazy and lightheaded with exhaustion
With resentful glare
He stood back and lowered his arms
Prone
The other stood calmly proud
Defenses throbbing away in echoes
There was never an intent to harm
In this respite:
“Man, I don’t want to fight you
— What are we doing?”
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Exhausted Peace
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Those items that fit me well touch my soul Some spirit of serendipity saw to it and allowed our meeting Perhaps in my loving it too much, too long I wear it bare Unwilling to part with it I take it to that little local shop or take a needle to it with my novice hand That once foreign object of love Now broken–in transfigures into something sturdier than when we begin Those insightful adjustments second nature after so much shared trail weave into the mending Now on our second honeymoon We find ourselves wholly together
In Praise of Mended Things
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God, I thank thee such passionate and sensitive artists could express themselves so powerfully enough to gather together in so suitable a house your creatures; my privilege to witness and breathe in
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You know Gazing into your smile I have nothing to offer you Except the overwhelming gushing of appreciation for you, flame You introduced me to life then Playing in the snow Rather than shoveling it
Snow Smile
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Beam resting upon my eyelashes
Comfort in the darkness
How many thoughts did I dance with
Until I saw you
!
Presence-burning flameMeditation Song
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I dreamt I had such wonderful dreams for you Here is a final dream for you, suddenly You dream your own dreams
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So, the forest fairies embraced her elbows led her to the enchanted stream baptized her in cool water down down down With held breath, stammering, she watched the color of her hair flow into the river the blush of her checks flow into the river the ruby of her lips flow into the river freckles, one by one by one the glow of her skin flow into the river Crystalline, transparent, she became one with the river Invisible flowing wings pushed her flying breaking the surface Her body jumped back onto her and she recovered in her nymphs’ arms SisterInitiation
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In my desire to embrace the world, embrace for love, for safety, no, not for love — so chilling, for safety, I conceive the world determinable, employ science and social contracts, morals and power, all for my well–intentioned designs Do not go coming around bringing up the ghost of love to haunt my bones, to turn my castles in the air to dust. I’d have to give up everything science cannot calculate, contracts cannot account for, morals cannot heed, power cannot glory in its deeds, only that I may look in your eyes and know you the factory belts overflow untended the stocks: lost opportunities my work hours fly by just to gaze at you my research and masterpieces ring hollow and it is so important to do Bah! you, tormenting me to look upon you I howl, shiver like a child in my toddler shoes With what crazy faith you do tempt me to my insanity, Oh God, oh God, boohoo
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All is peaceful in your bed As you lay there sitting with a comforter in your lap and a bevy of pillows up your back, wreathing round your head Sweet visions you entice Wearing nothing ’cept a red handkerchief whose nettled florals shade your eyes and invite in a garden Dream of bright daylight My tender lips do gently suck, once each the gravity side of heaving breast, underneath and wander down circuitously in the lazy business of a bee frantically, humbly, bumbly, dallying Then that sweet–smelling bud is joyfully discovered Upon which our bee gingerly endeavors onto sacred ground Exploring about for what there is to take As legs press deeply into petal’s folds In response to his cantankerous march Our flower unveils herself in an expansive sigh Now the stamen is found and only nectar is wanted Oh, such a busy bee so adamant about it As flower trembles this way and that Supporting the little fellow At long last the pollen is taken up The flower is conscious of the loss In remembrance of such ruddy gifts The bee gathers every last bit And gently flies away Now the gardener saunters in For our flower must be parched well, we’ll drown her anyway It's so steamy at midday in burning summer The hose has been lying out in the sun all this time Though cold water runs from its base it will come out hot Careless lobs of water Thrash, thrash, in and out of the petals There, finally, the hose is fixed Oh, but the constant undulating pressure Has the gardener gone negligent? For a span of unendurable length, our fragile flower held down under violent, heedless protuberance shuddering in its overwhelming strength And suddenly, water gone; petals thoroughly soaked So much abuse for so innocent a flower and nowhere to go for safety For all the bittersweet torments she finds herself handled safely better off, even
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For your constant, loving supply of kibble, I thank you I bask in your graciousness… Ignore the puffed cheeks
Paucity
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