ancient

so this is the ocean receding

and this is the mountain where it stands

dry desert; the ghosts of pounding waves

the heat dries salty wounds





i opened a bag to find the relics of our time in the desert
pulling out each one, the memory came back
the shells turned agate
in a million (some) years,
they foreshadow this moment

in our early dawn you captured that favorite image
the dry desert of owyhee

and now
that is where we are,
where we live

all scattered with shells

and empty

sink:sing

your head above water
your body dragged below
knees banged
knuckles scraped and raw

the cold water numbs

your thoughts hang above you
as you are rushed through each rapid
heart beat blood to your warm breath
air freezes cheeks that are flushed

the red that seeps from slits on your feet
travels faster than your body
it gets caught on a branches,
along the shore

but you keep passing by it
the current is faster than your pulse
and with your hands out
they reach to touch the raw breeze

little by little

we stood in the window and cawed
birds on a wire

watching them hack away the arms, the limbs
our privacy! our youthful world at jeopardy!

'how could they do that to the yard' we whined
as they snipped and sawed - following orders

i offered them coffee and tea as it poured down rain
and we sat in the warmth of the kitchen, saddened

yet spring came and the blooms caught our eyes
captured on paper and film
the couches were dragged out
and occasionally someone would water the green amputees
peering through the holes at the old dog behind

the outdoor theater drew the crowds
bringing lawn chairs and beers
hollering sarcasms and cute jeers

and they grew
they reached out to touch the young in the back row
touch their bare summer skin
their tank tops and bike baskets

the branches sprouted green
all hot and shiny from sun

each week theyd come
sitting and laughing
and inch by inch the leaves grew,
imploding the bare hole with their
handsome lush sheen

now the summer closure is unspoken
the nights bring chills

under the dark sky
the growing continues

as they lay out to see the meteors showering
the leaves tremble and ache to join them

unfolding for them all - to preserve the wild,

the magic of the enclosed world

the yard of the young

all cradled and green

Perseid

the dross of the comet
is our gold of the sky

as it draws too close
a spectacle explodes in the air


extinct through flash and glitter



like our bodies, slammed together and shattered
we created light and spark


but the dust from our crash is floating down
falling in the eyes of the watching
breathed to the lungs of the breathing
sped quick through the blood
to the hearts that are beating

and we will remain in the ground and the blood
and we'll wait

for our celestial bodies have met
they have been torn apart
but may they rest and grow
to be reunited again
in the pulse of the world

retire

did you take them down?
the record of those moments

our reconstructed bursts of love
on different lands

do the pictures still rest on the ledge
watching you dream and draw

is the caption of love attached
to my bundled up smile

where will they rest when you do
in a box or in an altar
sent in a letter for me to keep

or will you let them stay
a reminder
of our widened path
the spirit that brought us together
to be on the wind,
a light and free double headed seed
blown across the lands and the sea

woven mourning

pulling back the covers, i began to weep

your smell was on my pillow

my wet face soaked the cotton weave

where your back left its scented print.

yet i know that by the morning

my own tears and grease will have

chased it all away

tied

ive tied a thread to each piece which holds a memory of you.
all of these threads are draped thick across the hard wood floor

the lines hang heavy out of the open window,
blocking parked cars and tripping small children

threads get snagged sometimes, snapping
that memory is forgotten where the two pieces break apart

yet there are still thousands of threads, stretching 6 blocks
around street posts and into peoples yards

and the ivy has grown thick around them - straining them
as they hang down through the small dusty window

the lines trail to the warmth in you
and are tied delicately to your heart

was this all the last :

time i smell your skin
feel our toes move like urchins
sleep behind your slumber

was this the final:
head on your chest
arms around my body
warm puzzle completed

will i ever:
find you sleeping in my bed
read your heartfelt letter
hear a song thats meant for me

right now i wish:
love mended all our broken edges
sewed a patch over drafty holes
and brought us softly back
together

strum

i listen to your words
wise beyond your years
a timeless flutter to those bitter lines

yet you strum and smile
and grow old from your smoke
and the voice which once
poured out crystals
is gravel to the bones