the roar erased god from our tongues
..........
utter
breathless affect.

*****************************

upon a reminder to eat...

i am..
.nourished by the acknowledgement of hunger
.taught by a family of ghosts
.befriended by past lovers
.loved in the fecundity of friendship
.inspired by tile, frosted with prison, cool beneath my knees
.fed life with the same silver spade used to dig my grave

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm an island
the tide crashing shore
Froth blooms from cliffs
like blood from capillaries once kept
by skin since sliced
Deeper currents find fissures in my foundation

The ocean floor is itself buoyant

Dew on rims of clinched petals
Slick rocks
Rain

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I was two or three, I lived surrounded by cornfields and county roads. At night I'd be on my back in bed, both ears exposed to silence. I'd hear my heart beating. It would rise through my body and out my ears until it was beating around my head. My eyes closed saw animals marching on a savanna, as many feet stomping as there was dust in the dry air. The herd never encountered a battle. In itself it was a war. What would confront it?

Breath, the subtle politic of war. A warrior's heartstomp, the rhythm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

the fortunate few
who live just to do
dig not the pits
in which reality does skew

the fortunate many
who live just to see
dance around the rim
then move past with ease

the one with the spade
though as fortunate as all
plots pits' dimensions
fating himself to fall

above the pit, clouds move past like life

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

debt and dogs
deprecating fogs
soaked up libations
appease drunken ancestors

alone again with words
that serve to shield and cover
rather than reveal
sew my mouth shut and they come out my eyes
blind me and they bore through my chest
these words' meanings' mission:
to subjugate light,
use it as a canvas for opaque hysterics

dreamed connections melt
the seed of the dream returns to the source
of all potential energy
what is left?

now. dogs and dept.
as good a place to start as any.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

searchlight on shore
ships passing seen
chopped waters, shaded rocks
fashioning distance keen

to player of wind
to each passing hour
the light signals hope
that the bay not devour

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

sound of a chime
as the eye shades time

fossil fuel absorbed by a recalcitrant mind
creatures of consciousness forge arid climes

give up, give in
given to you, taken from you

ancestors' scene in the wood
in the weed
in mass, informing every word and deed

give up, give in
given to you, taken from you

synesthasia erupts
heard is the rock-written creed...

get up, get in
gifts from you, gifts for you

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

cave of a mouth
reverberates decay
when the thoughts meant for print
are spoken in dismay

thought meant for print
when spoken comes off hollow
words supplant the guide
from the source the thought did follow.

cave of a mouth
reverberates decay
when the thoughts meant for print
are spoken in dismay

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

breathing tube
removed
pacifier
in the fire
lifeline
retracted
door
shut
position
filled
possessions
nullified

home burned

watching it smolder
my heart purifies
in the smoke
crushing loss
clues to the cause
and the opportunity
to build something new.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

sent ahead the gifts
to meet me tomorrow
tomorrow did not come

integrate the given now
and, if tomorrow,
gifts will rain