Sometimes

Sometimes,
my words do more harm than good.
I do not mean to inflict pain;
I only seek to capture my thoughts
and cleanse my mind accordingly.

Sometimes,
aloofness prevents me from speaking
so I come here and speak to the page.
Damage is unmitigated since no cues
arise from the inanimate receiver.

Sometimes,
it would be better if I didn't feel
so much of everyone's' pain. But, I do.
If I didn't seek release in words,
I'd fear nothing but tears from me.

Tragedy

The clock ticks away precious moments
that were once wasted in life's stupor.
When tragedy taps our shoulders, life
suddenly becomes jeweled. Our wealth
is determined by the numbering
of good days and in outwitting the bad.

As he lies in this sterile environment,
he doesn't know if tomorrow will come.
He knows he wants it to; he knows others
expect it to--nothing else matters.
It is a struggle to make it one more
minute, one more hour, one more day.

He is being eaten alive by his own body.
A vile mutant has taken control of him
and convinced his mind the end must come.
He gains strength from intangible forces
and realizes he must survive this day.
He isn't ready to succumb to anything.

Long Distance Hug

Last night, I had a dream--
Only it seemed to be real.
Never before have I woken with such a
Gnawing sense of foreboding.

Damned are the sinners
In each of us. Damned are the
Saints as well. We are given a
Taste of medicine called "real life"
Answerable only in prayers.
Never once did we consider
Chances that ill would strike
Ever so close to home.

Hope is all we have to offer
Under the circumstances. I
Give you all I've got.

Cafeteria Opening

Cater to your whims
After a long morning's work.
Find a friend and grab a chair;
Eat healthy or hardy.
Take out when time is short
Else the afternoon drags long.
Round up the lunchtime crowd,
Inspect the new designs,
And win a prize or two.

Overlooking Prospect now,
People watch at will.
Enter through glass and gold--
Nothing's too good for us.
Invite your friends,
New and old, to experience
Grand Opening Day!

After the Storm - A Sunset

The light found in sunset
after the clearing of thunder storms
is eerie in the pinkish cast
it spreads across the world.

Gone is the golden rosy setting
we itched to watch. Gone is the overcast
day we hoped to dispel. Left is only
a sense of unreal, disquieting light.

The sun still takes its normal path.
Darkness still descends upon the hour.
After a storm, the arrival on stage
is dramatically different. Watch it

bathe the evening in unforgettable calm.
Feel the relief from humidity left behind
by the front that snuck in the stage door.
Nature has found its peace in pinkness.

C'est La Vie

Call me sometime soon
Even if together we didn't
Shoot stars into your mind;
Time might like me better.

Later, I'll tell you a secret
Already known by some.

Variety is an acquired taste--
Intimate in its knowledge,
Exempt from being alone.

If I Fell

If I fell in love again
it would be different
from before. I would not
allow my heart to lead;
my mind must dance a part.

My body would not dictate
the lovers I shouldn't want.
I need more sustenance
than a row of one night
stands. I need something.

My toes should not curl
at the sight of a fuzzy
chest. I need to control
these reactions. I need
to control myself.

If I fell in love again,
I might be better off
living life in happiness
between the pages
of a book.

Sparkle and Flash

A sparkle and flash
was all I saw when she
passed me on the street.

Curious to know the source,
I followed some distance back.
I saw the fireworks again.

The phenomena came from her hand
adorned with a rock. Light found
her ring as attractive as I.

I was blinded by her elegance
based solely on her hand; never
once did I look upon her face.

Someone thought she was a beauty
with a gift the size of that; little
did I know she bought it for herself.

Variations in Pink

As I watched him dance,
I could feel heat infuse
my face and knew I showed
a rosy glow.

I stole glances sideways,
unwilling to miss gyrations
but embarrassed to stare;
I looked away.

I could feel my own body
wanting to join the dance
as sensation warmed me
to my thighs.

My body and mind trembled
with variations in pink
as sweat followed the
lines of him.

Drivel

The drivel I write tangles itself
in by brain. It weaves silken webs,
intricate in design, but structurally
unsound. The web has collapsed.

The inspiration, there one day,
becomes obscure the next. Ideas
are ephemeral at best. They bleed
deep wounds for superficial words.

I have lost my way along the highway
of creativity and yearn for cobbled
paths of imagery. Obscurity blocks
the turn. I have wandered awry again.

If I Could

If I could, I would
turn back the calendar
to a better day for you.

I'd erase the tape
and record beautiful
visions to comfort you.

Life would be easier, then,
for the nightmare you know
would never have been born.

It Only Takes One

It only takes one,
be it a moment, a glance, or a word,
to make all the difference.

One is the loneliest number...
yet, sometimes, one is enough.

One moment can alter life
and put new meanings on happiness.
Some moments last forever.

Make it a kodak moment...
Capture a picture for a lifetime.

One glance can penetrate hearts
through a sea of anonymous persons.
Cupid's arrow will find its mark.

Do you believe in love at first sight?
Romance in in the air, find it.

One word can signal the beginning
or the end. Grab a "yes" by its tail
and submit to the possibilities.

Grab life by the horns
and go for the gold.

Another Silence

A wordless prison captures me.
The golden ruler slapped my hand
and forbade the unheard scream.

Take away my tongue and render me mute;
I have nothing worthwhile to say.
My syllables shrivel and blow away.

Caught in the aftermath of blockage,
I shiver in unrelieved tension.
No one would hear me any way.

God Cried

God cried on me today
and tried to wash away
all of the evil tidings.
He sobbed his anguish
at what we have become
and declined comment.

History repeats itself
in subtle ways and more.
We remember the stories.
Unlike Noah, an arc
would not save us
from Dennis or Emily.

Every year He repeats
these savage tantrums
similar to those forty
days and nights of yore.
Every year we thumb
our noses at the Almighty.

We are tired of living
as others prescribe.
We disregard warnings
when issued too soon
like Virginia's wolf
only more mundane.

God cried on me today.
When will he learn
his tears cleanse only him.

Did I?

Did I every tell you
that upside down slowly
rights itself
when you're in the room?

No matter what my problem
happens to be at the time,
it becomes less sinister
when you're by my side.

You are my balm, my medicine
to heal all ailments--
My band-aid in waiting
when I need it most.

(In)sanity

Give me some sanity
in a world of none.
Turn what's upside down
to face inside out.
Nothing makes sense.

Take what's left of reality
and push it squarely
through the round hole
of eternity.
Bury it six feet down.

In the eve of yesterday
dawns the memories
of tomorrow and today
burns the consciousness
of every single day.

raspberry

give me a raspberry
that tastes so sweet
and show your contempt
for my ideas

when we can't take back
a moment or words
fruit registers
reaction...acknowledgement

spur of the moment
a childish tantrum
less painful to me
than words

Hello Again

I met him when I was seven--
it was only a lifetime ago.
We're strangers to each other
in a poetically perfect sense.
What do kids really remember
from their elementary years?

Turtles come to mind, in the pin
he gave me and the one we fed.
Raw hamburger meat brought from home
fed the creature left behind
entrusted to our seven-year hands.
Otherwise, I remember his name.

But, it is fun to meet someone new
even when we've really met before.
Its nice to see what others became
while our own lives run slow motion
toward the same tomorrow that we had
yesterday and today once more.

Sand

The beach calls to me
with sparkling white sand
that infiltrates my body
in too-intimate ways
like a new lover eager
to explore every pulse point
that I didn't know existed--

until you.

The water is so clear
and so blue it reminds
me of your penetrating eyes.
You saw me and through me--
made me feel undressed
even when I wasn't.
I was never that sexy

until you.

A Tinge of Green

A tinge of green and shame
are felt when I find
myself on the outside
looking in.

While I know disrespect
is never intended,
I succumb to my oneness
of being left out.

Not one to barge in
uninvited, I slink
into myself
and wander off

alone again.

...and an alto sax

...and an alto sax
bemoans my loss.
Each note reverberates
with the pain I suffer
since you left.

The melody rises and falls
much like the aching sobs
that rip from my throat
in my sleepless nights.

The deep voice of its music
strokes a hole in my chest
as each note wails its presence.
It soothes me into a fitful

slumber where you are still
a part of my "we."
I wake with tears only to find
my bed empty again.

...and once again

...and once again,
I linger in the scent
of you. Your pillow,
still warm from the night,
cradled you as you slept.

It inhaled your essence
and kept it for me alone.
I rejoice in it as
sleep reclaims me.

Snuggling closer
to your aroma, I dream
images of you
next to me.

Silence is Deafening

As the quiet settles around us,
I try to quell my uneasiness.
I realize there is an absence
of anything real within the room.

All the feelings that flooded us
a moment ago, have been sucked
into an inaudible vacuum of gloom.
We are left with a void,

once filled with everything
that couples share--
now empty and palpable,
in its deafening stillness.

I scream just to break the agony.

Sparks

Sparks flew in circles;
pretty patterns delighted
children in the next town.
They didn't know
these fireworks
weren't meant to be.
They didn't know
three people
fought for their lives...
when the factory exploded
and ignited that memorable
light show in the sky.

Let it Rain

Clouds hang heavy overhead,
fill the air with the thickness
of syrup, yet hesitate to spill.
The trees dance with the breeze,
as seductive as the willow
who spreads her arms for me.
Nature gathers me in a cloak
of lethargy as I loiter
at the edge of her shadows.
And, as I wait...

...the rain never comes.

Passage of Time

Grey hair marks the passage of time
as each day another magically appears.
Reminds me that I grow older still
without feeling as though I have.
I avoid the mirror; it keeps no secrets.
Besides, I see myself as I was.

Dawn

Dawn rises before me
as she strips the night
slowly from her shoulders.
Darkness falls like a shroud
of gossamer in silver
to land at her feet.

She stretches like a cat
awakened from a nap
and purrs almost as one.
As she wakens, light
places her in the shadow
of the perfect woman.

The sun peeks
above the horizon
to catch her magnificence.
Her arms reach out
to embrace the start
of yet another day.

A Brief Look at Life

Life isn't always right
or fair, it simply is.
"To be or not to be"
has always been profound
in our minds.

Be it misunderstood
or misjudged, either sin
grievous in its intent,
leaves life less full
in our souls.

Each moment is precious;
treat it as such.
Fill each with thought,
love, and understanding.
Live it fully.

Life isn't always right
or fair, it simply is.
Respect your self
equal to others.
Treasure the moments.

The Train

The distant whistle
of an unknown train
reminds us
we are not alone.

In the lighted hours,
the whistle blends
with sounds
of our busy lives.

In the darkened hours,
it echoes and fades.
It greets
our solitude.

The train's destination
is some distant place.
Our own
is our dreams.

Cindi

I listened;
I made you laugh;
I didn't do enough.

Your tears pierced
my brain like a fondue fork.
I wanted to cry with you.
I didn't know how to help--
I still don't.
I was a friend
when you needed an assistant.

Your plate was full
and seconds were stacked in wait.
You've always bitten more
than you could comfortably chew.
That's just you, I know.
Even you recognized
you were about to break.

There comes a time
when enough is too much.
Push away from the table
and walk away sane.
Only you can do that;
I'm only a by-stander.

I listened;
I made you laugh;
I couldn't do enough.