It began with fog
and headless homes.
We lose sight of star-markers;
streetlights burn out.
This is a world of crawlspaces,
children digging through mulch
or gravel. The steppe-streaming sun
uncoils, scalelight rasping stone.
We root into baked sand for bones,
pitch the worst of ourselves
into river.
I think that if I touch her
she'd unfold into cherry blossoms, skin
slipping off, hoofbeats
in lieu of a pulse. I feel my own
composition: apples
in my throat,
dry-brush ligaments.
Horizon peeks from valley's end,
blue-eyed. I have seen these hills
on the other half of earth,
centuries soaked in the land's spine.
poetry
Opening
This bar grew from stone and wood, russet and cream. Trees lean on the porch, nonchalant. I'll take what he's having. Hear: phrases sung from in-between. Strange babies, microphones desirous of lips. Buddy's car was having trouble, brakes like grinding teeth. Overhearing, someone fixed it without saying a thing. One table collects candles from the others; they divine in flames reams of words, faces Midas-oiled. Without power, the set moves acoustic. Two inscribe a circle: their voices are caves, cloisters of scarce-seen motes. Light falls far from here. Guitars've outgrown us. Drums move inward. I touch you, in the way it was before language, and my lungs brachiate into song.
Heartbreaks, Earthquakes
I have left my heart in so many places, and now I set it free to be cascaded through the violent waves, and utter bleakness of a barren sea it will float and wander to a far-away place where it may live or die it could be broken and shattered or perchance kept safe it will nestle comfortably in the great heaves of a sigh somewhere in a crowded city my heart will wander back fully restored and void of all pity making up for all the enchantment I’ve lacked until then, I shall let my heart grow spread its branches to places unknown bleed its colours and resonate an everlasting stain where it remains will prove to be home its infinite hue will stain sidewalks and sunsets promising an eternal shine the deep blues and greens, the fiery reds perhaps destined to be a failure by design
Silent Oppressor
I see you lurking in the shadows you silent oppressor I hear you knocking on people’s doors unassuming polite personable you come like rain from gloomy skies your water healing the people vulnerable you promise sun when there is none dawn cracks and the storm passes bright skies convince us you are truth we celebrate your courage and follow in your trail our blood drenching your muddy paths our hands heavy with your ideals we have become your following you silent oppressor
Bear
on this dog day this day of cloudless reeling where you send me without map or compass letters into the red water of your mescaline beauty where it is enough to sit next to it & feel the foolish tide, the safety of your animal slumber this is fumbling is fear is your bending by is too close to touch straight on this is shadow boxing your jaw with my eyes this is the blind movement towards you this is when i forget what my hands are for this is when i have the dream about your perfect teeth is slaughter is when i need the rules most lest i forget which game we are playing
Multitudes
Objects.
For several moments, we turned to the windows.
There were shades drawn.
We turned and.
For several moments when we turned we gathered information.
The windows were gone.
There were places of lights in places of lights.