morning

oh what a fun night

and oh what a beautiful-

slumberous morning.

blue

everything on my desk is blue.
plus my shirt and my fingernails too-
because I am here without you.

embers

when our bodies clasp each other
my heart lights a beach bonfire-
and my toes forever step in it's embers.

trees

I stood under tree branches
that curled up like cupped hands- held out to me.

no words

I fought with my blanket-
I went toe to toe-
I kissed two angry mouths-
inside out of boyhood-
now a daughter lost.

wild

one wild night we danced barefoot in the gravel.
then
one wild night we danced barefoot in the sand.

tweet

I'm done a-twittering, the other birds
with their obnoxious honking-
drowning me out

idle

I sing a soft prayer to my hands
-and I wait for them to do something.

the evening peaks

when we are twisted up together-in blankets

and the colors of the outside of our window-

are washed out in the storm.

upon waking

all is up.
a dreamy boy fills your legs
with such a torso-
he acts like your tongue is hard candy-
and the crust in your eyes is cinnamon.

full of coins

hunger is sometimes preferable to loneliness.

a stomach will twist-

but hands become dirty and heavy when full of coins.

strawberry

July 12th

My love's hands and eyes
so full of surprise!

he sees nothing wrong with giving me
a synthetic strawberry.

small stones

July 9th

i feel like running again.

it's either that or swimming in a valley of tears.

July 10th

you couldn't tell by looking at us,
but I am certain my sister has a
blotch of red nail-polish on her back
that distinguishes her as
the better daughter.


July 11th

the daily grind and wrench
does not tap the waterline
of my personal happy.

small stones

July 7th

the face of a rose deflates
our windowsill-
not much of a garden.


July 8th

after the party-
a painting is crooked
I think someone danced too close to it.

covered

there is a small leaf over your eye
and yet you can still see me.

Wallflowers

stuck-wallpaper, tickled, matted-madness, in the morning before matinee

wallflowers at school dances just want to be asked. ask them.

they are not hired as scenery, they are not decoration-they are not meant

to just simply be looked at-they have names-and are to be known as-shining.

but also want to be respected for not toe-stepping, spot-light stealing, crown-wearing

modest. in-vanity is not a word, but it is a virtue.

don't accuse them of petty fears- if anything call them

misunderstood-just because others forget to give-just because

others forget that they once dreamed before they were asked-

who believed in the words of every fairy-story

when there were enough charming princes to go around

and they still remembered their blocking and their lines.

_____________________________________________________

Small Stone:

rockets flew in our faces.

the rough caught fire.

I took the old woman's hand for protection-

she didn't want my help.

stars

in the shadowy enclave-
you see fireflies.
I see stars.