Life Lost Simplicity

walls of apprehension and dread
do not a person make, yet for
some this self exile from the
rest of the world achieves the
same or at least similar results;
moments of doubt creep along
back alley ways in parallel

with conscious consciousness,
provoking deliberate responses,
preventing the leaking of secrets;
showers of silence reign down
upon the living and the dead,
neither of which offers hope
to any kind to those who would
be kindred, but remain unaligned;
discreet passages of scripture
carefully but unintentionally
left out of sermons provide no
opportunities for self-reliance or
self-extraction from these tall walls;
poignant lines recorded on pain tapes
in the mind, offer minute recollections
of how we built stilt houses to
avoid the sludge of life that came
all too quickly tumbling down once
our unprotected life lost its simplicity.

22jul13

Until Later

without a moment's notice, we

are locked into a mental embrace

that opens our souls, leaving us

both vulnerable to all the

intimacies that might have been;

yet, where there is a will, there

is a way to postpone attraction.

22jul13

Love in the Making

streaks of sun burst through
the clouds like thunderbolts
from Thor, penetrating the
muscles of my back as I
penetrate myself into you;
frenzied desires escalate,
syncopated moans announce,
gasping for breath we kiss
away the fears of being caught;
dripping ecstasy between our legs
demonstrate what hearts could not,
helping joys melt away the tears
of being separated far too long.

22jul13

Briefly

lives lived alone
lacks fulfillment
for some, so in an
act of desperation
we accept that
which would have
been rejected for
a brief moment
of companionship.

22jul13

Born American, Died Black

tears of joy stream

down politics as usual

since our leader has spoken

his mind, but a black

boy still remains dead

in the white world in

which he lived because

our Elders believed standing

was better than sitting;

but, more importantly,

is the aftermath

and the reality

that both sides are

just as racist as ever.

20jul13

Mind, Body, Soul

a Cardinal bounces on the
limb of a butterfly bush
and my thoughts quickly
gravitate to the church, but
not the church I once attended;
am I being pardoned for my
sins or is this a simple,
albeit appropriate coincidence?
once again my exuberance
has betrayed me as this was
a female cardinal and not
brightly colored at all...

20jul13

Intelligence

wisdom in the hands of

innocence is a fool's errand,

but in the hands of the

mature can be volatile,

deadly, and criminal;

wisdom belongs in no one's

hands until it first makes

its home in one's heart.

20jul13

Over There

the specter of death has

knocked on my windows

recently, beckoning me to

come out and play with her;

my introversion has provided

me with reluctant replies, so

she is bothering my neighbor

who is better looking anyway.


20jul13

Recognition

images, not photographs
or pictures rest silently
somewhere in my mind;
a place unknown to me
and not easily found even
though I have been there
a thousand times or more;
covered in darkness and
hidden behind secret walls,
these images tell the story
of all the goodness I have done
yet over the years I have
discovered that only money
gets one truly appreciated.

20jul13

Bullshit

                misguided feelings are given
                to each other like play toys to
                house pets as we make claims
                of being well cared for and go
                about our business as if we
                had no business dealings at all
                with each other...  ever...  and,
                still we explain everyday how
                much we love each other and
                how special this marriage is.

                                                                                                  20jul13