Now, Hear This!

Today,
I am going to sing,
loudly, and out of tune.
My unsteady, cracking voice
will scrape your ears and nerves
in an off-key assault,
offensive to your sense
of how I should Be...
But, nonetheless,
today I shall sing,
badly, loudly,
and with joy!

Only Yesterday, in 1986

Scant inch of promise,

cupped in my palm,

your song already written

in the Great Book of Life...

you never had a chance.

With hot water douches

and raw fear,

I wish-washed you away...

and then,

with a rush

of tears and blood,

I flushed you away.

New Song

Your face
is my touchstone.
Each line, each small scar,
brings comfort,
and is a source of strength.
Standing face to face,
I read you...
you are poetry.
You are a song
that I want to memorize,
until I sing you
in my dreams...

Summer Storm

Ground dry and parched,

its energy and life hidden,

lying dormant.

Seeds wrapped, waiting...

enviroment far too hostile

to foster growth.

No tender sprout

could ever survive.

Thirsty ground...

dreaming of life,

its need exposed

to knowing eyes.

Scent of water

on the air...

jars, large and brimming,

slowly tip...

no patter

of stingy, drying drops,

but a torrent...

Refreshment, Life...

and the desert blooms!

Shame

Front porch sags

under weight

of accumulating garbage,

thrown away but not yet

properly disposed of.

It waits there,

in full view.

Passersby pause

to raise their eyebrows,

shake their head,

then keep walking,

wondering.

The owner hates it,

resentful of the stench,

shamed by its presence.

It reminds him

of neglect, of waste

and abandoned plans.

Holding his breath,

he looks away

as he steps over it,

as though

it belongs to someone else.

No one likes

to live with a mess.

I feel sorry for him...

and for the

Garbage.

Fusion

Standing together,

we overlook a paradise.

I love the view...

brilliant, shifting colors

pulse skyward

with the beat

of a thousand hearts,

our vision warmed

by the gentle fires

of Amethyst and Amber,

dazzling Emerald,

Sapphire and Moonstone

blues...

I have come to believe

that our loved ones

become part of who we are,

allowing us to live

as walking, working,

dancing rainbows...

and We are beautiful.

Which colors,

which shades,

which healing hues,

has my love

added 

to you?

Back from the Dead

I was almost gone.
Lights dimming,
voices as through
a wall of water.
Then a large, gentle hand
reached down into my darkness
and took firm hold on me.
All you said was,
"We're ok",
and then I was.
How could I not love you?