to sail . . .

Winken, Blynken and Nod one night
set sail in a cashmere boat
with oars made of pearls
and a peppermint hull
and a captain in turquoise coat
the moon rose up
and
captured the night
as sails billowed & filled
carrying the ship
across the sea
under stars from a diamond-quartz mill
an opal deck stretched fore & aft
rainbowing under full-moon
with masts of ebony
reaching up to the night
as a dish whirled about with a spoon
upon the deck
glowed a golden chest
with swirls of amber paisley
a latch made of porcelain
a handle of mint
with buckles of snow-drop daisies
it opened right up
with a will of its own
and
there on a bergamot bed
nestled amongst deep-scarlet silk
was a clock
with a dragon's head
a clock of finest silver
knotted in the finest weave
tic-tocking & churning on wheels & cogs
tiny hands of amethyst vive
the wee dragon's head
shimmered & shone
with scales of deep forest green
eyes of snow, lashes of gold
the most mischievous smile ere' seen
then the dragon peered out of a nest of silk
and yawned with might & sleep
eyes they blinked
nostrils flared
with his wings unfurled he did sweep
out from the clockworks!!
out from the chest!!
wings spread 30 feet wide
fluttered & moved
with grace & aplomb
until he shifted the ocean's tide
waves rolled up
over stem & stern
the peppermint hull they pounded
shuttering--shaking with fury & force
as they captain stood there astounded...
"hang on me maties, hang on me friends
and bring those sails quick down
batten them up & 'don your coat
and pray we all don't drown"
winken, blynken & nod set to work
'astrapping the sails down tight
as the dragon beat his broad, gorgeous wings
raising the ship to moonlight
the vessel set sail upon currents of wind
as the dragon his wings he did fold
he lowered his head,
one small puff he then blew
this quest was ere long foretold;
of a ship,
crew of four,
a night & a song
and a dragon born of stars
to set off on a journey to circle the world
to learn the secrets of Mars
the crew did relax with a sigh of content
as the ship balanced & sped
the dragon at rest on his bed of silk
story born from twilight's thread
winken, blynken & nod set out
humming a broadway tune
captain of turquiose at the helm
as a cow jumped over the moon
the ship flew into deepest night
for coasts & planets unknown
as the crew peered up 'ore the starboard side
and the stars their pleasure shone
the clockwork-dragon rests peacefully
curled up in its quiet, soft space
breathing & dreaming of far off delights
and the piece that fills the hollow place--
a compass for travel
a compass to roam
a dragon of tic-tocking gifts
who appeared one day at a quater to May
always able to compass you home.

sundays

 

come sharp this day 

     with wind and promised grey weather 

coffee fire pondering .... 

time moves slowly -- hollow pressed against the fabric of convention & pause 

what does that mean, slowly? 

is it empty? waiting? 

is it full? yet missing? 

time -- not felt but it is there 

like love 

like peace & contentment 

like this November sharpness so distinct yet invisible 

Ah, there it is!

trapped inside the cardinal perched just outside the window 

     wind and promised grey weather 

come the stillness of a morning ….

Take my fingers one by one and hold them out
away from my small unremarkable palm
paper-chained lines stretched taunt
against the gravity of this waxing-crescent-in-capricorn 
pull my hand up
and
away from my body
up
up
as high & as hard as you can go
until
i am struggling to maintain my balance
rocking, weaving
leaning away from
your force
leaning into the white river birch
that runs along my spine during the winter months
leaning
until
i
surrender
to the prime meridian line
the polar field
of
us
crashing colliding collapsing
your thumb stroking, pressing my heart-line
resistance maple-syruped, viscous and amber
as a 3º morning when you were 10 and the world was ripe
and everything was yours and home lay
in the possibility of discovering that you are greater than your surroundings
and
that folded into the veiled crevices of your soul
dwell dragons, orbs
tilled soil and milo fields
sugar beets
the sound of drums and yellow moons
snake-oil-moonshine
tooled leather and a stone-will
kites

strings of courage
fire-miracles
and
mornings smelling of pancakes and dreams of sex
this morning ...
stars are still visible at 7:07 as the sun rises in a corona of
pale tangerine forgiveness
silent becomes the fear
easy comes the patience
knowing becomes the dance of connection
until the faint clear low of a cello is heard
vibrating
vibrating
vibrating
the cellular structure of nucleotides and ocean tides
against the current of ordinary
while holding a blue-jean-royal flush
and
a fugitive silver-scarfed magician card from
a golden tarot deck
take my fingers
curl them tight underneath your velvet-zeppelin-hand
take the cards and toss them to the swan nebula
you four-fold-warrior-truth-seeker-knowledge-giver
ya'aburnee-maker-self
leaning
leaning
into the urge to....
take each finger
one by one and hold them out
hold them out

stretched taunt 

against the gravity of this waxing-crescent-moon-in-capricorn 

pull 

stretch
lean
collide
into
this
remarkable life

just look at that would you

The sun it rises 

backlighting trees, houses, birds & telephone poles 

yet again 

it rises

somewhere beyond the overcast clouds & dust of this day 

it is here 

yet again 

the wind still blows and those damn clouds obsure the sun 

     for now 

it is there--it is here 

illuminating this street this town this day 

yet again 

despite our sorrow our tiny deaths our despair 

it rises 

lending light to our hearts 

light to this breath this being 

just look at that would you! 

The sun 

......it rises yet again 

to this wild world 

winter birds

the dismantled song of rusted broken things
standing solitary amidst the pale buttermilk corn
bent, 

leaned and listening to songs overhead
time swallowed by weather and cooling 
linger there awhile ...
until the November sun gleams
a bursting golden metallic promise
furrows of love

songs of birds

winter whispers such sweet undoing 

on frost

morning light drifts in pearly-blue
illuminating the smell of snow 
still the branches
quiet this dawn
birds await a promised warming
silence song
pervasive the cold
stunning the chilling
to breath to bone
pale twill be the sun
frost & ice spilling
morning light comes the day

flickers

When resistance lies vanquished
once surrender unfolds like a lark upon your palm
groundlessness rises
as tempest
as leaves caught in the north wind
swirling clockwise to
morning's first light

Winter sits watching for the vulnerable
biting
stinging 

with breath silver-blue
it felt so hollow
(initially)
the allowing
the lack of concern
swirling clockwise to
afternoon's light

Love stands alone
needing naught but truth
rock steady against the stars
grounded in 

cloud formations & constellations
dance to the wind & weather
dance to the sharpness of known things
swirling clockwise in
the waning moon's night

Now November

We
unpack our words
measuring the white space between
in sighs & numbness
threading truth to dreams as stars to night
what longing remains is scattered

now November
we amuse ourselves with what was
adapted
compacted lives rich
yet without the burn
what longing remains scattered
found in sky and moon
dust and entrails tossed
captive fortunes told in leaves and ash
smelling of autumn's smoke

eternal passage granted
rising
rising

what longing remains is scattered

soul-kind

what once was
alludes & binds
a heavy cape of velvet blurs the royal lines
Oh what celestial ink creates this Nebraska-blue?

   veiled in dawn's aubergine new
golden sure this day 
wild moon bright
origami sparrow flying white
oh .....
be careful and wise as wishes do come true:
folded

tucked 

along 

sorrows rue
kaleidoscope seasons 

turn and go ... turn and go
as the dreamscape of want simmers
       then slows 
invisible we become
beige'd to beige
wallflower silent--Einstein's sage
touch yourself
first there!  .... then
                open the vein
and
wake the lost!
ghosts of euphoria tinder the frost
cloaked and hidden I walk thru walls
sweeping up the storylines
our story .... my story 
inked between nights
of
golden fields bloom against legends of light
the cut sharpest at the cold snap of morning bright
while bent
and
mending
the singed edges of
my velvet weighted warming
intent thickens the bones
in the heart of the clear
forgiveness fills the corners
as
moon-shadows drip near
to waken 
to walk 
to be seen through the briar
to lie with the dragons of crystal blue fire

in November's cooling . . .

there is nothing but the dried whiteness of bone
                                and
the crackled richness of autumns' leaves ; fragile & fallen
the scent of snow & sage embraced as it hangs moist & sharp
strung by silver wire fine to the naked white birch
twirling & exposed
relevant organs donated to Oz
movement becoming transgenic, soft & grey
stripped
ashamed by want and
crystalline hollowed
breath irrelevant
surrender here

becoming

inhaling longer--broader
to rest his scent against my heart
as he hugged me to his chest
{he was so tall} !
able to encompass my entire being within his entire being
larger than life 
thoughtful he walked this earth
bright he shined

he had a spot--a nesting place
things within an easy reach;
comfy sofa
a phone
a legal pad
a place for coffee (or scotch)
glasses
a magazine or newspaper

quite unexpectedly
the poignant bite of awareness dawned
i too have my spot--a nesting place
things within an easy reach;
comfy sofa
a phone
paper to write
a place for coffee (or scotch)
glasses
a magazine

and a brightness that lays upon the blonde wood
upon the nesting place
a shine that follows me wherever i go
ever longer--ever broader--evermore
pressed there against my heart
encompassing my entire being
larger than life
this one precious life 

things within an easy reach

we become

tyto alba

the wing span of a barn owl is 42 inches

42 inches of ghost feathers & furl 

lifted on particle currents of atmosphere 

dip & dive

dip & dive 

silent nocturnal flyer 

dip & dive 

      &

find me  

         there in slumber beneath worry & bramble 

trembling in stasis 

exultant in dark possibility 

wrapped in skin with age & aspirin 

awaiting your golden piercing 

dip & dive
      &

capture 

me