Compline

Water caresses psalmody
Wearing the rough edges away
Smoothing weariness into the
Curves of the porcelain basin
A gurgling cacophony of clean
Blends with twilight cricketsong
Pooling into the deep recesses
At the hollow of my spine

The quality of my pleasure
Outweigh my need to rush
The sensual distillery of lavender
And the smell of your memory
At the bend of my knee
My heart stills to prayers
I am not daunted by unfinished chores
Nor am I troubled any longer
By the rush of daylight minutes

Quietness fits across my shoulders
Like a favorite afghan
Against the summer breeze
An anthem rich in coolness
And solemn in need
My absolution is committed
Into your breast
For I remain eager to see your hue
In iridescent hummingbird wings
And the azure of open seas

Miles stretch into dismissal
A solemnity of confession
Ancient is the desire for comfort
And the completion of togetherness
I would have the feast and the rest
As I enter into this night’s slumber
My soul longs to bridge the distance
And finally unite our lives
As I have committed my heart to you

I see you...etheree

I

See you

Hanging near

The dark corners

On my vision’s edge

A shadowy dream

Although I am awake

And going about my day

I can never shake the feeling

Of wanting you to really be here

And not just living in my memories

Tribe

You are one of me
Raised in a house of woman
Periods and mood swings
And no balance
To the tears and loves lamented
Dresses, wigs and make-up
Incognegress on the bus
Looking straight forward
Less the driver looks too long
Or looks too less
For who doesn’t want to be desired

You are one of me
Giving off that sense of indifference
Ankles crossed at the knee
And hosiery snug and trim
Just a hint of slip at the hem
Cause your momma raised you
Not to go round bare-legged
Torpedo breast ala Jane Russell
Catching the glance of married men
And the scorn of their wives
And the wishes of pubescent children

You are one of me
Waiting for the pad of a man’s thumb
To wipe tears across your cheek
To caress your face lovingly
I cannot love hard enuff
To cover my scars
And neither can you
For every new man
Picks at the edges of each one
Until you scream with the relief
Of having it ripped off, again

You are one of me
Thinking you deserve the pain
Of the women who has never
Known the luxury of
A man’s unconditional love
So we engage badly
In search of the filling
For the many wholes in our soul
Our tribe closes in on itself
And it is the rare man
That can breach our perimeter

Anticipation...clarity pyramid

NEED

Felt as

Desire

Anticipation

Of the feeling of you

Encapsulating my all

“Wrapped up in waiting for you”

ABC POEM

Afternoons were made

By a lazy hand

Calling us to stop

Daytime chores

Evening is still

Far away

Gates and posts

Herald a waning day

Isis has passed over

Just as the wind plays with

Kites across the stream

Landing them on shores

Moonscapes pull at desires

Needs surface beckoning

Our spirits together

Please approach me

Quickly while I am

Relaxed in anticipation

Stretched languidly across the bed

Testing how muscles play

Under a sheen of sweat

Visualizing your hands across my hip

Waist spanned by your fingers

Xylophones play in the eaves

Your music of lust uniting

Zion to earth

My hands

my hands move against the wind
lines drawn across my palms
like so many days lived
in the shadow of water, wind and sun
my hands are no longer delicate
the nails broken and knuckles wide
in turn frostbitten and sunburned
my hands flutter when I speak
capturing the words I say
turning them over and over
gifting a few and holding others
for I might need some again
my hands are the last thing to sleep
after they turn out the lights
adjusting the covers and pillows
again and again
reaching and smoothing me
my hands worry me
with their constant searching
I try to busy them with poetry
but they know and I do too
that they won't be content
until they are in yours

dollars

1 in 5
1 in 6
6 of one
6 is half
half dozen
broken dozen
dozen ova
dozen tears
tears track
tears remind
remind me
remind you
you must not
you relive
relive auctions
relive chains
chains bind
chains mark
mark heritage
mark possession
possession of flesh
possession of child
child not mine
child torn
torn from breast
torn from sight
sight of sky
sight of blind
blind eyes
blind faith
faith in one
faith in none
none heard
none spoken
spoken not
spoken loud
loud bells
loud clamor
clamor at dawn
clamor at dusk
dusk of skin
dusk of hollow
hollow soul
hollow bones
bones broken
bones spirit
spirit
broken