Moisture

I hear midnight,
calling withered roses-
dusty, black now.
The pink ribbon their noose.
Strongest upside-down
All becomes brown;
sometimes black.
Never red, never yellow.
These are beginnings,
only to fade- dull lustre away.
Thick, pungent, moist the petals
breathe.
Speak? For conscience.
For me. Even if only
within my heart.
The breath is my spirit,
and dry the changing wind.
Nov. 22, 1996

Life, Loss, Hope and Nothing

Once, before the sunrise,
I sent pieces of myself away.
Away over the star-spun sky,
into blackness and nothing,
far beyond.
My soul could escape then,
through the ruptured folds.
I watched my mists as they faded,
trying to grasp at shimmering Life,
Loss on his heels.
I paraded my might,
poised the image about myself,
forgot all undercurrent,
but yet I taxed taut Hope,
and broke her.
Out in that blackness,
they weave together,
each alone, derive strength
from each other.
And I watch, to pretend
I see, though Nothing-
with his piercing eyes is here.
Only him I see.
Nov. 22, 1996

Prima Donna

The ballerina spins,
turns in the sparkling snow swirls.
the strong wind sweeps around
past her glassy eyes.
flakes whipping fast.
her skirt stubbornly motionless.
Crown atop her unmoving blond glory
not a twitch.
yet sill she rotates.
frozen arms and fake plastic smile.
nearly naked figure warm as the
surrounding water,
as the snow crystals settle
and her movement slows.
the music fades
and she waits again for
the excited child to turn the key.
June 1996

Insignificance

lowly am I
when i gaze to the sky
and falling stars are before me

how shall I care
for this burden I bear
while the rain soaks dampest right through me

small are my deeds
on which based are greed
and what I have written shears me free
June 1996

The Gas Station

and how do you feel?
I'm standing, waiting
for the gas to pump
make sure my car gets
exactly 5 dollars.
and how are you?
oops, 5 oh one.
do you have a penny?
the penny thing always
has one just for me.
what you been up to?
pop and candy are
very hard to decide on
me? I can pay
for my gas and leave
nice seeing you again.
May 1996

On Thin Ice

Only star-fire can find me
this is where I sit
Again I dream alone
And my world keeps going
I can't hear it
but I hear you
your voice still loud
although you aren't here
the air vibrates
sound waves pound my veins
here, the artificial heartbeat
and a groan escapes
Wild the beat
your figure illuminated
a silhouette
or is it the mist?
Far I reach
so I touch the sand
and hold it dear
as it sifts away
you are the sand
as the wind pulls it from me
May 1996

Hiding

the mask serves its purpose
after the shimmering stars
explode the night air
the mask is useful
to cover regretful words
in the depth of the page
the mask cannot be seen
but results are there
they still don't know everything
or anything
the mask is big or small
but it continuously changes- fittingly
the mask hides
it helps change
not in the plane of discovery
but despair
the mask hinders
it hides change
not in the act of kindness
but fear
April 1996

Death

Escape from the talons
of the predator
claws tear flesh from bone
but it flees
panic stricken gait
ground like a treadmill
still pressing on
and still it gains
closer, closer
the talons will sink in again
and a body falls to the ground
Jan. 1996