Sabtu, 23 Juni 2012

Villanelle for Lost Dreams


Beneath the whirling tumult of sea
is the resting place of forgotten dreams.
But not everything below is dead,
they just cannot be touched by the sun
and what was once so vivid and true
is now a heartbeat beneath the sand.

Through the hourglass slips the sand
creating a beach for the pale green sea
making what is real no longer true
and in our waking hours, those dreams
of days when we could touch the sun
fall like gulls upon the shore, dead.

Where do we go when the past is dead?
Do we bury our heads under the sand
or turn our eyes up towards the sun?
Only in that white, bright light do we see
the weak heartbeat of lost dreams
and a north star to what is true.

Following the path that�s straight and true,
the waysides littered with our dead,
we behold the cost of our fever dreams
in shallow graves beneath hot sand.
All the cleansing of salted sea
cannot reverse the setting sun.

We plod along, daughter and son,
in search of dreams and love that�s true.
Each changing like tides on the sea
That only stop if we are dead.
Still we write our names in sand
And skip flat stones like they�re our dreams.

What is the meaning of these dreams,
That will one day implode like our sun,
If not an attempt to stay Time�s own sands
Or a question of what�s still true
That we sing to all our dead
Floating on burning ships to sea.

What we know to be true, is lost at sea
where dreams are as movable as sand.
We are not dead, yet we block the sun.

Senin, 05 Maret 2012

I always imagined I would know


I always imagined I would know
the exact moment when your heart stopped beating
whether it was a sudden illness
or some freak accident,
like getting hit by a cab while crossing 3rd Ave.
(You know nobody minds that stoplight)
In that instant, I would look up from my work

and put my hand on my chest.
I would know
because how could I not.
But the truth is

there will be no ethereal moment
where your soul passes through me

on its way to the next world.
I will not notice one less breath in the atmosphere

and the sky won�t seem darker than before.
Even mothers do not realize

when their sons have drowned in rivers
many miles away.
My hands won�t cease to work without you

and the sun will shine regardless.
A world without you tomorrow
is exactly the same as today,
But when I get that phone call
Or find you face down on the kitchen floor,
everything, oh yes, everything

Will never be the same
and I will imagine I always knew.

Kamis, 03 November 2011

rain in midtown

Just outside Grand Central Station,
I am pushing through the crowds
Between the walls of glass and stone
below a sky that's free of clouds.

When on my cheek I feel a drop,
away, I wipe it like a hair,
look in puzzlement at the sky
and continue on to Pershing Square.

I feel another droplet fall,
hit cold and wet upon my arm
like icy little pins they start
and each one fills me with alarm.

The sky still far and clear and blue
reflects its light on mirrored tower.
No one is reaching for umbrellas
in preparation for the coming shower.

Along Madison Avenue
the rain begins to pour.
It soaks through my ivory blouse
and chills me to my very core.

But on the street, not one looks up,
their heads and clothes stay dry.
As puddles forms inside my shoes
bike messengers and business men go by.

My hair is sticking to my face.
Water is collecting by my feet.
Make-up is running from my eyes
as I turn right on 38th St.

The flood begins on the corner
when the streetlights change to red.
Waves of water rush past cabs
and splash into the traffic ahead.

The rainwater rises but no one cares.
They walk unfazed below the tide
as I choke on liquid, gasp for breath
praying for the waters to subside.

I struggle to hold to the building's side
As the waters continue to rise.
My fingers slip, I fall below,
hands reaching up to clear blue skies.

Below the surface, the water's cold
it's iciness numbs my fear.
I close my eyes to fall asleep.
I hope nobody finds me here.

Senin, 10 Oktober 2011

Changing (Leaves)


In moves the crispness of autumn nights,
leaving behind yellow days
for the heavy scent of decaying leaves
and unanswered questions.

Ruby maples shed their weight
to be naked in time for winter�s frost.
Aspen leaves skitter across the pavement
to give me a golden road to nowhere.

Arid land turns muddy earth
under clear blue but chilly skies.
Does the old Oak fear change?
I�m too scared to ask.


Rabu, 02 Maret 2011

my life in places where I've woken up

[South Balboa Drive]
Morning has passed my sleepy face
As the warm place on my chest starts to purr
I better not get up just yet
Lest I awaken this gentle bundle of fur.


[Lake Galilee Road]
My eyes creep open at sunlight.
Another misty, hazy dawn breaks on the lake.
Looking through the dirty glass
A peaceful moment, while no one is awake.


[Great Portland Street]
Body awakes but the mind still sleeps
From honking horns beyond the apple tree limbs.
New day walking the crescents, mews
Chasing my every wanderlust, traveler whims.


[Union Street]
He always wakes up before me
I lie under the quilts and watch the curtain flow.
Streams of light feed the plants
And I feel warmth here in spite of the snow.

[28th Street]
I hear people shouting in the street
But it�s still a quiet start for a Manhattan day
I count the bricks on the wall
A home of love and dreams, but underpay.

Minggu, 05 Desember 2010

the rest is silence

with wings outstretched
the setting sun can turn a raven blue
feathers tangled in branches that cradle
after that fateful plunge from the sky

black claws let go
throw your head back and laugh
at the fly that eats your eyes
at the maggots in your belly
at the inevitable decay

birds are meant to stay in the sky
but we all are worms in the end.





Kamis, 28 Oktober 2010

well, he�s not here though
and i am
palm on my lower back
he pulls me to him to whisper toxins
no one will ever know

i know
i�ll always remember
no

but that second
i feel my sex electric
his hard persuasion against me
bait for sinners
pounding in my breast
more whispers
to get his lips closer to mine
his tongue inside
my hunger is wet

lust he speaks with foreign tongue
i ache for warmth
surrounding me and filling me
i will tell no one

i would tell
i can keep no secrets
no

but in that instant
gratification pulses in my mind
the seed of infidelity
i fondle with the thought
and save it for myself tonight
no
i am a tease for temptation