untitled No.1

I want to listen to the sound
of your fingers pressing
against the strings, false notes intact;
live, without amplification.
That is your voice, the story
that is you in all your glorious
and sacred imperfection. 
Read to me aloud from
the book of your life
a chapter at a time.
And when you are done,
start over from the beginning.
A never ending melody.
You don't need to be draped
in doll clothes or walk on stilts
to merit attention.

Your simple essence curls up
and purrs against my spine-
Pale bare legs and cotton khaki.
Sparkling water and crooked smile - 
thrilling me more than some sideshow
or spectacle; more soothing than
any ceremonial rite.

Sea Legs

To where is this schooner bound?
Are we at the mercy of the currents
and the wind?
It sometimes feels like
we are sailing alone, you and I,
with only the stars over head
to guide us. And then an angler
hooks the sun and drags it from
out of the water
and I see the other travelers
on board all around us
weighing heavy upon this feckless craft.

We did not book passage together.
But it seems our travel plans were
crossed by agents well beyond
the line of our horizon.
I will call you by whatever name
you wish; stay beside you
though rough seas and ocean storms
stress the frail vessel to which we cling.
And if, when we reach a port of call,
this voyage ends, I will remember
the joy of even that one moment
shared with you beneath the stars.

at the edge

Friends that find me here
at the edge of the volcano,
balanced on one heel,
are quick to offer the steady hand
and the knowing nod.
Relax.  I have already heard
the warning shots trumpet
like a fanfare from the symphony
of self preservation,
and it doesn't insulate me
from molten heat
or save me from the fall
if I lose friction.
The game has always been fixed
but that's because the rules are broken.
Everyone wants to win 
even if their desires remain unspoken.
So all you can do is wish me luck
and, if I slip and tumble below the rim;
if I disappear from
this place of spectator safety,
say adios and console yourselves
by knowing I'll only get what I deserve.
But all I have is worthless
until I have given it away.