the fifth horseman
darkness rides itself
wrapped in an empty cloak
on the back of a frothing stallion
mouthing phantom malice
without a rider to give it voice
soulless
searching for someone new
to...
expired meter of dreams
drenched in city dawn
a tarnished dime
stares heads up
empty eyed
stuck on a crimson clot
late night bar fight
spilled into the street
fists then bullets
screeching tires
crumpled body in...
buddha of illusion
I have given in to its acute resolve
no longer question
the manner in which it falls
lays away from light
carries darkness regally
unperturbed
non apologetic…
ever defying the sun
sewn...
nouveau math
ridiculously narrow women
poured into black spandex
circle their own cool shadows
pencil thin
wandering free form
over the illusion of abstract leafless branches
interrupted sunlight scatters
down the edge of...
conception of surrender
see how softly he whimpers now
as the needle that fills him
with kisses, weeps
a concoction of sincerity
cut with compromise
tarnished silver
teaspoon of grief
erasing every meaning
whispering in...
the god line
line in the distance
where two blues meet
define their separate borders
sky and sea
open spline
in the book of life
sometimes clouds above
white caps below
the wind given life
by...
The revolutionist
hunted down
they found him in an open field
riddled with scraps of poetry
half thought out verse
set in awkward measure
broken mouth
dammed with thwarted doves
fingers crushed
stained with...
The crushed cup (Sen no Rikyu, 1522-1591)
after a final sip
the master crushed his favorite cup
bid each honored guest farewell
retreated to the garden
to rend from flesh
undying essence
sever the shadow
of the moon...
Paradise
thrumming chit-chit sprinklers hum
mistaken for operatic crickets
trilling lazy resort air
as wrinkled splayed foot reptiles
bow iguana heads like regal buddhists
slowly roaming nirvana
crossing thached pagodas
unconscious tourists...
find me
baby left
sometimes she leaves
stays away…
I wait I
can’t stand
waiting –
cannot make her
come back
soon enough
slowly
time erases
sorrow slakes
sleepers
wake again
together
one on one
laugh away
the hours lost
the shadow’s left
slowly fading
on...
echo
sleepless night
toss and turn
remembering when
relived again
amended to no avail
up-ended
brought forth into that darkness
promising clarity
absolute darkness entreats
silence traps…
your beating heart
resurrects
over and over
refuses
end.
***
BITTER POEMS: echo
BY NEIL...
asicanine (a call to dogs)
lavender leashed dog
festooned in a yellow slicker
overly wrapped in man
little rubber booties yukked with mud
rhinestone collared
Oh! how I wish you would
bury the bones
from that...
arias
fly on a peeling sill
every surface
potential edge of the world
eyes filled with light
food wooed
pile of dog mush
bit of cheddar
asparagus spear
all the same to it
frustrated...
another cat (Franz Wright)
the heels of his poor man shoes
were each worn down
on the outside edge
and the laces were white string
knotted to where the black had broken…
he...
