water stills
Lao Tzu wrote
without you
close your eyes
wait without
watching the water
or counting the seconds
before she returns
your kiss
(from a work in progress: “Arcana,” November 11, 2013)
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13: door
by
the breathed sighseemsto remainyour mouthhangsslackas in aweand thenyou’re notlike an openingan absencethrough a wallan allowed momenta movementa second-hand tickfrom or towardbut not hereanymore(from a work in progress: “Arcana,” November 11, 2013) -
12: Runes in the Ruins
he hangshis headabovethe bookeyeswithoutglassescloseto the pagein the dimlight sohe mayseea worldbeneatha worldlike rootsburrowingthrough painto the centerof all being(from a work in progress: “Arcana,” November 10, 2013) -
11: with all equanimity
by
as if any given can be divinedas to its true justificationyes no yes no yes separated untilthe true binary collapses to onewhich is squarely seen to be nomore than what is said to bestripped clean of any tacitobligations to more than nowwithout causality’s shades cloudingstark judgment’s clear sightas she lays her lidless eyes upon my lifethen turns upon the detritusto make similar claims upon it all(from a work in progress: “Arcana,” November 10, 2013) -
10: Spin Again
by
fall despite yourself oranyone else to blame forthe turn you made insteadof straight to the top whereone drinks champagne andfeels secure for the durationof the bubbles rising fromthe glass we all drink tohide the delusional senseof control we dance withina frenzy spinning and spinninglike spiral arms of galaxiescolliding and transforminginto shattered atoms of dust(from a work in progress: “Arcana,” November 9, 2013) -
9: In Solitude I Walk
I move within the tattersof the world knittingfrantically alone beneatha fractured light:A candle allowsa small comfortagainst the dark,blinding its auraalong night’s edgelike beads of bloodacross a knife’s blade.(from a work in progress: “Arcana,” November 8, 2013) -
8: The Beast
by
As my mother’s soft touch upon my father’s armstilled his chronic fury,I place my hand within my anger’s gaping mawto placate its serrated voice.(November 8, 2013) -
7: a hand on the rein
by
all my passions all my failingsall the fears and blind arroganceall the contradictions of my lifehave brought me here as if Ihad had some control or planother than to read another bookbegin another day write the next poemuntil I arrive at a newer statewhere I’ll have to continue onas if nothing that I did ever matteredbecause it didn’t and still does notand to be concerned will eventuallycause me to wind up somewhereI’d rather not be right now or everrather than the place I was meant to bewhich is always where I am becausethis is where I am in this momentdespite the pull and push of the world(from a work in progress: “Arcana,” November 7, 2013) -
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6: confluence
like lover’s arms wrapped around each other’s bodiespulling from the vast continental watershedsof eastern and western north americathe ohio and mississippi rivers come togetherthen flow next to each other for milesa clear demarcation between one and the otherbefore finally merging together into one long flowjust as we too come together with a single kiss(from a work in progress: “Arcana,” November 6, 2013) -
5: he’s thought all this through for you
with superfluous gracehe shows you the waywaving you downhis well-defined pathdon’t think too muchabout whether to goyour freedom to chooseis just part of his showloyalty lieslike so many thingsin the polished truncheonof his outstretched hand(from a work in progress: “Arcana,” November 5, 2013) -
4: Draw a Line
by
Just as you can only see your face’s reflection,Only you know what you know and do within.What aspect are you willing to show?What part of you will you riskTo save the part of you that’s you?Can you still find the line to protectThe border of what you call home?Or can you further sub-divide your soul,Until there’s nothing left of you at all?(from a work in progress: “Arcana” , November 5, 2013) -
3: Within Without
withoutthe wild wheatwaves undulantintuitive like windwhat reason existsif any existdivides outsidethe yes and yeswe’re wrappedwithin the procreantsurge of starsa waterfall’s rushand crash overthe edge of the worldto where we gatherto sing our songsafe in the armsof her enduring love(from a work in progress: “Arcana” , November 4, 2013
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what was in that terse hello
by
a young boy wantingto speak to you againto wrap you in his armsjoyously lifting you upor a puppy flouncingat your feet delightedin your return aftermonths and months awayinstead I stumble upon myselfembarrassed by my longingand fall into formalityto hide my heart’s desirewhy can’t I tell youyour meaning to me(November 5, 2013) -
2: See a Way Through Me
by
open another bookfollow the linesfinger the wordslift her veilsuch kisses liewithin the mindseductive turnsaway awaywhat’s leftdependsupon directiontwo roadsone wayyours and mine(work in progress, Arcana, November 4, 2013)
subtext 