the church of women
[from a second wave – poetry]
in this fantastic moment of beauty
i am in awe of god’s variety and joy
in the aisles of organic kale, bree, and beer
the women are in bloom
colors and scents and smiles on their faces
as they plunder the produce
i roam because i am dazed
i think i want ice cream
i know what i want is not for sale
i ache with the absence of beauty
and the loss of that dream once spoken
and i weave through the stream
in search of and not in search of
i have no immediate needs
only fascination
and reverence
there is beauty checking out chocolate
and another with messy-faced children in tow
it’s not the who or why or who-they-are
it is simply the church of women
seeking whole foods and whole lives
and no amount of Haagen Dazs is going to bring back
the spark
i wander a brief moment longer
lingering in the ebb of life
and the endless variety
endless possibility
of this life
and that one
and another one
picking out bubble bath
6-14-14
image: misty in the flow, hermetic hermit, creative commons usage
rushing into
[from a second wave – poetry]
don’t you want to go with me
fall off the cliff
slip your disco
feel that rush of new love
don’t you want to go with me
is there something else
that you’ve just got to do
instead of falling in love
is there something more critical
to your life at this juncture
don’t you want to go with me
what can i do to give you this thrill
there’s nothing like it
we’ve been given more chances
to feel and feel and feel again
to free fall back into the arms
to risk everything
and nothing
don’t you want to go with me
slip into something more comfortable
find happy
and the simple touch of kisses
not demanding, not asking
just planted on your neck
i guess i’ve kind of got my bags packed
i’m thinking i’m ready
i’ve really got no clue
this second rushes by
and i’ll try and say the comforting thing
as i reach for your hand
to jump
don’t you want to come
5-26-14
image: JUMP!, creative commons usage
all the way
[from Making Love To Other Women – poetry]
i can see her before me now
like an ocean of yes
all, all the way
i can see all the ways
that she fits me now
all the ways that she gets me now
all the ways
all, all the way
finding hope – finding home
finding hope – finding home
in you
everyday she surrounds me now
she awakens me, she’s awake
she gives to me, sometimes everyday
every single way, yeah she gives
and if ever i forget
she’s got a way to bring me back
when i’m alone
when i’m wandering in the dark
she doesn’t let me go alone
she brings me home
all the way – she feels deeply now
and she knows, she just knows
we can play, we can withstand this joy
every single day, every day, along the way
12-9-13
arriving at any time
[from Making Love To Other Women – poetry]
the heart is a bright and shining mystery
of potential to love and soar
in my clean and steady state
i listen and sound
for the edges and tempers and colors
and the join
that is sure to come
with my patience and persistence
she could be arriving at any time
even as storms and floods rage
obscuring signals
deflecting our trajectories
in the night
but seeking is also freedom
limitless and utter romance
has flavors yet unimagined
until her smile flashes
walks in the room
and says
what’s next
11-1-13
what can i tell you from here?
[from a coffee love letter – poetry]
if i told you… wait, what can i tell you from here?
these are not coded messages for anyone else but you
if you are listening you will hear my voice
and feel the pull of my incantations
i have laid down arms
i am lighting fires
i dance alone
hoping
for
u
9-26-13
ready
[from Misconfigurations of Love – poetry]
let me test theories of tenderness across your toes
and give flight to dalliances within walled and secret spaces
let me pry opening thoughts into your aches
and see if there is available lighting inside
i will stroke and stoke each ember
i will whisper them awake at night
and again at the sunrise
shelter and protect and build to a burning blaze
and collapse along side
without hurry or chore
blameless and alight and at rest
ready
9-6-13
as i imagine
[from Making Love To Other Women – poetry]
this is the place I pour out all the things i hope to give
i have lost the receiver
my words and hopes and dreams are vapors
and my own enjoyment is the lonely result
and if she came
and if she awakened
as i imagine
these songs and rhymes would trace a new angle
like the curve of a hip
the redness of a lip, or a smile, or a touch
this is the place i sing to the future
to the moment that must come
with all this chanting and praying
and beating around the bush
surely a quarry will be flushed into the open
and i will be surprised
and she will leap away
and I will pursue
for now this will have to suffice
she is not here
she has not yet arrived
in my field
of vision
but i see her
as clearly as if my life depended
or her life depended on a magical kiss
to tear away the slumber and sadness
this is the place i pause and seek and dance
i await the receiver
to bring flesh to these letters
heart to these imaginings
touch to these fingers
and if she came
and if she awakened
as i imagine
9-5-13
burning
[from Misconfigurations of Love – poetry]
my desire is the sun
burning away all lukewarms, maybes, and almosts
there is no time for that
the heat and growing potential is staggering
and hot hot hot
8-28-13
aspirational
[from a coffee love letter – poetry]
i’m doing it again
staked out at the back of a fancy coffee shop
“working”
but really i’m browsing
love of my life after love of my life
like a river of beautiful women
come through the glass doors
unsuspecting of my intent
and harmless intensity
i have shown myself to be a romantic
a poet rather than a player
and really this stream of loveliness
is a cut above my weight and income class
i tried
i hoped to be that earner
i aspired to have a stay at home wife
things didn’t work out as i planned
do they ever?
wave after wave enter the coffee shop
in search of enlightenment
or at least a lift
i could be that jolt
i could be just what she needs
and then…
most-likely
i would not be able to provide
the beautiful car, house, kids, yoga classes
without some contribution
beyond thigh-sculpting
i am distracted from the task at hand
the new client is late
very late
money is flowing out of my pocket with every minute
i sit here, mesmerized
and yet
i am drawn
i am designing
i am reaching for a dream
there she is
and there
and once more
even their boyfriend/husband is irrelevant
at this point
there is nothing
nothing
only the
#desire
8-26-13
calm cool purrs all around
[from Making Love To Other Women – poetry]
i will be another’s cat’s meow
stroking and petting and leisurely napping
we will know each other by instinct
it’s almost as if we had no choice
as we rub tails, whiskers, noses
the trick, as i imagine it
will be to remain aloof and adoring
while expressing and applying
a pressing desire
a nod a nudge a blink
and calm cool purrs all around
but not too her
near her
until she cannot resist
what we’ve both known
since the moment we met
8-25-13
unanswered
[from Misconfigurations of Love – poetry]
after the 27th unanswered love poem
i discovered
of course i already knew
that i was making the whole thing up
maybe i had been ambiguous
or lacking in direct action
a poem is not exactly a kiss
6-26-13
this potential
[from a coffee love letter – poetry]
i want her to be gorgeous and a rocket scientist
or a poet
nice shoes, not gaudy shoes
brown hair would be a preference, nothing more
i’d like her to see through my bs
to know that i’m not as confident as i pretend to be
and i’d like to be safe
letting her see that truth
would be a release
i want to let go
and to relax into her arms
to nap with abandon
and share the fruits and the labor
and to enjoy the play between naps and sleep
where is fearless love born
what is the heart of trust
that never breaks
nothing is more important than this
there are many variables
i have a range of preferences
but this is non-negotiable
to have been hurt and yet soar
to know disappointment and still reach for the stars
every great journey must start from here
if the epic quest is to find love
to know how to be loved
and to fearlessly ignite
and stand beside another’s flame
in awe and joy
at seeing a reflection of your hopes
at believing again in someone else
at losing objections
and laughing at obstacles between us
i hold you here
holding my own heart
as an outstretched hand
an invitation
to dance
something cosmic and unknown
to fearlessly let go of everything
to dream and lose the dream
over and over
until we have built
a bonfire of passion and burning of vanities
a stripping of defense
even desire becomes satiated
in you
in this potential of we
in us
6-25-13
the most beautiful girl in the world (a poem)
[from Misconfigurations of Love – poetry]
i once saw the most beautiful girl in the world
i stood beside her and talked to her
she was unafraid
i spent time with the most beautiful girl in the world
and i realized what got her there
was not something that was going to make me love her
she was centered and alert
but she was a bit too centered and alert
doors would be opened
corners would be cut
you could see in her style
that she was on guard
something was expected
the most beautiful girl in the world
actually became a bit boring after a while
she never paid for gas
she never offered her services
she wanted to be sure that no unspoken expectations would be met
i spent some time with the most beautiful girl in the world
and noticed she was not all that
her beauty was definitely more than skin deep
she was beauty through and through
and i was enamored
but i was not compelled to fall in love
there was a barrier that she enforced
she wanted something
love was not it
i saw the most beautiful girl in the world the other day
she was still beautiful
she was unaware of my presence
and in that moment I could see what was wrong
she was pained
she was hiding
she was alone
i left her there without disturbing her peace
the reverie i felt upon meeting her was spent
she did not want any further assistance
she did not need anything else
i left her in the aisle of the organic food store
looking like a beautiful and exotic bird
there are not many women with her dangerous looks
and haunting charm
and
something
missing
i felt a moment of desire for her
the most beautiful girl in the world
had to be clear
this was a business deal
there would be no exchange of affection
and she held me there at arm’s length
before the fantasy had a chance to emerge
she let it be known she was not interested
she would take my offer
she would offer nothing in return
for a moment, with the most beautiful girl in the world
that was enough
being next to her was refreshing
i would do anything to help her
for a moment, the most beautiful girl in the world was nearby
and she was within reach and within earshot
but i was told not to sing
i was given the rules
before a song was even imagined
it must be hard being the most beautiful girl in the world
of course the demands on her and desires of others are enormous
she had to defend herself
even before accepting my friendship
she had to kill the buzz
obviously it was my buzz she killed
she had learned how not to feel
she was suffering some deep inner pain
she was still beautiful, so beautiful
i could never understand that pain
she’s still around
from time to time i see her
still beautiful
still haunting and glowing in smiles and beauty
and something about her eyes
that takes me beyond myself
it must be hard
being so beautiful
in a world that feeds on beauty
that eats pretty young women
she must feel threatened
being so beautiful
is like being naked all the time
and there was no way for me to step close
without triggering the alarm
best not to even get started
with the most beautiful girl in the world
best not to even try
6-12-13
alight with desire
[from Misconfigurations of Love – poetry]
can you feel the wind blowing in your direction from me
does my smile come to mind from time to time
wishes and love poems cannot transform a light
i want a flame, a fire, a burning desire
and i’ll wait here awhile, stoking coals
and blowing kisses
6-12-13
and in that moment, when you knew
[from The Black Pages – poetry]
couldn’t you believe in something so pure
so cracked and desirable as us
don’t you think weathering the storm
would’ve been better than this
let us orbit and veer along
a few. more. fucking. years.
not that there was much fucking
i’m sorry
i don’t mean to be mean
i’m sorry
i’m not
what must’ve been the point when you snapped
even before i suspected damage
how frightening to make the decision
to seek counsel
to weigh the options, pros, cons
of hearts and young minds and us
i know it was not a snap decision
you had marshalled your resources and assembled a team
there was no transgression but there must’ve been
a moment
when the fall outweighed the Summer
when you turned away, rather that towards
and in that moment, when you knew
what was it like
did you pity me and my ignorant irritations
did you warn me of your failing light
when you finally said, “I don’t love you.”
it must’ve been a phrase you had tried on before
practiced with your team and counselors
a firmness in the declaration of war
as the waves of rapture broke over me
i understood where your passion had been hiding
not under the bed, or in the stress of life
it was being withdrawn in preparation for the end
it wasn’t for me to rekindle
the flame had been deliberately
put out
i didn’t recover well from the shock
as I sent my messengers for help
i didn’t stand as a partner in battle
i fell like a defeated child
mute with uncertainty and fear
but I rallied
i assembled a war council of my own
sending treaties and love letters
alternating course and coercive vollies
that found no receiver
until finally, i surrendered
the bloodshed never came
there was no fight in fighting your lover
there was no glory in losing gracefully
there was nothing left
to fight for
6-4-13
modern love notes
[from Making Love To Other Women – poetry]
leaving just enough silence between us
wondering what you’re doing, thinking, feeling
i hold my tongue and text and messages of love
this can be nothing more than my own reflection
seeking a replacement, and shelter, and song
surely love does not ignite with such simplicity
a puppy love, a projection, a trajectory of my own imagination
still
i seek messages in the clouds and stars at night
and i listen on all channels
erasing and deleting
words
of
love
and
longing
because it is too soon
and you are busy, and beautiful, and pleasurable
to all around you
and when I am
given the chance
i will breathe you in
i will hesitate just a little
i will tease back at the growing heat
and
i
will
know
again
5-20-13
anticipating the rain with you
[from Making Love To Other Women – poetry]
i am anticipating the ocean with you
the rain and the clouds
the sounds and the smells
of you
i am anticipating the touch of your hand
the taste of your lips
and how i feel when i think of being
with you
i am anticipating your next move
falling into step
and falling asleep
beside you
i am anticipating how you sound
when you laugh or moan
in an instant i can almost
imagine you
i am anticipating someone who can light the sky
silence the night
walk down beaches in the dark
holding you
i am anticipating the disruption of everything i imagine
of plans and hopes and dreams
now even more real than my hopes
about you
i am anticipating
5-12-13
i want to know again
[from Making Love To Other Women – poetry]
i will find my next great love
there will be no trail of little black dresses
across the countryside
i will slow down the runaway train
i will listen
i am patient
i wait with intention
i listen and learn
even what I am saying I want
changes
and she will assemble for me
necessary shapes and smells
she will embody
i will find the next great love
and I will love again
fully
willfully
hopefully
without tether
actively seeking
i slow my roll
i clear and cleanse my palette
i get quiet and hollow
i can feel the emptiness
that once was filled
full
joyous and thrilling
she arrives when she comes
she arrives and asks me the tough questions
she had other plans
she opens just a little to see how I will respond
i am not waiting for someone to board my train
i am not looking for enmeshment
i am looking to stand strong and together with her
when she is ready to let me in
when the trust, and passion, and easy living of life
is too much to resist
she will be in my arms
and I will know
i have arrived
at possible
again
i had her once and lost
i will have her again
she is mine
she is ripe
she waits without waiting
she knows nothing
everything is an opening before us
and in the fresh air of the morning or the late chill of the evening sky
i can imagine what it will be like to be with her
here
in this moment
and she is fluttering nearby
she is sleeping
it is late
i cannot reach out to her just yet
it is too soon to tell
what kind of lover she will make
it is too soon to meet her child
it is too soon to hope beyond the doubt that awakens inside the hopefulness
it is too soon to give my poem an object
if we find a connection
and we both ask for more
if she listens and speaks
if her flame is brightening and warming
if i know anything, i know that i love well
and i will love her with everything i have
i do not hold back
i know that i will love well again
i know that the little black dress is a metaphor and a gateway
i am looking for that drug that never ceases to amaze
that cosmic mist
to come over our eyes and make everything sparkly
radiant
abundant
possible
i want to sleep, laugh, cuddle, caress on into my hundreds
and i’d like to do it with one more woman
all these sirens are confusing
i think i know
i don’t know
i want to know again
4-27-13
little bird
[from a coffee love letter – poetry]
little bird i would do nothing to hurt you underestimating my strength pausing to let you pass opening hand
4-23-13
twist of the hip
[from Making Love To Other Women – poetry]
i don’t need a woman
i crave a woman who knows and wants to love
deeply, fearlessly, without regret
i can pick her out of a crowded bar
the one out of the thirty women there
i imagine she is putting out her vibes
that she is looking at me too
in the lights and live music she is probably just watching the crowd
but there she is
the one woman for me within this tight radius
we could both be lucky
so much information in the way a woman
moves to the music
even from a chair
it is the same way she will make love
in the world outside
her dance is even more important
is her step and life filled with sensuous motion
from the body flows the soul
they cannot hide from one another
she cannot hide from me
either
i will ask
i will know
i will press into dark places without request
but her body has a love language
i am eager to learn
and her spiritual state will be laid bare
in a single glance and the twist of the hip
the path forward is open and necessary
yet i still know…
that all of this…
that all… of… this…
all of this…
poetry is projection
she is warm, willing, and at a show
on some early Saturday evening
she moves and her signals wash over me
4-7-13
