vengeful–I could not turn, plead,
beg forgiveness.

She loaded bullets packed
of cheat-ful powder–bang! Civil war,

both sides lost–countless reminiscence,
slaughtered romance.

carry words, imagine–me
on a journey, blue sky–white–in

cloud pillow. Lonely head rest,
bosom soft, impressing comfort–ear

deaf to all, but your mouth.

There, I–fragile–trust
freedom to give myself
like feline in lap. I surrender
independence, selfishness–you pounce,

feathers asunder! skwaks!
silent, you prance; another lap, bed.
My wings, sprung, cage me
to this ravaged heart.

Puniness puts pound on pound,
weight by you, with you &
all on all world be lost
if I take you–suffocate in loss.
Thought drown–my battle
unresolved–you visible to–them,
invisible–me, deprive world;
I cannot–sacrifice me.

Fixed, pool neither pushes or pulls,
unyielding its monstrous grip;
torture not to senses, rather
eternal lock & key.

My eyes wander, scouting barren
landscape–summer & winter
impression–grass strobe many seasons
like a coked wolverine.

Weeks pass in seconds
as if the grass consumed
steroids–Jack’s bean stock–now
blades part like a flattened corn field.

Many paces away, nippled hill
quakes up through over-dosed grass
raising a figurine–detailed
as a faceless statue of David.

My head jerks back
toward a void of starless twinkles,
a weight tugs under quicksand
rippling like a mercury pool.

Fear of drowning
arms desperately arrow void,
instead meet faceless-David
who calms muscles by his eyeless gaze.

I sit up, swimming in sweat & sheets, struggling to focus
on adjacent wall, unsure I can trust its vividness; unsure
I am still in David’s clutches; unsure I am still alive.
Two deep breaths, my eyes sharpen; one pinch, I am
reassured & disregard David’s presence. Why was he
faceless; why has bliss not revealed his full beauty–left an
unpainted mannequin?

Blackness cascades,
my feet dangle like a morning fog,
sailor’s gust strip bed sheets;
body dry & suspended.

Floor, ceiling & wall
split like a Rubik’s Cube,
each square a sun flare burning
out–a familiar void.

Arms raise, slight pull,
my wrists shackled
like a fresh kill,
hound unwilling to share.

A single star pierces void,
eyes drawn, David emerges.
I yank arms, cuff links tighten,
toneless yelp halts the statue.

Marbled limb stretches, kneading
a welcoming hand; his eyes
& mine meet
for the first time.

David–face-full–smiles
with motionless lips,
resting a distinct hand
on my shackles.

My eyes widen, David nods,
metal clasps unlatch, sounds flood,
star explodes vibrant shades;
possibilities never imagined.

Pulling me under friendly tree, it occurs that I
am in more danger than before.  Hooked by death.

A perfect illustration, poisonous clouds that have
never been witnessed–eyes uncooked by death.

So I weep for all who have been touched
by disintegrating mushroom blasts–cook like death.

Now dry & red, these eyes are unable to retrieve
Jacob’s lost tears–unknown nook of death.

“Eye of the beholder,” pairs
many–wish to behold–rooted to bank,
nylon cast….I wade. Lost
rod, water lap–you–see me
stand–cold caring stream
hug me–as it you?
Slow, submerse scared
to you; no bait.

Do not want to hunt–you
accustomed to fishermen’s admiration?
Do not want to fish–you–like a bear;
feast before winter. Now
see pull has you
tug–strong,
determine–me
like salmon upstream.

Your beauty has been taken from
those many days you sat–waiting–behind
the front door. I longed
your companionship,
but you know how it is:
slave hours away,
caught in that awful, necessary
world.

Don’t ask why
you are still sitting
behind that front door. Flies
now wait with you
and when home, I bat them
in hopes they
won’t take you just yet.

I could not come to my senses: I
let you sit helpless
like a bored infant in their playpen; I
let you rot unattended
like garbage; I let you
slip on ice.

Men fall, bullets rapping against their skin;
barrels hot–mine cold–women kneel
by fallen husbands–my brothers do not cease.
Mothers, fathers, feel night’s cold;
children’s warm tears freeze on their bodies.

I hear a brother call, “What is your problem?”
My eyes turn to meet him, desert clothed,
one hand wagging, other pelting terrified innocence,
“Jammed.” One shrug, swings his free hand
re-supporting, re-embracing the hunt.

Thunder shots cease, hoots and hollers fill the air
blanketing mourning wails; I drop my pistol.
I should have escaped; I should have
found refuge among good-humored children, where I
only hear the clickety-clack of plastic pistols.

“Why did you drop your fire-arm!” He stood over me
like a teacher catching child at wrong,
“This nation calls you,” to defend a far away land,
not seen since countrymen took flight, dropped in dunes,
and left to right wrong; gun in hand.

The children will not shut up. I wish for their sake
brothers and I leave–our ignorance–their bliss.
Teacher turns face, left over game filling his nostrils,
flag brothers to de-holster cold pipes, and,
like relentless lions, iron pills shred helpless infants.

Mirrors dissipate to windows,
bristles lay in cigarette’s bed,
a beret mounts a figure
behind plastic meadows.

Vertical iron rain rip
humpback mouth holes;
recant Kubrick’s stories.
A pen struggles to speak

Poe’s cries in urine stench
beneath busy streets. Alone,
black ravens bellow nevermore.
Pen falls, sheets rest,

fingers grip wooden bow
to glide across Bach’s moans
putting rest to bodily tools;
no answer for torn admirer.