sheets so taut they must be pried loose

   before

the cool percale is felt    

~

beware   be aware of

   the sensation 

which undoes   what has been done

~

i would rather not (when the times comes)

   be six feet under

never to hear the music of winter trees again

("The winter trees 

are musical"

-~ Gwendolyn Brooks)

~

let me be me   

   let me

carry the burden of me   being me

~

as distant as the sea shore   as sure

   as the waves' surge

so my love is for my love   distant and sure

~

i wish to be true to what i know

   to be true

and unknot the knot within my chest

~

three sounds   the snap of the phoebe   

   the rattle of the El 

and the third   i hear but haven't the words

~

what is perceived   

   what is imagined

what is dreamed   

   life's trifecta

~

romantic or hard case

   candle

or knife   nature or nurture   or curse

~

who are all these people   am i one of them

   one of the fools

ignoring the vulture's convincing argument

~

as naive as   all you need is love . . . 

   as wishful as   imagine all the people . . . 

as ludicrous as   we all live in a . . .

~

the tea has gone 

   cold  

sparrow’s song   dawn

`