Elizabeth keeps her words in the rain

Dark clouds on the horizon
some say a storm is brewin'
though you couldn't tell
from the the dust dancin' round
this barren ground
despite desperate choreography
from the natives

its been years since this land
was wet from her kiss
spent years surviving
in the silence of her skin

Honesty is in the air
hangs thick like summer humidity
wind 's pickin' up
runs over through around
those cactus thorns
like an old lover's tongue

Elizabeth keeps her words in the rain
bare feet pound out rhythms
not knowing what they're asking for
fingers wiggle at the sun
beggin' for poetry

be careful what you ask for
they say when it rains it pours.

infectious happiness

Your lips hold serenades
a tongue heavy and wet with poetry
and teeth so perfect true
that no lie would ever dare fall from them

wonder gets written across my pores
with every exposure
my flushed complexion in danger
you should never be allowed to be unhappy

your smile is infectious
lights up my day
in every conceivable cliche
i feel it spread across my face
with no immunity

it adds years to my life
that worry and
stress and cigarettes
were determined to steal from me

fights off global warming
cures AIDS
gives angels wings
that smile saves lives

Hang your high heads,
heavy with the weight of your life,
hair gone gray from stress.
Is it in shame or prayer?
Tears drip down
cold on my skin,
matting my hair.
I look away,
afraid to see you
break under pressure.

Your fingers curl
brittle with seasonal arthritis.
You're still young yet,
but i hear your bones
moaning,
your joints stretching,
cracking,
and I fear for your life
and mine alike.

Missing You

i wonder if you think of me
a pagan in your presence
graced by a glance
a touch
maybe meant not soley for me
but everytime
i felt worthy
if only for that moment
but i should have known
your calliber could never be content
with the likes of me
can you even remember the way i taste?
give it not a second thought
this is just me
missing you

Apparition of Faith

When you left
my pillow clung to your scent
like a mother to her child
And when the door shut behind you
it might have been a boulder on my chest
I find rapture every morning in your eyes
and redemption in your hands
so without you here
I'm on my knees
and your name hangs heavy
from my tongue
Your kiss is my cross
a burden to bear
I'll be your sacrifice
if you'll be my savior
You're an apparition for my faith
the only heaven worth believing in

anxiety

the air
wont stay in
is being
s u c k e d out
without grace
by some obscure thief
or maybe the exit
that I'm unaware of
constantly searching for
my body is not my own
when every movement is
s l o w m o t i o n
my muscles are made of milk
being flash frozen
by liquid nitrogen signals
my brain is not my own
being observed by
every stranger here
but belongs to a child
just discovering panic
wishing for mother's womb
the warm weightless ambiance
and rhythmic sound of safety

someone please tell me to breathe

Children

I hate children
despise their innocent ignorance
the simplicity of every look
of not having to know
anything
it's hard to watch
as they discover the
sound of their own voice
insistent on hearing it constantly
as if to be reassured
its one thing that can never
be taken from them

its hard to understand
how a simple look
is entertaining
i must have the face of a clown
or maybe they see something
i missed in the mirror
this morning
or hear a joke I haven't told yet

it's not fair
that they look me in the eyes
and cry
without understanding
why
and I just stand alone
unsure of what to do

I often wonder what it's like
to have no shame in my tears
I'm sure I knew at one time
where did I learn to build such a dam