Embers I am the embers of the fire I function better in a blaze In a parallel universe, I am a match And clawing at you like a falling man on a rock The numbness awaits the beating of the drum And the shaman is silent and oh so patient Grains of sand meticulously placed But the big picture is still to come. I wait as my log becomes cold and unfriendly damp from the rain Wishing it would catch fire again. ************************************************************************************************************************************************ I Am Left I am left At the end of a night At the start of me Following a weekend Of transformation To my better self Conquest Again and again Over my brittle but loyal heart Flashing of souls Passion of past & present Spent & flourished With the inner stream Consciousness I flow And flaunt Insecurities and wishes Tomorrow approaches But I am still Whole And shattered into bliss Picking up the pieces To assemble them Again To give back to you Over and over Until my and mine are yours ************************************************************************************************************************************************* On Fire With The Years my avidity surrounds me with a turbulence the malediction of ages – a chemistry past, seeking refuge in dreams peacefulness known not to my burning limbs on fire with the years. the paradox of reason escapes not my intentions, as the mirror image stares back at me with anticipation my eyes burning on fire with the years. ************************************************************************************************************************************************* The Air The air Thick with corpses In the cemetery, I walk Only the dead Permeate Invade your olfactories Like invisible grim reapers Telling their story Promises of your tale Of your end You’d be lucky to rot in our cemetery, They say Some soldiers Some fighters Of the daily war we call life I wander the rows And contemplate Why she dedicated her life To following her husband’s shadow Why the infant died so young What the earth looked like When they were buried here So much history, so much To prove how insignificant They were And I am But you wouldn’t know it By the way I act My inflated self-importance And shroud of self-loathing a fearful shivering bug I can take a bullet But I can’t handle how I feel When she looks at me that way When she focuses on something Other than my little designs When she shares her heart Her thoughts Her words With another Anyone I’d break a mirror Just to feel the glass on my skin But then I’d just have more imperfections ************************************************************************************************************************************************* Clove It's one of those clear Fall nights where you feel you can slice the moon and eat it with a knife and fork my clove cigarette crackles like a comforting​ fire I am in and out with my usual burning desires my mind goes to gentle things streams and falls cascading water taking me at will I don't need gloves, I am warmed by the coffee cup in and out of stores, looking for inspiratio​n in faces and places beat beat beat of the drum melodic escape where i'll end up I don't know but it's not here i'm tired, oozing out of my skin like that last bit of toothpaste​ street sounds are like caramel for my ears ************************************************************************************************************************************************ Moon On Fire moon on fire flames of blue and green jetting on the ebb and tide fingers like rubber bands they reach and snap back choosing the path of sticks and rocks instead of the paved one, easy to travel no destination, like falling through shivering  skin, losing my   losing my thought and gone again but back when i forget bite it, sink your teeth in fruit, bitter and sweet turns to bark flavorless and tough to chew ************************************************************************************************************************************************* I Was A Canyon I was a canyon Filled with soot Rock And fire You came to me torn First together, then apart My skin was removed I was burning Upper layers Inner layers Outer layers Laid out for you You were a hand Soft and warm Cold and hard Distant and so close Pummeling me Soothing me Forever changing me Like seasons Like rain Like a stranger who never forgets The last town they abandoned The last stop they made Standing at the door Watching the light fade Watching it change colors Seeing it go ************************************************************************************************************************************************ Visage of Dreams it's a place you've seen in endless photographs dark reds and amber sky a mile across "as the crow flies" pale dust moon and smoky incense cliffs visitors huddled with cameras in caverns and vast overlooks without end you have to experience it for yourself to know. the native lands sorrowful cries and strength handmade dreamcatchers colorful beads proud heritage i've never seen such humble beauty nor felt the presence of God like this. ************************************************************************************************************************************************* Love Story Yes, you can experience a love story. A season in Hell Rattle laundry Pandora's Box Retreat A thief of residencies Wide awake fields First prize artist Translated by deadlines The gathering region; memoir of trust. ************************************************************************************************************************************************ BACK TO VOTING PAGE