COMMUNION

1.
WE'VE LEFT SHORE SOMEHOW
BECOME THE FRIENDS
OF EARLY THEORY
CLOSE ENOUGH TO SPEAK
DESIRE AND PAIN OF ABSENCE
OF MISTAKES WE'D MAKE
GIVEN THE CHANCE.

EACH SMILE RETURNED
MAKES HARDER AVOIDING
DREAMS THAT SEE US
LYING IN EARLY EVENING
CURTAIN SHADOWS, SKIN
SAFE AGAINST SKIN.
BLOOM OF COMPASSION
RESPECT FOR MOMENTS
EYES LOCK TURNS
FOREVER INTO ONE MORE
VEIL THAT FALLS AWAY.

2.
THIS AFTER SEEING YOU
LAST NIGHT, FIRST TIME
SMELLING YOU WITH
PERMISSION: SHOULDERS TO
WONDER OPENLY AT
AS CAREFULLY KISSED
AS THOSE ARMS
WAITED IMPOSSIBLY ON.
THEY'VE HELD ME NOW
AND YOUR BREATH
DOWN MY BACK
SENT AWAY NIGHT AIR
THAT HAD ME SHAKING
IN THE UNLIT ANGLICAN
DOORWAY.

3.
ARE WE RUINED FOR
FINDING OUR FACES FIT
AND WANT TO KNOW MORE
ABOUT MORNING? IS
FRIENDSHIP CANCELLED
IF WE CAN'T CALL
EACH OTHER ANYMORE
IN AMNESIA, INVITE
OURSELVES TO LAST GLANCES
UNDER SUSPICIOUS CLOCKS
TELLING US WHEN WE'VE
HAD ENOUGH?

4.
YOUR STEADY HANDS
CRADLING MY GRATEFUL
SKULL: WERE YOU TAKING
IN MY FACE TO
SAVE AN IMAGE
YOU'VE RARELY ALLOWED
YOURSELF AFTER LEAVING
THAT COLD ALCOVE?
AM I A PHOTOGRAPH
YOU GAZE AT IN
MOMENTS OF WEAKNESS?

YOU ORDERED ME
OFF MY KNEES
INTO YOUR ARMS.
WASN'T TO BEG
THAT I KNELT; ONLY
TO SEE YOU ONCE
FROM BELOW.

TRIED TO SAY SOMETHING
THAT FILLED MY MOUTH
AND LONGED TO REST
IN YOUR EAR.
DON'T DARE WRITE
IT DOWN FOR FEAR IT'LL
BECOME WORDS, JUST
WORDS.

(1999-2002)


APART

YOU FOUND MY KEYS
ON AN ANGEL'S HIP
MOVED HALF THE FALLEN TREES
FROM THE FROZEN ROAD.

THIS TRIP IS
ALL I THOUGHT
IT WOULD BE
AND WE'RE NOT
EVEN 1/2 WAY YET.

IF I CAN'T TOUCH YOU
WITH SNOW-HUNG FIRS
OUR ONLY WITNESSES
CAN'T HAVE YOUR EYES
WHEN EVERYONE'S ASLEEP
THEN THE FIRE'S ALMOST OUT.

YOU ASK THE UN-NAMED
ATTRACTIONS TO LEAVE TOWN
BUT KEEP CHECKING
IF I'M STILL AROUND.

SHOULD WE SIDESTEP
PUTTING FINGERS TO
WORDS TRACING LIPS THAT
WOULD INFORM US?

ONCE SAID I'D MISSED
YOU EVERY INSTANT
BEFORE WE'D MET.
NOW BELIEVE WE KNEW
HOW SAD WE'D BE
APART.

(1999-2000)


FIRST LIGHT

1.
EVEN NOW, OUT OF
RADIO RANGE AND TIME
YOU ADVANCE, INSISTENT,
AGLOW. WET FORELOCK
EXACTLY WHERE IT FELL
ACROSS YOUR REDDENED BROW,
EYES LIT AND DARING
ALL COMERS. MOSTLY,
THOUGH, I REMEMBER
YOU KEEPING A
MINGLING DISTANCE
AS THE COMPANY GREW
AND BEGAN TO SWAY
AROUND THREE OR
FOUR IN THE AFTERNOON.

MY HANDS HAVE HEALED
AND STILL REACH THROUGH
MOONLESS DAWN FOR
YOUR NAPE, CLAVICLE, CROW´S
FEET, EYELIDS AS I DRIVE
INTO YOUR GREEN COUNTRY.
REMINDERS APPEAR LIKE
LINES OF FROST AS SUN
REACHES STEERING WHEEL
AND RASPY COFFEE CONSONANTS
ATART PIERCING STATIC.
TORN KNUCKLES SEALED,
MKING LESS OF WOUNDS
I´LL NOT FORGET AS EASILY
AS YOU FORGOT TO WRITE.
YOU PUSHED MY ARMS
OUT FROM YOUR HIPS, BLOODY
PAWS SUSPENDED, FLOPPING
TO MAKE THE ONLY BREEZE IN THE VALLEY. CAN WHAT´S NOW FREELY GIVEN BE ACCEPTABLE,
THE UNCLUTTERED EMBRACE
OF ANOTHER WELCOMED AS
YOUR ECHO UNRAVELS?

I´VE TRAVERSED COTHESLINES
SAGGING IN DEWLIGHT TO SEE YOUR CANDLES, TO KNEEL ON PAVEMENT AND HOLD OUT
NOTES LEFT TRAPPED
ON MY WINDSHIELD,
FOLDED OVER TWICE FOR
PRIVACY, EAGERLY AND OFTEN
RE-READ. THE POSSIBLE SCENT
OF YOUR CARELESS HAND
SCRIBBLING, OF THUMB
DRAGGING, EASILY OPENING MY MOUTH FOR ANYTHING
YOU WISHME TO SWALLOW.

2.
AND YOU, LITTLE GOD: DO
YOU AVOID BURNING FINGER
TIPS WHEN SHIELDING MOTHS
FROM YOUR BEDSIDE LIGHT?
CAN YOU KEEP YOUR FATHER´S
HEART SAFE UNDER YOUR
PILLOW? WILL YOU SOON
WONDER WHY I DIDN´T WARN
YOU WELL ENOUGH HOW
IT WOULD HURT TO LOSE
YOUR PETALS AND GROW
SCARS ON YOUR HANDS?

(1999-2002)