Institution

It is the crumble of your thoughts
The ruthless crackle
Like endless gift wrap unwrapping
unwrapping
unwrapping
Cruel
The absence of gift

Mine the mother’s ears

This tangle of ideas
Forgotten fishline within you

Your mind an island
A senseless maze

Your day
Your life
Obsession and withdrawl

Cruel
The hand of Father Time
Forbids you my breast forever

threads

last night I spread my disappointments thin
quick firm strokes of memory my rolling pin
admiring the delicate expanse therein
saw enough to cover seven women

thought of seven women known to me
one left for dead beneath a tree
two broken upon a father’s knee
three coerced of her own virginity
four from an ex infected, intentionally
five remembers nothing, save lost memory
six brother dearest took for free
seven told no one, not even me

last night I spread our disappointments thin
dreamt a hand in mine, skin on skin
arms and fingers outstretched therein
seven women joined hands with seven women

the circle formed reached round the earth entire
feet and toes sevens by tens raised higher
white heat of love turned eyes up to admire
hands and hearts and wombs of angel fire

each heart to the next in molten love did blend
pure liquid air earth water, wind
this reign of sorrow back to earth descend
to cleanse in grace every guilty hand

a new beginning born of here nor there
not past not present but beyond this where
sin stoops to kiss the hand of shame
who naked rises, sloughing pain and blame

it is in my name, in yours in hers and his, friend
that I bow my head to this fantastic end
that I implore you be bold and dare believe
for you for me for all, a heavenly reprieve

befriend not silence, she is a faulty guide
widen your words, keeping light inside
broken feels, but lies just the same
from love you came, in love you will remain

Foundation

I don’t think in practicalities, my mother’s voice
merged with mine in likeness

I plan on possibilities,
my father’s unspoken faith in me
my buoy and my foundation

He says not much, my dad
Just lets his eyes mist when they do
Mostly awash in emotion

She says mountains, my mom
Plans and clips and charts
Insuring and assuring

My eyes mist too
at nothing and everything

I am awash in emotion
with worlds to say

With words handed me by my mother
I speak the stuff of my father

Poised in service to the longward steps of time

Bunny Night

The cat nervously pushed his head against the blinds
The dog paced and whimpered
I got up in fear, an unwelcome guest
Peered out the window, we three
Into the still black eyes of a bunny rabbit
Our bunny rabbit
Posed in stopped time
All dark eyes and bouncing jaw
Alit by our front light
While traffic zoomed by and
Sammy slept pillow breath and
To think I have the nerve to complain saying
"Nature abandons me."