If you need to be humbled
Get yourself facing into the storm
Test your perceived prowess
You’ll be stifled by a natural form
Your arrogance against existence
You might as well scream into the wind
Hope & prayer to plead
That the good Lord might rescind
Riding the winds of the hurricane
Knowing we’re going to lose power
Stacking the ends of loose leaf paper
Don’t know the time/ don’t know the hour
Pouring a drink, settling in this night
Toast the storm, this one’s going to be a fighter
But when all is said & done
Imagination is how I fuel my typewriter
Pushing away the storms
Embracing hope of the day
Devouring of beloved forms
To keep our fears at bay
Morning has a profound notion
To remain huddled in bed
Perpetual passionate motions
Sustained until we’re both dead
Image by Daniel Nebreda from Pixabay
Gimme a minute till I look pretty
I don’t want to go out there without my cologne
I can’t deal with the sketchy people
You know, they’ve hidden away all the pay phones
I don’t trust the Gov’t hiding behind rain coats
The shadows are weary with their demodulation
Open your windows to the rain – expect justice
I shall bare my raw breast in hopes of emotional rehabilitation
It’s a sparse paradise these days
Feeling another season coming on
Not supposed to feel like this
At least that’s the way we’ve been drawn
She’s still the poor pretty rich girl
Never could get off the same page
Repeat struggles to survive
Tripping on my lines; a vapid stage
Reality is an emotion detached from my soul
You never needed everyone to love you
Instilled confidence to merely exist
Forethought is a luxury that might just be true
Transcripts of the past’s failures
We’ve learned, but not out of society’s grip
False starts & then some
Rising, but we’re still not quite hip
Taking time to exist in faded dreams
The errant thoughts of a noble mind
Our hands smoothing the stray lines
The margins left blank & us unrefined
Ripped pages scribbled with defaulted hope
We try to emerge from the harrowing sea
But what more can we write about love
The caution of trying to speak of what might be
Broken wine glasses sitting on the ledge
With a gentle, rolling view from the terrace
We embarrassed ourselves last night
Intent on copulating with the war bride heiress
Remaining free & open to exist
It surely shouldn’t be this much of a hassle
A teetering balance of confused souls
We lost it all once the Puritans stormed the castle
I can still make mature women blush
Knowing the proper placement of words
Using my tongue to enunciate firmly
The rhythm of recitement, she slowly purred
The fertile experience of rapturous joy
Pause a moment, so she won’t catch her death
Letting her pulse settle to reasonable levels
Returning to the living, joy in each & every breath
The bold blonde with big, bouncy curls
Much-maligned missionary souls
Falling in love was always my fatal flaw
Especially once I’ve relinquished control
A pitch black morning
Lightning out in the stratosphere
Sharpening thy tongue
Sunrise the only thing we fear
Deflecting unwanted attention
Desiring space, but not too much
Pulling love from the cosmos
Daybreak; yet further out of touch
Two plus two does not equal five
You’re subversive by remaining alive
By thinking independently, you’re disputin’
A rouge in the night like the fellow Rasputin
You don’t have to pick a side with these villains
Coming after the people with their fists clenched
Instead choose love, honesty & compassion
That will always be enough for a soul to be quenched
A crooked tiara
Perched over tear stains
Smudged makeup drying
Only the pain now remains
But the sunshine emerges
Hope rises after the ashes
Don’t give up on me, for I’m
Here to kiss wet eyelashes
Writing out my emotions
On the back of an old paper bag
Evidence of youth squandered
Calligraphy of a dime store rag
Those were the days
Where we were the kings
Silly girls loved us
Wishing they could kiss the ring
Taking me back
California nights long ago
Palm lined beaches
The prettiest I know
Youthful charm & bravado
Flirting down by the sea
I’m taken back these days
By the sounds of Social D
The morning scramble
Make sure you perfectly primp
But until the first cup of joe
My mind continued to limp
It’s not too much to ask for
Cold chilling to our bones
When we’re together forevermore
Wrap yourself tightly, I implore
Through love, we must atone
It’s not too much to ask for
Briskness recalls days of yore
Nostalgia to which we’re prone
When we’re together forevermore
Battered ships upon the same shore
Knowing we’re never alone
It’s not too much to ask for
Feeling the true price of this war
Pages of guilt written in stone
When we’re together forevermore
Tossed in the bottom drawer
Realities remaining unknown
It’s not too much to ask for
When we’re together forevermore
Coffee’s the right temperature
A casual moment in my nook
Perusing over my copious notes
That one day need to be a book
Not for my sake or the world’s
But these characters yearn to be free
They’re tapping upon my mind
My course to sanity & their right to be
Sometimes I’m an awkward lover
I try to slap your ass & pull your hair
But I don’t always have confidence
But I’m doing my very best down there
But I can promise you one thing, dear
I will love you and only you forevermore
I may be a gentleman at public events
But I’ll be your pirate behind locked doors
Emerging from the cool waters
Morning swim to ease my mind
My soul’s been hacked
I needed an escape to unwind
Society is advancing
But merely on the people’s rights
Media’s a crooked lapdog
We’re doomed if we refuse to unite
It was a one-eyed kind of morn
With evening’s festivities going awry
I scrawled out all I could remember
Once a gentleman, turned drunken guy
Slight images of a lovely form
Olfactory sparks upon my brain
Sketching the party’s guest list
But no new faces could remain
Racking my skull for a proper memory
Writing down every & each detail
Compiling a list to rediscover
I’m trying to think, but it’s to no avail
A faceless gown with affectionate gloves
Somehow my mind is able to recall
Cognitive fragments begin to linger
Clouded out by last night’s alcohol
Scenes slowly begin to return
I believe we’re out on the dance floor
An embrace of smoldering desire
Yet I couldn’t figure out any more
Scraps of notes spread before me
No identity to place upon the truth
Scant reason to be shy in my search
Basking in honesty of my lapsed youth
Cobwebs have been sparsely lifted
Won’t think of her in the past tense
Her ghostly touch encourages me yet
We shall meet again, I firmly sense
To hold her with determined spirit
Seems fantastical at this sad rate
Yet she’s left fingerprints upon me
Remaining until I succumb to my fate
Higher expectations
From your great admirers
Nothing so common
Reflecting upon the enquirer
Knowing a grand entrance
Stepping politely in this place
Our mutual acquaintance
Dropping your secret rimmed in lace
We kept dancing
Long after the record stopped spinning
On the verge of your dreams
The fire’s low; the air is thinning
What happens tomorrow
& long after we’ve awoken
Will these dreams ever return
Will this spell be forever broken
Evading their ongoing tragedies
Forty summers spent down in the dirt
Withstanding the weight of apocalypse
Emerging; though slightly less overt
Blast furnace of the afternoon sun
Dali walking barefoot on Tampa’s shores
Pale riders within unabsorbed light
Embracing purity through perception’s doors
The paint of our secret love notes
But can only be read through the keyhole
Shying away from all public renditions
Her passionate words left imprinted on my soul
The carcasses of inspiration
Wine glasses with Burgundy residue
Speaking to late nights & early mornings
Scribbles in the margin on the follow through
Feeling parched as I wake
Noticing your lipstick stains
Upon the rim of the glass
Reminding me of the dreams that remain
Bleary eyed, drinking the coffee grounds
Searching for a fate within the dregs
Fumbling over these typewriter keys
Lightheaded when I see your naked legs
Your smile is a distraction
But you pop a button & then one more
I’m at your complete mercy
Once the nightgown hits the floor
Image by TastyCinnamonn from Pixabay
I’ve stripped myself bare
No longer an ego to drown
My words speak for themselves: aware
I sift for existence in coffee grounds
Judge not – yet you cry foul & unfair
A mirror does not create your frown
I need to escape the city structure
Retreat to a cabin up in the woods
Resolving quiet bouts of sensory overload
No longer at peace in these neighborhoods
Trying to exist without the constant ruckus
I may be no more than a sheep in wolf’s clothing
But I know I need something a bit tamer
To quell these times of depreciation & self-loathing
Times get weird; we must remain in our morals
Eventually we must draw a line in the sand
& to misquote the philosopher Chris Rock
I’m not saying the Unabomber was right, but I understand
Aroused by the typewriter’s bell
I’m salivating like Pavlov’s dog
Imagining caffeinated mornings
Walking the Sunset within the fog
Though those were forgotten emotions
I’m not able to repeat that form
So I do my best to feel the original
Sometimes I’m hard to notice before the storm
Unclasping the dreams & insinuations
Lucid thoughts beyond the outer pale
Transpiring within fragile realms
A bared soul on the brunt of our fairytale
Image by Gavin Seim from Pixabay
You cannot pick your thoughts
The conscious can’t be steered
Without love, hope and magic
The future will be as dark as you feared
You didn’t sell out, you bought in
At least that’s what you regurgitate
But you, yourself, are a cog in the machine
Grinding out this state sponsored hate
You speak of crying in the streets
Heartbroken your flavor of evil didn’t win
But it’s a system of corruption throughout
With each career politician speaking the sin
Where did all our heroes & leaders go
Driven out as the bureaucracy multiplies
Buried the truth in all that paperwork
We’re doomed unless the people rise
Against these manufactured lies
I’m working on a deliberate sound
Tracking a feeling I’ve never found
Filtering & distilling a final abstract
Like passion was some sort of artifact
They’re still searching for their good luck
Let us dance holes in our old school Chucks
No need to worry about their errant thoughts
Let me strip naked – for I’m kinda hot
With the beat down to your toes
Secrets of my soul, I’ll cautiously expose
Tonight we’re going to step on out
Letting the cool breeze touch our souls
Watching the darkness quietly creep in
Holding hands as we take gentle pulls
The whiskey settles into a familiar burn
Nothing remaining but what we are
Excluding the day’s negative traits
Naturally only wearing the glow from the stars
You seem to be in an awful temper
I didn’t mean to ruffle your petticoat
Just trying to assuage discomfort
Ma’am, I must return to the boat
Incidents may have occurred
Darkness cloaks many a stumble
I bid you remember me fondly
For you leave me broken & humble
Dodging trains with the Lost Boys
Feeling free in the midnight hour
Nothing can keep us on the ground
Laughing in faces of those who wish us dour
Freedom begins with your own soul
No matter the toilsome tasks or nautical miles
I’ll smirk & continue to play
For there’s a revolution within my smile
Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay
The subtle perfection
Of being proven wrong
Preconceived notions
You once held so strong
Tracing toes to thighs
Knowing how the game is played
& the truth I’ll never deny
Everything I do, I do to get laid
Good morning, Beautiful
I’ve brought some coffee to share
Bathe me in your deep caresses
Make me abandon my laissez faire
Intentions have never been pure
I exist in complicated ways
I believe in healthy love & lust
& setting fire to our communiques
Not much I could do
She was out of my league
Pretty sure she didn’t know
My soul filled with intrigue
Flashing my humble smile
Women don’t fall in love with wit
Transitioning my pride
In this world, I appear wholly unfit
This is life. This is reality.
When the pretty words drip away
When the party’s over
You’ve still got to wake & face the day
Digital lovers lavish heaps of praise
Complimenting you on your magnificent blog
While you neglect the physical world
Always remember that pain & loneliness are analog
Imperial city coins clink in your pocket
Orwellian flaws litter winter’s landscape
Thick fisherman’s sweater to fight the cold
Feigning steps upon the tragic lady’s cape
Black soot marring the evening sky
Told her you were king of Earth, not the salt
Misdirection will only get you so far in life
Lies & deception will still remain your fault
Smelling like a French hooker
I guess an old sailor should know
A not so subtle eye roll
Needing a bit more get up & go
The coffee remains too hot
But I really wanna take a sip
I close my eyes as he drives
A smile in remembrance of her hips
Image by Pierluigi D’Amelio from Pixabay
Standing naked
In the front window in all my glory
Watching cars pass by in their haste
Hands on my hips – I am the Pan
Maybe not like your bedtime story
Searching for the beauty they tend to waste
I’ve bought you fancy dresses & heels
Those diamonds – symbols I’ll always care
I love to see pearls upon your décolletage
But still – a smile is my favorite thing you wear
Another day of cold coffee & inspirational songs
I’m trying to survive with all my might
I’m not looking to be acceptable
Merely wishing to cherish what’s in my sight
Ink smudges quietly upon my palms
Unsure of my words, failing with adequate prose
Years fall into decades, but still
I’m flailing; conjuring an incomplete rose
The muse sits rocking, mocking
She struts out of reach of what I believe
Taunting me to sell my soul in angst
So I cover my typewriter in a sheet of Celtic weave
OMG! I’m getting old
I’m actively searching
For the edited version
Methodically perching
Watching their content
Preserving young minds
Cultivating the innocence
For you can never rewind
Teetering on the perilous line
The internet reflecting our shame
Depending on exterior approvals
Our doubts are surely to blame
Where do we find some confidence
The ability to recharge our cheer
I know I always feel much better
When the bride of my heart is near
Radiating a positive vibe henceforth
A smile & skip in the most mundane chores
Yet perceptions of domestic divinity
Always can accomplish just a little more
Backlogged Cinderella fantasies
Dancing amid a swirl with a feather duster
Cautiously watching; epically vulnerable
Wondering if my heart might trust her
It’s no fairytale ending, but a good life
A drink & a fire, quietly getting better
She’s content without our consent
Cracking a book, curling up into her sweater
Just leave me to my own amusements
I’m not looking to bother nor interfere
Allow me to remain spectacularly awkward
I still have no idea what I’m doing here
Permit me to live this adventurous life
In spite of love being impossible to arrange
I’m still seeking peace for this peculiar soul
& a hope I can remain delightfully strange
I like how it sounds
To have something laced
Even though it’s killing me
Sundown brings on the reduced heat
Wind whispering to sail with the tides
Vapors tread quietly upon the feet
Decisions enter & thoroughly abide
Lonely bird settles down on the rails
Experience brings on a sullen glow
We cannot escape when life fails
Currents grip & provide the undertow
I’m drinking scalding coffee
To shake me from these dreams
I’m taking the hottest shower
The burn revives from the steam
This warmth spreads deeper yet
Cohering to my restless bones
After another cup of darkness
Maybe then I won’t feel so alone
I can use all the proper words
When needed, I can even be discrete
Whispering the sauciest story you ever heard
My dear, because of you, I am complete
I tend to be modest, but our love is real
By your coy smile, I know I’m on the right track
Your fingers trace & slowly reveal
My God woman! You have the loveliest rack!
Remembering your own aches
The graveyard of broken cassettes
It was always the end of the world
Unconfined angst you won’t forget
Dreams & passions ill proportioned
All lost in a looping mixtape
Those days will forever be with us
For they were the days when we were shaped
My whole life on scraps of paper
My soul jotted down on the page
Plot lines between scribbles
Character development as we age
Everything that I am, right here
Pushing to further keep my mind trained
My heart’s secret smudged
Within these lines my identity is contained
The glorious feel of her body
When she gives me a proper grip
So she can’t fade away
Reassuring her with these lips
Skipping & trying to dodge this oppressive heat
Dreaming I’m far away on the distant shore
A hundred years ago with sand burning my feet
I wish to be scantily clad, sipping a daiquiri & nothing more
I may not be anything to write home about
You have standards, expectations & desire
Those are mostly all good & dandy
But it doesn’t account for imagination like wildfire
You once made a list, checking guys off
You’re a handsome lady, playing it as cool as ice
I might be a possible misstep in your plans
But I do know a guy like me doesn’t come around twice
She’s not hurting anyone
What’s your inherent need to control
Let her be to live her life free
Treating her like there’s no sovereign soul
She’s young, trying to have fun
Release her from your archaic notions
You fear unbridled joy & autonomy
Unable to handle her natural range of emotion
Time to hand the world over to the youth
No need to continue your attempts to entrance
We had our time & we failed miserably
With their fresh blood, we might have a chance
Dissipating quietly on a warming shore
Seeing lightning strike off the coast
A subtle snapshot to something more
I think I’m free, but still haunted by her ghost
There’s a storm is coming this way
You can feel it heading from out to sea
We’re gonna get a bit of a blow today
Teeth to the wind; no place I’d rather be
Make sure you call her beautiful
Don’t refer to her as merely ‘hot’
Don’t say tits or tatas
Be respectful of all that she’s got
Be charming when you speak of your lady
Be a gentleman; know how the game is played
Don’t divulge any of her secrets
When you shut your mouth; a better chance to get laid
Don’t forget to repeat our truth in unison
Stand up straight with proper military bearing
Forget your conscience; such things are done
Keep on moving toward the triumph of the daring
Unfurl the banners so that we might recite
Let the people know what we’re fighting for
Light the fires, so the boys may march by night
Let them live out their dreams in the glories of war
Remain focused- don’t live within your heads
For the battle is real, so is the carnage by the blade
You need to stay loyal or your sons will wind up dead
Listen to the drums, forget the thoughts we’ve forbade
This existence is painful, but hell will be hotter
Don’t return with blood soaked memories to spurn
Live up to the fullest; embrace the full-bodied slaughter
Raise your swords to the sky & let the traitors burn
Seeking the subtle differences
Between life & the setting sun
Passion is in the overlooked details
At least that’s how we’d begun
Trying to make each step proper
But somehow finding ways to fail
Love doesn’t mean we’re forgiven
Yet it’s the chance each moment entails
I wonder if she realizes to what extent
How her existence teases me so
She exudes passion & beauty
She looks delicious & I want to know
Her blessings spilling out of her shirt
Perhaps unbuttoned a bit too far
She’s oblivious to my attentions
With her facade cracked slightly ajar
I try to remain with respectful intent
Though my curiosities want probed
I’ll just be waiting over here
In the off chance she becomes disrobed
Such a difference
In a button or two
How you tease me
The way you do
My weary spirits
Begin to rise
You make it hard
To look you in the eyes…
No matter how old I become
I’m still searching; I’m still seeking
Obtaining considerable sums
With any passion, go ahead & start peeking
I’m not one to judge an attitude
I can be sinful so I won’t go there
I’m no Christian Grey, but I’m no prude
If you come unannounced, you’ll find me rather bare
They no longer play poetry on the radio
No longer exposed to life’s contextual details
We’re all lost; floating through time
Enchanted; told to swallow modern fairytales
But I’m trying to work out the specifics
Finding the reasons between the transistors
I’m guessing we’re still prone to biology
& physical failures of why I can’t resist her
Flirting with a literary-inclined woman
Sitting puzzled by the glances she took
Wondering what’s swirling in her mind
Guessing she’s judging based on my books
Worshiping the lady’s flesh
I am not divine, yet hope she might be
Kissing before daylight, the way we used to
Adjusting to my senses; that I might finally see
Scatterbrained today
Feeling raw weight of tension
The world’s burden
Hindrances to fateful ascension
Regret & sad resignation
This wasn’t in the script
Perseverance through hope
It’s the only way – she quipped
I could’ve answered your query
But I wanted to be jovial & a tease
I have a wink in my heart
Willing to do anything you please
I saw the most beautiful woman in the world
But then, I noticed she couldn’t stop staring
Her eyes directly focused on my button-fly
“Are those Bugle Boy Jeans, you’re wearing?”
I tried to summon the confidence to answer
But only a stammer & a pathetic gurgling sound
She drove off without a look in the rearview
Such a chance as that moment, I’ve never found
Knowing the beauty that lurks
Though she’s hidden by the shroud
Draped by the promisingly sheer veneer
Whispering taunts, teases & getting loud
I hear the excitement in her voice
Grasping for control – keeping it steady
My passion & desire suddenly obvious
My world brightens when she’s ready
You give up your voice
When you choose to take their hand
You sacrifice your honor
When you go joining their faceless band
You deem yourself unremarkable
Once they take away your vote
No longer choosing for yourself
Their drudging spirit grabs your throat
The hoard directs you how to think
& can make you recite all sorts of things
You deserve your time in Hell
When you hand them your own strings
I’m being teased by the soft pink
Visions held by my fragile mind
Beauty only holds a certain firm
Your words delve until I find
I am strong enough to last
Though you tighten the noose
You know the subtle power
Let us declare a proper truce
I’m out here trying my best to contribute
But in the end, you drank me dry
Never thought this life would be a crapshoot
I said forever. It wasn’t meant to be a lie
Each day I feel your eyes searching for flaws
Things aren’t right, this is no way to live
Even with love, there’s a line we must draw
For now I’ve got nothing left to give
The sultan of suntan
Smelling like oils & lotions
Sand clinging to your soul
Cleansed by the water’s motion
Purged of evaporating dreams
We can focus on existence
Wringing it all out
At love’s steadfast insistence
All secrets illuminated
Nothing remains within
Cover of cheap shades
Truth permeates the skin
Do our words mark us guilty
Those found in books & memory’s pages
Does knowledge slowly wilt thee
Creating the soul in starts & stages
They promised a life of adventure
All I wanted was to be free
But the beach isn’t always home &
I’ve got sand where sand shouldn’t be
I’m too old to chase you
Regardless of beauty, understood
Taking a step back to see if you wish to continue
For I never want you to walk away for good
Times are tough- its not easy to love forever
I can’t guess how you feel or what it will take
But silence leads to a sharpened sever
I wish to stop this inevitable heartbreak
I’m not naive enough to think things shiny & new
But my pulse is weak; unsure what it can go through
I saw her through the glittering sun
Perched high upon the lifeguard stand
Perfectly sculpted under bright sky
Knees weak, tripping in the soft sand
The gulls echoing a distant cry
Dreams of love & what could be
The salt air marinating upon our skin
I’ve lost my heart here upon the sea
Hymns for modern children
A return to morbid fairytales
Truth being slowly digested
Compassion when beauty fails
Lost in this troubled society
Where equality goes to die
Slaughtered dreams
& a speck in your brother’s eye
Life can be tough, harsh even
It seldom matters if you’re right
Morality often seems hijacked
& then they bid you a sweet goodnight
The beat making my Diesels sweat
This is beyond my usual scene
Usually I can’t dance without regret
Needing a lot more alcohol & caffeine
Glow sticks & the whole lot to lampoon
I can’t live life with digitized crap
Moving my body like an analog buffoon
I need to find a pretty lady to sit upon my lap
I spy one in my dizzied & frazzled state
I could definitely make her my new habit
She’s smiling at my attempt to communicate
My God, I see curves like Jessica Rabbit
I shake my head allowing reality to seep
Good fortune has shined down in this nightlife culture
I straighten my clothes; thinking ‘don’t be a creep’
& I flash the Cheshire grin of a hungry vulture
We have different moments to emerge
Life telling us uniqueness isn’t enough
Parsed moments of steadfast tranquility
Rendered improbable when mixed in the slough
But sunshine will eventually return
We’ll rise up beyond the hindered clouds
Proving to the world our love conquers
Truth & evidence transcend once we get that loud
The sand
Abrasive on my toes
The sun beating down
Peeling skin upon my nose
But I’m lucky
I live by the beach
They only can dream
The waves within my reach
Simplistic attempts lurking beneath
But rejecting the notion of captivity
Breaking chains & spreading your legs
Blinded by your own claim at depravity
Resisting the urge to flatter
Never taking such a leap
Beauty the heart of the matter
Ignored in your idle chatter
Left feeling like a forgotten heap
Resisting the urge to flatter
The thoughts come, but soon scatter
Keeping me from peaceful sleep
Beauty the heart of the matter
Love served on a silver platter
A tarnished memory much too cheap
Resisting the urge to flatter
My soul simmered to splatter
But our dreams aren’t that deep
Beauty the heart of the matter
Your image makes me all a-patter
Never wanting to come off as a creep
Resisting the urge to flatter
Beauty the heart of the matter
Summer girls/winter women
Refreshing my sullen mind
Taste of joyous inspiration
Love heightened upon rewind
Basking in the light of sunshine
Energized by glorious visions
The heat dwells deep within
Passion rising in absolute precision
Image by mskathrynne from Pixabay
Avoid conformity at all cost
Don’t succumb to traditional roles
The last traipsing of the mind
The return of structure of the soul
But you don’t need their approval
Nor the organization of their might
Society’s labels are numb to life
They won’t give you harmony in the dark of night
You’re a questionable soul
Lying in the Captain’s brig
After drinking his scotch
& wearing his wife’s wig
Definitely conduct unbecoming
Her voice sounding the alarm
The man knows your name now
Surely you’ll swing from the yardarm
How to create an individuality
Yet, contribute to society as a whole
Without falling to the socialist ideal
& abandoning your capitalistic soul
I believe in the American experiment
A dream that is & could be great
In fact, I’ve sworn to defend it forever
Duty, honor & a complicated fate
I want to run away & join the circus
To be done with this life at sea
To kiss the ground she walks on
Solid foundations forever under me
Scribbling love notes to my lady
Creating a new world of literary lust
A positive existence springing forth
My happiness nestled within her bust
A small smile
Like she always knows
More beautiful
Than any summer rose
Don’t rush me, woman
I’m making sure you’re real
The invigorating magic
Of the slow reveal
We exist in a fortuitous moment
Together in a Summery field
Sipping delightful wines
Writing verse on our intercollegiate yields
They want us to come in from the cold
But I’m not concerned about their rules
I’d rather remain isolated with you
Bosh to their arbitrary ordinances to reign in fools
Summer rain
Quiet relief from the heat of day
A respite from the din of voices
The quell in an otherwise doldrum way
Taking time to breathe the stirred air
Before the winds turn into a squall
The disruption of bored stagnation
The afternoon not so quiet after all
Dancing socialites & reformed ladies
Choices of the malevolently absurd
Not really what you figured to be
Those weren’t the chances you heard
Life tries to knock us all off
The rugged seem tenacious & alive
Tapping toes with your perfect partner
Where do we step when we want to survive
Tracing these feelings back
Wondering where you began to care
Why did you lose your resolve
& fall in love in the summer’s glare
A palm grove as a backdrop
Kissing quietly behind the reeds
Feeling more than you had expected
Unsure of the coming needs
Layers of sand now everywhere
Breeze feeling cool upon your bare hips
Hopeful surprises found refreshing
Nothing less than passion upon your lips
Within doctrines of the former realms
Secular atonements when you cannot reap
Our distorted narratives no longer at the helm
Parched souls shudder when you cannot sleep
Notebooks wrapped in twine, lubricating my dreams
Thinly veiled entitlements, rushing to meet the golden hour
Misplaced refugees; tugging on our heart seams
Stomp on rose colored lenses/before the vine turns sour
Standing tall amidst populism, still reading banned books
Rejecting capitalism before you win a shopping spree
Your enemy’s dilemma might be worth a look
While upholding the realization of love’s prophesy
Embracing goblets of celebratory wine & errant notes
Time to return to glory; fire dance upon wooden boats
What are the chances
A statistical report
Falling in love
in retort
Get those hands out of your pockets
& love someone
Spread flirtatious innuendos so she’ll firmly understand
Whispers roll off my lips upon naked skin in the sun
& she knows this passion is worth all the misplaced sand
Image by adamkontor from Pixabay
The blazing summer sun
Attacking my pigment
White thighs
Gonna need aloe vera treatment
Tender pink meat exposed
Another bout of the Irish curse
Naked flesh so easily burnt
Need to be saved by a smokin’ hot nurse
Can’t speak like that in 2022
I assure you, I truly understand
But my perverted tendencies
The truth remains; always the dirty old man
Streamlined
Stripping away excess fluff
Gingerly stepping
The water’s never hot enough
Holding you tight
Of your red lips, I’ll drink deep
Whispering my intensions
Loving you until we fall asleep
Image by nahid hatamiz from Pixabay
Drinking black coffee out of Delta cups
The cheap seats listening to Empire Burlesque
Mixed metaphors crawling in the night
Still pondering why a raven is like a writing desk
Dislodged tea parties & cries of Nevermore
The world swiftly swirling all around me
Reducing myself into my words
Hiding now within punctuation & necessity
Unsure of our place in time
Triangulations are stretch marks on the soul
Society wants me to be all shiny
But more often than not, I’m tired & dull
Where do we find our inspirations
The formulations upon our existence
Personalities discarded to the rubbish pile
Pushing us further away within time & distance
Seeking a spiritual remedy
For my soul isn’t quite whole
Burnt out & emotionally drained
Tea cup’s empty & I’m no longer in control
Midcentury motif & I’m peeling paint
Shrinking violets & closing in walls
Pushing back against our growing pains
Energy to create, but my life remains a free fall
Manicured city walls
Stomping through summer puddles
Curiosities of a finer life
Scorching rays, can’t help but befuddle
Recoiling to the chaffy shade
Searching for the talisman of the storm
Knowing we’re in for a futile calm
Who could’ve predicted it’d be this warm
But we keep on pushing through
Wicking precipitation from her summer gown
Effort to remain a head above
A damn shame if we perish & drown
Image by Terri Cnudde from Pixabay
The summer is already sweltering
I’m trying to survive, so I have nothing on
The neighbor lady won’t stop staring
Perhaps I shouldn’t be out here watering my lawn

These are our summer moments
Ones they’ll never take away
The heat warming our souls
Waves of memories to close the day
Clinging to the last hours of sun
Knowing they’ll become finite
When all we really have is us
Slow dancing into the night
It’s not about me
Focus away from my chipped soul
Fragile dreams creaked as I reach daylight
Caught in our midsummer’s lull
Drinking wine out of a teacup
This soul embarrassing when exposed
Hoping to numb our sensibilities
While we lay naked & juxtaposed
Look what the tide brought in
Floating back in the summer sea
Standing forthright upon the shore
Escaped, though equally free
Our lives governed by morality
No matter the direction of the days
Finding solitude a noble quest
Amidst the breeze, the palms sway
Finding refuge in my dreams
Traipsing through Baudelaire’s flowers
I sing a silent dirge to my soul
Tracing her petals within Summer’s shower
Caught in the currents of missteps
Former words no longer voiced
Lightness of a delicate vision
We heard the morning’s rain rejoice
Politely declining a dreadful umbrella
Walking out, always been man enough to weep
Soaked; tears all the way through
Drowning; maybe now the sunset will let me sleep
Hanging out a local’s joint
Homegrown & authentically bonafide
The rupture of a coming Summer
Basking in the heights of a rising tide
The heartbreak of loving a society girl
Though it’s worse when you realize
That lovely creature never lied
Image by Harmony Lawrence from Pixabay
Finding the energy to jump up
To start the day in the sunshine
Collecting smiles from fresh faces
& always returning to the love that’s mine
Pouring another coffee to revive my soul
The blacker the better; deeper than the sea
Knowing secrets which youth will always deny
That happiness is real & it’s forever free
Nonsense & miscalculations they always spew
For they see glitter & everything they never tried
But experience will tell you simple is better
& anything worth fighting for is kept on the inside
Image by Alexander Belyaev from Pixabay
I liked her Summer dress
A muse’s vulnerability in a pile
She spoke in perfect verse
But I loved best her smile
Snark doesn’t make you what you want to be
You’re infatuated with being cool throughout
Constantly proving your wit for all to see
Reality is you’re hiding & putting your soul in doubt
Finding the sunshine
Feeling the glorious heat
Remembering the time
Our lonely lips did meet
Saving me from despair
A slow march to the sea
Loosening of our tongues
Another chance to be free
Getting our bodies outside
A good stretch in open air
I love your everything, but
You’re best when you’re bare
Sitting here at the end of the world
Running my fingers through the sand
Watching the weight of the waves
Finally time is a theory I can understand
Stripped down without societal guilt
Seeking answers down along the shore
Confused it took me all these years
Yet, that doesn’t mean there isn’t still more
Stretching up & yawning
A lazy morning not to compete
My mind has been overloaded
Time for those files to delete
Our souls are priceless
So why do we always sell, sell, sell
This morning I’m choosing to dwell within
& the secrets I find I’ll never tell
I know you don’t want to be looked upon
But I can’t help keeping your beauty in view
You feel self-conscious
Though I’m whole heartedly in love with you
Please do not hinder my sight
I want you to always be at my side
You’re the nearest thing to perfection
I’ll be devastated if you run off & hide
A finger to my lips
Fixated on your secrets encased
Knowing the enchanting stories
You’re upon what fairytales are based
Remaining silent with restraint
For that is your required desire
Locked into your heavenly eyes
Nothing greater than stoking your primal fire
Waiting on a summer
Heat enough to bake my bones
Hell defined on earth
Surely we’ll need to atone
It’s a stale morning
The humidity will come later for sure
But that’s not what I want from life
We need a cool breeze fresh & pure
Welcome the heat
Sunshine reigning down
Everyone loses clothing
Summer finally around
Ice cold drink clinks
Leaning into my relaxing smile
Allowing for a subtle tan
Get used to it, gonna be awhile
Quiet, unassuming
Knee deep in your chores
Content in your blessings
But once dreamed of more
Passion fizzled with stress
Domestically kept & cared
Cloaked in suburban life
But I see beauty in there
Discounting the overland wages
Discarded notions of an empty word
Dripping coffee on innocently blank pages
Drudging toward all the invocations misheard
I’m trying to listen to your body
Trying to feel my way to your heart
I’m looking to recover my innocence
That which I lost from the start
I’m decidedly envious of your hands
For they always remain with you
Forever within reach of your flesh
When I must bow & bid thee adieu
I’m continuously jealous of your locket
& the home it has been given to rest
The natural glories akin to Heaven
God alone could bestow such a treasured chest
Taking time to reside in detail
Coaxing ghosts off the Sunshine Coast
A temper & a crooked smile
The truth when we needed it most
Knowing differences of our secrets
Diligent with passing the changes
I’m fluid in these manipulations
But for her I am, keeping me strange
Reading cracked-spine paperbacks
Wandering by; gently grabbing her waist
Creating space & sending archaic signals
Standing proud, knowing silence accustomed to taste
Dancing in a moody cabaret
Your hand in mine
Wondering your thoughts
Your soul I can’t define
Clutching your hip
Feeling your energy now
Falling without remorse
Unrestrained; anything you’ll allow
A careful morning
Coffee, my steady muse
Hiding in crisp pajamas
Inspiration has a short fuse
Stretching yoga to Hello Nasty
Bending this body in awkward positions
Head bobs & an elderly b-boy stance
Personal history leads me to contrition
Doc says my ticker isn’t what it once was
My mind is young, but I’m not at my peak
Slowly degrading upon each sunrise
Not quite old, yet bordering on antique
These are the only days we can still see
Taking strides forward whether or not it rains
Dry rotted ponchos & other survival gear
Though its through our capacity to forgive that we’ll remain
Love & heartbreak do little to assuage the guilt
Where we were sullen & hoping to save our souls
Marooned far past the realms of sanity
Peeling the plastered propaganda on Bikini Atoll
Those were among the days we lost them
When we were doomed to the bomb shelter
Cast aside by the rising tide of modernity
Drowning in memories of the last time I felt her
Just wanting these eyes to close & slowly linger
Fatigue from society & the domesticated sheep
Intentionally & lightly dipping her ginger fingers
Focused breaths when you only wish to sleep
True to life, but hard to digest the pain
Adversity compounded living without rest
Altered dreams when slumbers can’t remain
Been ages since she authentically felt her best
Time to float off into another world
Close your eyes & drift forever away
Within silent storms of a castaway girl
Reimagining visions before finding the day
Running headlong into the woods
With your meaningless tropes
Escaping any notion of your gaze
Slipping confinement & your stubborn hope
Never wished to be dubbed “wild”
At least not in your repetitive sense
Feeling numb to your expectations
Not remaining to hear your bland defense
Each step leads me further on my trek
Compounding the rules I unwittingly defied
Down the trail & away from your excuses
I didn’t listen, but I’m sure it’s all justified
Timid changes to the way we survive
Ducking our heads when the water finally rises
Perpetual fatigue ponders if we’re still alive
Each heartbeat wrapped within fervent surprises
Another day emerges from the absence of light
This mug of swill – my only source of heat
Creaking past the endless repetition of night
Punch drunk, but still standing; never admitting defeat
The impossibilities of transcribing the heart
Finding the usual tricks do less than impress
Flustered; tripping over language
Like when you see Summer’s first sundress
Yet we still have to exist in nature
Bodies moving slowly as the sun rises
Love’s hibernation deliberately stretched
The disguises that passion often emphasizes
Cautiously keeping patience in this heat
As the mercury continuously expands
Rushing to the shore to discover relief
Risking the mirage & being burnt by the sand
On the shores of Ol’ Patagonia
While the citizens did sleep
Youthful fear of affection
Yet into the woods, they silently creep
Don’t let on how you feel
For you might get what you want
The pain of admitting you care
& perchance it might forever haunt
The burden of carrying embarrassment
& possibly feeling regret this long
Thy youth’s clear true love
But hindsight tells me I was wrong
For I wasn’t brave enough to trust
Too busy being incorrect by name
Fear welling into my soul
But I loved her all the same
It’s not fair to bring up old times
Immaturity & self-reject are not a virtue
I don’t deserve her thoughts nor sentiments
In the end, never good enough for you
Still thinking of what might’ve been
Or an excuse to freshly misbehave
Angst & teenaged awkwardness
Take a shot & take it all to my grave
“…This is an extra luxury.”
“Yes, art is always an excess,”
I replied, kissing her knees.
“But excess only saves us from poverty.”
– Vasyl Stus – Ukrainian poet
The gentle fog of last night’s revelry
Walking the streets before the sun
Overcorrecting the crooked events
Getting myself right before the day’s begun
Dreamscapes fading in these early hours
Scars to tell tales of an alternate narrative
Truth impedes the recital of our union
Clinging to our bodies not always so imperative
Setting the scene amidst several libations
Resulting in sloppy notes from the underground
These aren’t mundane epitaphs from stone
Rather just trinkets for creation to remain unbound
How do we leave the living?
Thoughts on life & what’s left undone
Trampled petals & forgotten scars
Knowing the sun cannot be outrun
How will we be remembered?
Comforted; knowing Jesus saves
Settle into being a compassionate soul
For we all end up wallowing in the grave
Brushing the record as it goes ‘round
Morning comes faster when you can’t sleep
Sipping the tepid coffee down to the grounds
Delirious; mind wandering depths so deep
Trying to move your body; needing a gentle stretch
What more to be done when you can’t think
Misinterpreting grumpiness for ravings of a wretch
Settle down; give me a moment for another drink
Wish goodbye to frumpy politicians
& their senile glances
Robber baron approach to public service
After we gave them too many chances
I don’t care for your foreign correspondents
Time to stay home & let the meek be the victors
War machines don’t benefit those who march
Deceit & impropriety measured upon the Richter’s
I don’t understand disdain for fellow humans
I don’t care if you worship in a synagogue or under a steeple
In the end, we’re all God’s children
Here on Earth, we must remember it’s We The People
I know exactly what I want
She tells me I’m a lurid temptation
But she eagerly kisses me back
We’re creating a whole new sensation
The only lover my forever will ever know
Doesn’t matter if you can’t understand
Together, we’re damn near perfect
& she sure feels good in my hands
Inhaling ocean breezes
Ventilated with salt-laden air
Up & out as nighttime flees
Enticing as anything out there
No longer interested
Tell them mermaids I’m through
Adventure doesn’t beckon
My sea legs won’t follow you
I’m too old for folly
Here, I must bid you so long
Fair winds & all that
Can’t remain within earshot of the siren’s song
Jesus was a rouge agent
Calling out institutions woefully unjust
Up-ending currents & the status quo
Powers that be & reigning corporate trusts
Holding fast in the face of arbitrary traditions
We won’t look to long at your offbeat proclivities
Unnerved authenticity & outspoken truth
But they’ll chalk it up as additional incivility
Looking again to God, but knowing She won’t talk
Red-lettered honesty; realism against expectation
Unvarnished tales of the meekest souls
Rapt against our most quietly brave ministrations
Men are the root of most of our evils
Blatantly sucking out the formidable joys
Loud & egotistically neutering themselves
They can’t help but systematically destroy
Yet, we’re told of the biblical herrings
But we must reject any & all hate
In the face of most adversities
We still have women who manage to create
I don’t know what you’re looking for
I’m no expert, nor do I wish to try
I’m feeling like I’m drowning here
& you want to sift through my lies
My soul starts to bubble & melt
Increasing as apprehension rises
Remembering how you felt
& instantly over-sensationalizes
