The darkness has not lifted
But the voices are getting mean
A subtle slippage in the light
I’m going to need more caffeine
Perhaps some fresh air to heal
When the dreaming has soured
I spy the image in a night shift
The lone lady out at this hour
The gloom begins to recede
With this sweet widow on the block
My heart in rhythm with her words
As the gentle hands on the clock
I’m not as worthless as you made out
A gentle soul in spite of my roar
I’m sensitive, yet prone to shout
I regret much, wish you returned for more
I’m not always easy to be near
I realize I’m a man of many flaws
But I’m trying to live without fear
Embracing peace & love without pause
I don’t use umbrellas, dear
I’d rather dance in the rain
Let it cascade gently over
Cleansing us of lingering pain
Let me take you in my arms
Into your dreams – my words will push
Looking deep into my eyes
As I squeeze your tush
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
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
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
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
Surrounding myself with ancient friends
Wisdom & experiences laid upon my shelf
Bare for all to quietly consume
Providing a chance for a better version of self
Absorbing past lives without pause
Silhouettes of women from long ago
Angst from existential rights in time
Visions of dreams I wish to forgo
These books are mere placeholders
For the contents of my heart upon hardwood
Gentle reminders of our former intellect
& the hope we might return to being good
Reading the errant pages
Crumpling after each one is read
A gentle eye befallen the paper
Revising what each one has plead
Wastebasket- a lifetime away
Hoping it’s not the destiny of them all
Slowly, sacred thoughts form
Living in the weird space of my scrawl
It’s December, but it’s warm
Driving faster, turning up the stereo
Eying you all pretty & classy
Hop with me & here we go
Slide right in & kiss me sweet
Be gentle girl, gotta maintain the road
It gets curvy around these parts
& you’re about to make my mind explode
Oh, where does our journey end
Or begin, as it so often might seem
Futile attempts to erase the past
The unknown details of our dreams
The open road panders to a false escape
The mere opportunity to rewrite a sojourn
Jesus perambulating with Uncle Walt
Debating the path; perchance to learn
Shaky prospects in apportioned time
Manifest destiny teases Ginsburg & Kerouac
Further roads leading to ornate wisdom
& we keep it concealed out in the back
Thoreau mocking society with his solitude
Knowing alone is the greatest we could ever be
Thoughts come to us in gentle waves
That perhaps our visions should become the sea
A reinterpretation of westward expansion
Route 66 cross-contaminating Highway 61
All roads have never led us home
Emily tempting Death with her life left undone
The growing wisdom of our consumed space
Emerson’s penning pre-revolutionary blues
Introducing our souls to unrefined grace
The Good Lord providing Her unfiltered muse
Feeble humanity; lost across the tracks
Original sin that we’ve taken on the chin
Sifting thought; we might be welcomed again
But knock off the Devil’s dust before you come in
Gentle sunrises
Slowly awakening my soul
One last toss & turn
My dream meter once again full
But our dreams drip
Memories frothing to the surface
Unknown to the exterior
Remnants of our innocence Miss
Complications of misinterpretations
Dwelling in this unfailing mess
Stepping gently away at this time of night
Always remember you in that short gingham dress
Sunshine cresting from the sea
A soul to be filled with love’s perfection
A mere vessel to carry on this life
Beating in my heart’s reflection
Allow me to circumvent your plans
Wedging myself in your obvious way
Please look me gently in the eyes
This happiness; where forever stays
You’re more than you’ll ever know
Our tandem rhythmically in stride
Your taste is existence’s paragon
Evermore with me at your side
Is it possible to just lay here
I just want to close my eyes
It’s been a frustrating day
Take your hand off my thigh
Please don’t look at me like that
Woman, have your way if you insist
But I promise not to enjoy it
Will you be gentle if I don’t resist?
Perfectly lined rows of trees
Our escape from the mundane
Shaking away tilted visions
Of a ghostly morning train
Remembering her latent beauty
No place for such fickle motions
Return to living your current life
Set gently against the Atlantic Ocean
Relaxing in my hammock
Feeling the gentle breeze
Trying to close my eyes
But visions of her tease
My head starts churning
My heart begins to race
Need to stick the landing
Without falling on my face
Along the way in
I’m shedding all my clothes
By her sly smile
My beautiful woman already knows
Our fragile egos remain outright
Yet still free – not compelled by those
In the trenches we find disaster
Inspired to richly & sullenly compose
How do we heal? How do we grow?
Absorbing vibrations & her headspace blues
Redefinition of cool among the vulnerable
Rising morale since she turned off the news
Erratic dreams of dismantling love
The early signposts to the apocalypse
Gentle rise becomes glaring to our eyes
Summer mornings feel fresh on our nips
Ground control to juxtaposed fallacies
Squandering purest moments we’ll know
With no intention to rattle a dull saber
Paradise; when I only wanted a cup of joe
Crisp ocean force winds
Gentle fresh citrus scent
Lost upon the eternal sea
Forgot where beauty went
A treatise of delicate love
Evidence of a ghost
Smile your sweet smile
I’ve left for the coast
Sound of muted voices
She’s a little too cute
Allowing no more secrets
Down through my roots
Hanging with beach bums & bashful babes
Swimming in the surf on late Spring days
Colorful flavors poured gently over ice
Skin glowing after hours in the pleasant rays
I thought I saw a Sea Hag along the sand
Though she revealed herself to be a Siren
Coaxing & teasing me with her demure allure
Whispering that I might be a modern Lord Byron
Uncomfortable with compliments of any sort
I quietly pull out my pen to jot down an ode
Her eyes grow wide, then a smirk & a wink
Simultaneously my mind, heart & loins explode
A gentle constant groove
You’re settling into a lull
Toe tapping & head nodding
Music soothing the savage soul
Seeking out the freedoms
But where is the wisdom our follies have made
Washed away with the retreating tides
Now we bask out in the cover of foliage’s shade
I’m sure nature leads us to the answer
The tempted isolation of introverts
The paused legacy of our discontent
Posterity gently tugging at her miniskirt
Tilted scales of Justice – with her hem unraveling
The overture that rises where prudence fails
Our overwrought, sparse conjecture
& leaves us at the darker side of the fairytale
Lost in a deteriorating moment
What more can we do to be free
Close our eyes to the darkness
Tiptoeing quietly, down to the sea
Searching franticly for the answer
But the obvious truth is often a ghost
False memories are unruly traipses
Inclinations leading me, down the coast
Is there a way to be clean again
To bathe in the ocean’s gentle roar
Hope against hope; possibly a way
To find sunshine that might restore
Life rocks us silently
Rising & falling with the boat
Visions held most dear
Within these stories I wrote
Removed my choice of reality
But here I’ll take my stand
Firm between the swells
With gentle reminders of Neverland
The curtains rose gently
Caught in the morning breeze
An undisputed beauty
My heart soaring above the trees
Our feet sore from the dancing
Closest to perfection I ever saw
All the while her lips were sealed
& she was hiding secrets in her bra
I’ve been thinking about you
Draped in straps & buckles that push
Silks, lace & any cloth at all
Stretching thin across your tush
The day has been long & tiring
& your love is exactly what I need
Let my eyes devour every curve
No promise to be gentle in my greed
Captain Q 