Daisy Heads

Figure

2012-02-17T04:55:00.000-05:00

As I kneel at the steps of you

And steel myself

The feet of you

The legs that carry

Your hips

To the waist

The opulence and expanse

Of a chest that contains me

Ferries me

The blood

And carries me

To your slender neck

And at the top

Where the eyes and lips

And cheek

And tongue with words

And ideas that level

And dishevel

Never has a figure

Done, been, is, will be

What you are

And

Forever will be

clouds

2012-02-17T01:14:00.000-05:00

good chest rise and fall

normal breath sounds

steady pulse

but sometimes

it’s still hard to breathe

thinking about you

the weight of a thousand clouds

upon my torso

and somewhere between the skies

i hear their pleas

echo their cries

and hope for your indulgence –

the next time

and everytime you’ve ever felt

a warm spring drizzle

or the hard driving rain

of a cold gray winter’s day

it’s just Cumulus, Cirrus and Stratus

needing to feel

if only for a moment,

your soft skin

and honestly,

i can’t really blame them

us

2012-02-14T02:03:00.000-05:00

I want to see what your

Hand looks like in mine

How our fingers

Feelings

Glide slowly thru the

Warm safe spaces

[Usually only reserved for the ‘me’]

the ‘us,' the ‘we’

Of each other

As raindrops slide

Voyeur-ously down our window

Gloriously jealous of our nature

Our rightness

Our us and we

stasis

2012-02-09T00:28:00.000-05:00

Hurtling along the wire

It’s easier to keep balance

Than the manic dance

Of assumed normalcy

Human hungers

Fed in dark unmarked corners

The agonizing stasis

The pretense dressed in

Elegant paralytic denial

The blood the bile the come

Covered in rouge

Doused in perfume

in the quiet

2012-02-05T03:15:00.001-05:00

as i find myself

in center

in the quiet with you

and you open to me

it’s a long slow stroll

up the smooth avenue

of your thighs

streetlights casting

their light –

trying to get a peek and

fighting off jealous shadows

as i find your hand

and your lips

i find another

piece of myself

a small precious

peace of self

porcelain

2012-02-03T09:36:00.000-05:00

somewhere there’s a time

sometime there’s a place

in the in-betweens

the instant between heartbeats

when I drink from your cup

a gorgeous porcelain vessel

shaped and designed

for the lips

fired and curved

for the hands

in the in-betweens

the instant between awake

and dreams

vanilla & honeysuckle

2012-02-02T17:35:00.004-05:00

[dreaming again...
As I slipped the delicate lace strap

From your shoulder

Your eyes closed

And breathing quickened

I pushed your hair back behind your ear

(I’m going to sit down for a while

In this place)

The one where I hear crickets chirping

Amidst the ethereal silence

of our shared breath

And I catch

The slight vanilla scent of your skin

Mixed with the honeysuckle

wrapped seductively around a fence

In this -

The beautiful silence

The place where my heart guides my hands

And you guide my heart... ]

beyond pt. 2

2012-02-01T10:36:00.000-05:00

desire

passion

longing

slow kisses on necks

and shoulders

hips and waists

breasts and lips

Deliberate and Impassioned

the spectrum

skated, skirted, pushed and split

clawing and grabbing on for

dear life beautiful you

because you extend far beyond

the desirable

the sultry

the alluring

the sensual

you extend far beyond

any shore

any ocean

any border

any sky

There will never be enough kisses.

the beyond

2012-01-31T18:39:00.004-05:00

there’s a peculiar but not unpleasant

freedom in this place

the beyond tact

the beyond fear

beyond posturing and pretense

where i can tell you

that that magical place

that i imagine touching

that i imagine you touching

will never produce enough

honey to sate my hunger

that i want to find that sweet spot

that place where pain and ecstasy

join in you and i

where roads i’ve been afraid to walk down -

i want to explore with you

hand in hand

that the ‘after’ is as anticipated

the before

the during

the only frightening thing that remains -

That as much as I want you,

I still want to hold you even more.

levee

2012-01-30T22:38:00.000-05:00

the levees and trusses

are groaning in protest

the river-water swirling

in proud nervous vortexes

wherearewegoing

little maelstroms

new virgin and drunken currents

foam and bubble

sway and stray

push and pull

orphan leaves

surfing and wading

waiting

at the breaks and bends

You’re coming

hipshot whipcracks

at the snap

i say a little prayer

drown me or deliver me

Darling

but keep coming

dreams of tea

2012-01-30T09:34:00.002-05:00

i carry your words in my pocket

talismans and treasured keepsakes

a string tied around my ring finger

to remind me of a few precious

beautiful quiet nights

and one where the moon

knocked on my window

[it’s much friendlier
than you might think]

to ask if it were possible –

“i don’t know…

but tonite,

i allow myself to dream -

tonite, it is;

tonite, she does.”

so i thank you

for those nights

of you

for those dreams

of you

all i can offer

has already been given

it’s been yours for some time

and will remain so

And there’s no other

whom I’d rather have

have it.

…be well…

Beautiful girl.

Often

2012-01-19T00:16:00.001-05:00

Sometimes

There will be fights

There will be tears

There will be struggles

I will say or do stupid things

Or not say anything

When it needs to be said

Often

There will be horrible movies

That we’ll have to find other ways

To entertain ourselves thru

There will be walks

Toenails will be painted

There will be moments

You will drag me to stores

And I will tell you that it’s fine

Because it is (mostly) – but you look beautiful to me

In anything

In nothing

In everything

In everyway

I will watch you put on your make-up

and fix your hair

I will watch you get dressed

And undressed

And try and look casual

Because even I know not every time

Is the right time,

But you’re that beautiful

You will try and take pictures of me

And I’ll relent as long as you’re in them with me

Things will break and I’ll try and fix them

Repairmen will be called after I worsen the problem

I will hold you

I will have to keep myself from holding you sometimes

We will eat Chinese food

We will laugh

I will take care of you when you have too much to drink

You will take care of me when I’m sick and whiny

I will be frustrated that I can’t get you everything

That I want to give you

You will get aggravated when I want to be alone sometimes

I will get aggravated when you want to be alone sometimes

You will always pick the restaurant

Because I honestly and truthfully don’t care

As long as you’re there

I will get jealous of other guys you know

My family will adore you

Yours will hate me

I will never get tired of waking up beside you

I will never get tired of kissing you

I will never get tired of holding you

I will never get tired of being there for you

I will never get tired of being with you

I will never go as long as you’ll have me

Don’t ask me how I know –

I just know.

ribbons

2012-01-16T01:16:00.000-05:00

smell of chalk, industrial cleaners

old textbooks, cheap school desks

a young boy musters his courage

[finally making good use of

his mischievous skills]

and passes a note to

a beautiful dark-haired

girl in a red sweater

she doesn’t have any ribbons

in her hair today

- which is good -

[he can’t think straight

when her hair’s up

for reasons he doesn’t yet understand]

but he knows that

all the hair ribbons were made for her

all the ribbons are made for her

undercurrents

2012-01-11T16:18:00.001-05:00

There is a

Tightening of the chest

At the gut

The base places

An undercurrent buzzing

Within every movement

Thought moment breath

Striking when and

Not

Expected

It’s you -

And it’s gloriously terrifying

There is fear -

But it holds its own with

Beautiful possibility

And the tranquil inevitability

Derived in a rare moment of

clarity

Where one knows

This path must be walked

Wherever it should go

- That never have I wanted

Or needed to

Set out more -

There may be regrets about missteps

But never one that I started

Towards you

hope

2012-01-08T07:18:00.002-05:00

I don’t expect anything

Not the worst

Not the best

And certainly not perfection

[how annoying would it be

to fall for someone who’s perfect?]

I hope for you

I hope for flaws

I hope for scars

I hope for insecurities

Because God knows I’ve got mine

I hope for your trust

I hope for your humanity

I hope for your emotions

Your mistakes, your smiles, your laughs

The times [I hope] you

say or do dumb things

I hope for your vulnerability

To share those things with me

To trust me with them

To trust me with you

I hope for your trust

To trust me with you

All of you

I don’t expect anything

I simply hope

for you.

2012-01-05T11:07:00.003-05:00

take what you will

it was offered without reservation

and without expectation

take what you will

it was given purely

honestly

take what you will

the only hope

was that one day

if not me

you might be

may be

reassured

in what you’ve yet to see

take what you will

be well

smile.

beautiful girl.

Helen

2012-01-03T07:54:00.006-05:00

Past the Fabergé and

Furniture that wasn’t to be

Satuponreclinedinrestedonetc.

[simply looked at and admired -

which in my estimation is much

like paying for a prostitute to

just give you compliments]

The portraits and landscapes

And other impressive bric-a-brac

-oooh….look…another fox hunt-

was where the

steelbelted radials met

pavement

and where a boy’s life changed

before his first kiss

his first love

his first car

his first love in said car

- there was Helen -

past the Rothko and Johns

round the corner from the Schnabel

and Warhol, if you hit the Lichtenstein

you’ve gone too far

There suspended gracefully in air

floated Helen and her song

Leaving a 14 year old boy breathless

in awe, and for one of the few times

At peace.

It(’)s deceptive simplicity

Wrapped in elegant chaos

Smothered in gorgeous

Sensuous color

And much like an afternoon

Spent in a park with a girl

And an ee cummings collection

[she wasn’t brand new – but her torque

still left me bruised and shaken]

It, while I wouldn’t realize it at the time,

Would irrevocably change my life

So, thank you Helen.

(and ee cummings – that was a great fucking afternoon)

"A really good picture looks as if it's happened at once. It's an immediate image. For my own work, when a picture looks labored and overworked, and you can read in it—well, she did this and then she did that, and then she did that—there is something in it that has not got to do with beautiful art to me. And I usually throw these out, though I think very often it takes ten of those over-labored efforts to produce one really beautiful wrist motion that is synchronized with your head and heart, and you have it, and therefore it looks as if it were born in a minute."

- Helen Frankenthaler

December 12, 1928 – December 27, 2011

button-down (T-shirt)

2011-12-28T19:29:00.003-05:00

your shirt’s on the hanger
it still won’t speak to me
let alone look right on me
i tried explaining that getting it to you
wouldn’t be as simple as it believed
and despite the fact that I agreed -
it would look so much better on you
[gently] an old shirt of mine
might not be the gift you wanted -
(even if seeing you in it
is exactly what I did)
it’s still grieving and
won’t have anything
to do with me
so there’s a lonely
dark blue button-down
with a slightly frayed collar
soft cotton body and sleeves
- a humble gown -
on a hanger waiting patiently
for you
should you ever want or need it

smile

2011-12-22T05:16:00.000-05:00

i prefer your mouth

that beautiful complicated

confounding mouth

it’s a nice shade of lipstick though

[the red, not the pink] truth be told

i’ve always been partial to red

and i hope you’ll be wearing a similar shade

and we’ll go wherever you suggest

and do whatever you’d like –

as long as you smile

you know what a soft touch I am

for your smile

4200 miles

2011-12-21T14:22:00.000-05:00

I don’t trust myself to say

the right thing on

any given day.

So I’ll trust you to understand

when I say:

at any time and in any way

just let me know

as long as you’re there

and it’s the right time

the right place

save a bit of space -

Until that time -

whatever hand touches you

lips kiss you

words awaken you

know that

i wish that they were mine.

given

2011-12-20T05:24:00.001-05:00

there are moments

when a woman needs to be kissed

hard

purposefully

passionately

intentionally and with no room for doubt

that all mountains will be scaled

all valleys explored

all terrain to be covered

there will be bruising and scratches

cuts and marks

there will be kissing

and squeezing

in tight quarters

and beautiful corners

there will be hard edges

and soft nudges

burns and abrasions

lips bitten

and kisses given

many kisses will be given

i will be hard
you will be wet

and

many kisses will be given

beauty is you

2011-12-20T02:10:00.001-05:00

ladies if you will

please

ignore the constant swill

being peddled and pushed

the unfettered bullshit

that beauty is

or has any relation to

the botox collagen injected

ignorant air-brushed notion

big prosthetic tits

anorexic empty-headed

marketed packaged

focus group tested

unattainable unless-you-buy-this

poisonous Madison Avenue invective

genuine beauty is

a body of freckles

uninhibited and

unabashed intelligence

a high IQ in

thigh-highs

the lovely pooch

of your tummy

for passionate kisses

and silly smooches

a warm smile

infectious laugh and sense of humor

in slinky lingerie

whatever the size brand or style

sexy is trusting and caring enough

to share your ‘flaws and scars’

gorgeous is giving

and daring

to be loved exactly for who you are

beauty is you

see yourself for who you really are

rather than what they tell you

‘you should be…’

and you’ll see it too

sheer

2011-12-19T06:04:00.000-05:00

it’s 4 am and i can’t keep
the pendulum from swinging
it’s in the shadows
and negative space
where i can see you
but this thing is new to me
waking up and just
being happy to be
- whatever happens
thank you for the
dreaming of you
that elusive
moment of peace -
the day is coming
with its unforgiving light
but stay a bit longer
in my new quiet night
the phantom of you
the silhouette of us two
the traces of a kiss
i didn’t know
i’d been waiting
willing wanting
years to give
so should you feel
a shiver as you sleep
it’s just my hand here
finding its place
on your shimmering waist
and me trying not to quiver
as i gently kiss
so as not to wake
a gorgeous shadow
resting in my blinding night
in perfectly sheer silk
and dusky lace

plainly

2011-12-17T10:54:00.000-05:00

As plainly & honestly as I can:

All I can say is -

You’re beautiful

You’re amazing

You’re as light as you are dark

You anchor

as much as you move

You scare me more than you realize

But not for the reasons you think

If there’s a way tell me

And I’ll do it

If there’s a place show me

And I’ll go there

If there are words share them –

Because all I have is yours

Because all I want is you.

loose dirt

2011-12-12T11:39:00.000-05:00

why is it when i need them most

when i want them most

that’s when the words desert me?

they seem to be buried just under

the barely stifled scream of frustration

and scratching and clawing

at the loose dirt

only sends them deeper

i want you to know

what i know

what i feel

i need you to know

things i don’t even like

admitting to myself

the ghosts and scars

wounds and shame

regrets and mistakes

if you see all of that

and don’t run…

i’ll know.

untitled

2011-12-11T03:44:00.002-05:00

i wish i had a story to tell

something to turn over

and over

in one’s head

in one’s hand

on those bastard lonely

cruel nights

when one can’t help but be

honest about who he is

something to hold

all i have is the knowledge

that i loved one once

truly -

that the letting go

was the best, most pure gift

i ever gave

give

to her

all i have is the fear

that when i find another

star shining on a hill

it will be best to

remain hidden

lest her light shine on me

casting a shadow

on one who is worthy

beautiful

2011-12-09T07:08:00.000-05:00

there’ll be parties

and i hope you don’t mind

me imagining you

in a long black skirt

with a not-long-enough slit

[the top

i’ll leave up to you]

and you’ll be beautiful

your dark hair up

and your brown eyes

those big brown eyes

smiling i hope

and you’ll be beautiful

and i hope you don’t mind

me imagining you

standing still for a moment

so i can stare for a moment

[he’ll have you for the rest of the

evening]

i’d like one moment

for myself

however

when i can just gaze

and you’ll be beautiful

and you are beautiful.

You are beautiful.

Cry

2011-12-07T12:53:00.000-05:00

Shout at the mountains

Scream as the sea

Bellow at the heavens

Cry at the storm

Yell at the edge of hell

It does no good

No matter what I do

Despite all my pleas

The passage of years

Appeals for mercy

A reign of vicious tears

I’m still without you

ice cream

2011-12-06T07:47:00.000-05:00

there’s a certain flavor of ice cream

that can be quite hard to find

but if you do

it’s always worth the time

it should be enjoyed slowly

deliberately

it’s sweet and a bit messy

but the tongue will not find

a smoother richer time

whatever dessert you try

the flavor is difficult to describe

but put simply

it’s enjoyment is a

soft slick sensuous ride

it comes in the prettiest wrapper

just slip your fingers

under the bands at the sides

and ever-so gently slide

part the lips and lick

slowly deliberately

playfully

and linger

lovingly

letting your tongue

and sensation

hold sway

and if no one’s looking after

it’s quite alright and understandable

to lick one’s fingers

as one shouldn’t let

a single precious drop

go to waste

too long

2011-12-05T07:56:00.001-05:00

i probably should apologize

it’s impolite to stare

but it’s been too long

since i’ve seen so much

in a woman’s eyes

too long since i’ve heard

so much in her words

it’s just the rush of

a wonderful crush

of feelings

delightful reeling

in things I didn’t know

were still real

emotions
i could still feel

beautiful circles

2011-12-04T13:43:00.000-05:00

there’s a beautiful song

that wasn’t our song

but when I hear it I see you

it’s as close as I get to

touching you these days

pictures of you

as a little girl

that sat on your grandmother’s piano

your wedding portrait

where I knew you could look

as beautiful

but didn’t think

I just didn’t think

there’s a part during

the song when the electric guitar

comes in

and it feels like spinning

and I see you spinning

as a little girl in an Easter dress

as a woman in a wedding gown

that despite not being me

I hope you were spinning that day

and still spin

eyes closed

arms stretched out

in beautiful circles

always in beautiful circles.

rain

2011-12-04T12:43:00.000-05:00

the soft percussion of rain

and the popping accents

of a dying fire

it’s an exercise in

exquisite pain

being here without you

it’s probably best

that you don’t know

and I don’t show

how empty every place

- how I miss you

those words

2011-11-29T11:10:00.000-05:00

it’s always your mouth

the sounds

the lips

the tongue

the words

the touch

the taste

but dear God,

the words:

“I love you.”

God, those words.

Improvisations

2011-11-28T23:35:00.000-05:00

A Coltrane or

Kandinsky Improvisation

Kind of Blue too perhaps

Until a

Soft Kiss

Given in Paris

Near tangible bliss.

diamonds

2011-11-27T21:27:00.002-05:00

as castaways on a deserted island

who save those diamonds we find

wandering the beach

we’re misunderstood and even

mocked

by those who’ve never walked

alone

by those who’ve never truly been

alone

we don’t save them for the wealth

they may bring

should we be rescued

those of us who’ve been walking

these lonely sands for enough time

know that rescue is the fantasy

that being so -

a treasure found is a moment

to be treasured

where at least God hasn’t forgotten us

for those that don’t know love or beauty

diamonds are simply

another metric measure show of wealth

for people like us

the lost nomads

they are a reminder of the beauty

the possibility of

life love

nature God

hope

their shine and sparkle

wealth in and of themselves.

wish

2011-11-27T20:57:00.002-05:00

it’s easier to dream on your kiss

than to think of the moments i’ve missed

the body’s needs are more easily defined

than the heart’s most cherished wish divine

i want to move

as much as touch

listen more than speak

reach beyond what these

hollow words allow me

as porous as they are weak

silence

2011-11-23T05:13:00.000-05:00

forgive me if i don’t speak

it’s not rudeness or disinterest

it’s simply your eyes that render me

a nervous child, helpless and meek

it’s simply your words that still me

amaze, confound, stir all that you can’t see

it’s simply my words always fail to express

that as stunning as you are

it’s your mind and heart that

to me, will always be dearest

forgive me if i don’t speak

it’s simply one of the many moments with you

i desperately want to hold and keep

Battles

2011-11-22T07:56:00.002-05:00

The Old Guard removes

With loving precision

The flag draped coffin

From a sadly worn caisson

With honest but helpless words spoken

Rifle cracks pierce already wounded hearts

Another family tries not to look broken

When the lonely notes of Taps start

Six men make twelve folds

Pressed to chest and wrinkles smoothed out

Stars up and kneeling down

A flag is given to those whose battles have just begun.

lost

2011-11-21T01:03:00.001-05:00

maybe it’s the driving rhythm

the tireless repetition

the bass rattling

the guttural visceral tones

but your moans slip out

as my hand traces your waist

and it slides into your hip

lips find your belly-button

proudly perched atop

a lovely tummy that demands equal attention

it is a magical thing to see you

lost to everything but my kiss

and the sensations of this

the wonderful aching and you

allowing yourself to be taken

wisps of kisses on lips

like you

so tender giving and warm

it is a magical thing to see you

lost to everything but my kiss

lost to everything but this

hammers

2011-11-20T13:20:00.000-05:00

a starling glides along a thermal

while a young boy cries for his mother

blood flows from wounds

gotten from an unyielding pavement

on a carelessly treated canvas

the oil pulls bitterly away

from its unappreciative pigment

tears slip from a lover scorned

letters and precious memories torn

from a gilded past

the soul of knowledge

studies its pawns

as the heart of time

hammers on

orange

2011-11-20T11:54:00.001-05:00

it is a good one

no need for a blade

just a fingernail

properly placed

and strip off the peel

gently, so as not to spill

like unwrapping

a beautiful woman

slowly,

and with only

feigned protest

a slice of heaven

on the tongue

that tastes so…

it almost feels like sin

as a drop of sweet juice

and a momentary peace

slides satisfied

down the chin

touchstones

2011-11-19T12:14:00.002-05:00

When did the harsh reality

Of meaningless practicality

Based on means so arbitrary

Come to be

Valid considerations

In life and love –

the undertaking of

Such an already

cruel and bastardly

capricious condition?

Pragmatic men say I’m a fool

For placing value in a song

For treasuring the sensation

Of the gentle kiss

For worshipping at the ground of

passion –

would God be so much more pleased

by the ruthless acquisition

of meaningless possession?

I know without doubt

When death calls

The music, the fucking,

The kissing, the wine,

The laughter, the friendships,

The joy, the passion,

The precious time,

The love -

[dear God thank you for the love]

is what

Will keep the trembling at bay

My eyes focused and back straight -

It is what

I’ll be thinking about.

Where the Doves Go

2011-11-18T01:49:00.001-05:00

there’s a valley not far from sadness

just head due east until you hit anger

hang a left

and it’s just up the road a piece from fear

it’s covered in grass thick yet soft

fragrant and inviting bare feet

the occasional dandelion bobbing

to and fro

it’s the place where the doves go

peach and cherry blossoms

pepper the ground and float along

a stream dotted with dogwoods

up ahead there’s a small wooden bridge

where many lovers have shared

kisses soft, sweet and slow

in the place where the doves go

though it’s not required

it is polite to keep your voice lowered

in the place where the doves go

it’s a quiet spot for reflection

healing, meditation and compassion

it’s the spot where the doves fly

as they glide out of the corner of your eye

the beautiful place

where the doves go.

leaves

2011-11-17T05:40:00.001-05:00

The leaves are quiet today

Their normal clatter and chatter

Silent

The breeze and winds still

Echoing their disappointment

The words and ideas

Kindness fellowship

Missed in the parks

The hush stark

The grass and trees

Flowers leaves

Bearing witness

To the prescient presence

And its harsh eviction

But conviction is

Not so easily quelled

Not so casually dispelled.

Slowhand

2011-11-17T03:30:00.001-05:00

check the tuning

turn the machines

ever so slightly

e, a, d, g

b’s a little sharp

but i like you

a little tight taut – e

is always right on

hot pickups

buzz

your pearl inlays

shine

it’s hard to concentrate

the neck and body

curves

adjust the saddle a bit

go over the proper slide

technique in my head

firm yet gentle grip

cylinder glides along

and lingers

hold the note

hold it

the bends and pull-offs

harmonics and vibrato

lead or rhythm

smooth fast action

practice, practice, practice.

2011-11-16T12:46:00.001-05:00

next

i still feel you

the warm gentle press of your hip

the soft whisper of your lips

a breath skipped

as your hand finds mine

and hearts race

our fingers play

and greedy hands stray

trying madly to keep pace

searching out satin

and skin and fire

hunger

lace

lust

silk

and desire

with necks and lips

crying out to be kissed

of all your beautiful spaces

and wondrous places

where do i go next?

Moved

2011-11-15T12:01:00.002-05:00

Moved

Ideas are beyond the grasp of

Your riot gear

Freedom does not yield to

Your clubs

Voices will not be silenced by

Fear

Hope will not falter

Determination will not be moved

Our rights will not be moved

The good will not be moved

The right will not be moved

The just will not be moved

We will not be moved.

To Scale / hands

2011-11-15T00:29:00.000-05:00

photo by Hogarth Photography

To Scale

you know that moment

the one when she’s so enthralled

with something

so blissfully in the moment

happy, but somehow she

remembers you’re there

and she turns around…

…and she smiles that smile…

…you know – that – smile…

and you understand

at that moment

almost on a quantifiable scale

how much you love her?

is that not one of the best

fucking moments of your life?

hands

its cold cogs and gears

bolts and lifeless springs

sprockets with razor teeth

mocking face

brutal hands

interminable weights

gentle chimes

awaiting hammers

infinite moments

mark time and again

mercilessly

without you

Note: I've added a couple of pages - 'Dark Matter' - for pieces that I like but that are a bit darker. Sad songs are wonderful when you're in the mood for them, but can be quite a downer, if you're not.

'B - Sides' will be the repository for a good deal of material that I"m fond of, but for whatever reason, I just don't consider worthy or proper 'front page' material including the occasional, and often incomprehensible, oddity.

'til next time - take care.

Spin / Warm Heart / silhouette / construction

2011-11-14T09:21:00.004-05:00

photo by Richard Masoner via Flickr

Spin

kaleidoscopic desire
colors and shapes of you spin in
kisses of Technicolor

Warm Heart

Cold hands, warm heart
So the saying starts
But as my hand touches your cheek
You close your eyes
And press it gently back into my palm
I feel the warmth

In hand

silhouette

writing back to front
red spiral notebook
ink smeared hand
somewhere there’s a girl
who can read not what i
write right
but what I say

and she’ll find me
and she’ll hold me
and I won’t feel so

because when I dream of her
it’s that terrifying wonderful
feeling of falling I feel
when I think of her
I just feel the empty space
somewhere between her
silhouette and flight
is where I want to be

construction

red hearts of construction paper
that first timid kiss
candy on the lips
and butterflies flying madly
about a heart a-lite
with the feel of you
the yes of you
the mystery of us two
the touch of you that insists
new and all too few
the knew and unknowns
the sighs and quick breaths
skin electric alive
my paper heart shyly I give
for in your hands only
do I live

honey eyes / Scream Bye

2011-11-13T05:23:00.000-05:00

honey eyes

dark honey eyes

sparkle brighter

the diamond earrings

[are jealous]

brush away your bangs

curve of your face

lips parted coy smile

dimples playing on your cheeks

shine my darling, shine.

furrow by Kalense Kid via Flickr.com

Scream Bye

A lonely man surveys the carnage

Take flight take care

Fly over the wreckage of human detritus

Millions of lives laid sacrifice to what

The clouds scream bye

The ruins of yet another civilization

Decaying in a despondent sun

Such potential possibility

Lost to the squabbling of arrogant men

Manipulations and machinations

Grassroots or astro-turf

Doesn’t mean a fucking thing

In the end it’s all the same

Fields that have been salted

With a drunken greedy patriotic verve

Walk along the furrows

Bones and flesh compost

For their factory farms

Genetically Modified

Enhanced Irrigation methods

A pyre burns in the distance

The books and bodies and souls

Those that saw their resplendent executioners

Drenched dressed draped in flags awash in crosses

In solemn ignorant procession

As the carrion birds and scavengers

In silk suits and carrying briefcases

Tussle and fight over the last scraps

Baring their teeth growl and snap

Until the bones are picked clean

And move on to the next.

Angkor Wat / Sticky / Window

2011-11-12T09:13:00.000-05:00

Angkor Wat

mercurial river

soft rain on stone

palm fronds nodding

scent and sight

lotus orchid lilies

reflection of the promise

peace serenity

reflection of the possible

reflection of the true heart.

Sticky

Sugar and honey

Nougat and caramel

Dubble Bubble bubble gum

Sticky kisses

Sweet and tangy

Sumptuous candy

Sweetest confections

Your affections.

Window

There you are

By a bay window

Sunlight flirting with your hair

Dancing thru soft strands

Shadows jealous

A book in your hand

Legs kicked under you

Unaware of nature’s

Tug of war

To be near

1942 / Voices / Gratitude

2011-11-11T16:22:00.000-05:00

1942

dreaming again

1942 - there’s my grandfather

handsome in his uniform

NCO Club and he’s at the piano

even Thelonius’d be proud

my grandmother’s beautiful staring at him

Mom said she loved to hear him play

and there you are on stage singing

fire engine red lipstick dress

my God you’re beautiful

then we’re dancing which is odd

because I don’t know how to

yet somehow we’re floating across the floor

and it’s the closest to flying I’ve ever been

Grandad and the band finish the number

you kiss him on the cheek

Grandma hugs you and they walk

walk into a field of daisies.

Voices

As the fragile tendrils of my soul

Are pulled apart one by one

And the shadows skitter about a musty room

I struggle to find my reason

Another barren season of desolation

Dead and parched fields loom

I strain to see

To feel

To care

To be

When a gentle voice cuts thru the gloom

Trying to save me from the dark hungry maw

But I fear I am beyond help and without hope

Just too much hatred and violence this fragile soul

saw.

Gratitude

The fall of your hair on your shoulders

The curve of your neck

The way you kiss me

The sound of your voice

Your easy laugh

Your kind eyes

Your hundred different smiles and the

Thousand different moments you are stunning

Your tenderness and affection

Your passion and conviction

Your humility and grace

Your quiet but ever present strength.

Most days, I’m not sure why you’re with me

but I thank God for it everyday.

Grunt / Dove / Shiloh

2011-11-10T19:47:00.002-05:00

I've never served in the military - peacetime or combat. I know I can't do justice, in words or deeds, to the sacrifices of those of you who have served, but I mean this as a heartfelt tribute to you and your fellow service-members, as I don't have much else I can offer, except my thanks.

Grunt

I joined up outta high school in ’02, 18 and ready to fight

Made it thru Ranger School and wore the Tab with pride

They had me guard oil fields as a nation dragged antiquity

And its history outside

I built fragile friendships with the locals only to have them sour after Abu Ghraib

“You go to war with the army you have.”

So I dug thru the trash for scrap metal humvee armor to keep the guys safe

I made sergeant and saw the contractors live like kings

While our families send care packages and wait for the phone to ring

Tyler and Smith got it in Tikrit, Anderson his leg an IED

I rotated home but had to go back, a guilt a need I can’t define

A pride with sadness at the guys still doing time

This time Helmland, the graveyard of Empires

Brutal cold and scathing heat

Ghosts of Macedonians Huns Mongols Brits and Russians

Amid a ceaseless fire we all meet

From the valleys and poppy fields in the lowlands

To the Hindu Kush in the highlands

A futile pilgrimage millions of soldiers have marched

Millions of lives reduced to dust

Fighting for riches and metals destined to rust

A year I’ve been out back home

And the words still escape me when people expect me to talk

Anger depression guilt

A cell I inhabit but didn’t build

Red or Blue it feels like they’ve forgotten us

The ones in camo and BDU’s

The Grunts and Jarheads the ones who bled

Friends and family thank me but I don’t know if I did any good

Please God, I’m on my knees and need to feel that way one day too

They say we fight for stability freedom and security

But how does a soldier defend an abstract notion

Hoist a flag over a platitude

Soldiers were meant to fight but who gets to decide

Who is evil and who is good?

Dove

Envelop me in your soft wings

Feathers soothe and caress

A private oasis

A calm respite from the madness

Somehow you silence the chaos.

Shiloh

Near a river in early April 1862,

Thousands of men brutally cut each other to pieces,

At what was meant to be a place of peace in southern Tennessee.

In the Fifth Division, marching under Uncle Billy,

We buckled and bent but held the Landing,

A battle bloody as Hell,

And no matter what the papers may say –

Only Generals Grant and Sherman kept us standing.

On April 6^th the Gray Rebs came,

They screamed like banshees, and we fell back and faltered,

Sherman rallied us, our lines bent,

But ultimately wouldn’t be altered.

Himself, yelling like a madman on a big brown charger,

“Hold the line boys! Don’t let ‘em get any farther!”

Wounded twice, once in the hand, once in the shoulder,

He had three horses shot out from under him,

But somehow he pulled us back from Hell’s own brim.

Prentiss held on at the Hornet’s Nest for seven long hours,

But after fifty cannons and the Reb’s own best,

It laid the scene for a night that still won’t let me rest.

From the wounded of both sides, and soon slain,

Came the pleas for water and screams of anguished lonely pain,

God quenched their thirst with a soft spring rain,

Our gunboats still raining down their own hell,

With deadly shot and exploding shell,

Soft pink peach blossoms also gently fell –

As if God himself consecrated that very ground

Where so many of His sons fell too soon,

To this earth and bloody war no longer to be bound.

The next day with Buell’s men having arrived,

We counterattacked those Rebs and finally turned the tide,

Those Rebels fought us tough, they fought with valor,

And for that reason, I’ll always know

No matter how many seasons I yet may see,

I’ll never be worse scared than I was, those two days at Shiloh.

Thank you Veterans, and all who have, or are serving.

The High / Raindrop / Scrunchies

2011-11-10T00:02:00.003-05:00

The High

Walking thru the High

Our fingers interlaced

You in a blue and white dress

The light the hardwood

A Monet

And my love

A moment so replete

No master

Has yet to complete.

Raindrop

A raindrop slid down the window pane

I asked wearily if I could go out and it come in

The raindrop asked the reason for my pain

It smiled a rainbow smile after I explained

It went in and I burst out to begin my journey again

Years I traveled, sailed along skies in clouds of grey

In seas thundering and lakes of calm and ease

A rippling brook, puddles for children’s galoshes jumping

I razed desert’s thirst, raised flowers and grain

Gave life again and again and again

One day I slid along a shiny pane

A man asked to go out and for me to come in

I asked the reason

As I smiled a patient raindrop smile

I explained the wealth he worshipped

The power he acquired were of little use

A selfless heart is what is required

To love another unconditionally, freely give up all you desire

For the benefit of the one you love – just an ember in the fire

We raindrops give ourselves again and again and again

A selfish heart has no place

No place but in the world of man.

Scrunchies

i miss your dooney & bourke purse

the scrunchies on the gearshift

that blue angora sweater

the couch and coffee table in your living room

the way my shirt would pick up some of your perfume

the feeling of holding you

on a chilly night.

the way the whole world slowed down

the way i was at my best

loving you.

White Gloves / Millennium Blues / Pieces

2011-11-09T06:48:00.002-05:00

White Gloves

Floating again in Summertime

Miles is making that horn sing

In a smoky dive

Gentlemen in suits

Ladies wearing white gloves

As I light your cigarette

Cool 4/4 beats drift

Among the gnarled seats

Heavenly notes of

Bourbon, chiffon

And soft perfume float.

Millennium Blues

I woke up late when the world didn’t end

Y2K messed up my alarm but that’s about it

But I got enough canned goods to last

‘Til the next apocalypse and back again

Chief Justice working the robe with the gold lamé

Chad’s hanging around watching the ballots flutter away

Bushes doing the gardening trimming all the brush

When the world fell down in a black acrid rush

Powers that be promised a shopping bag was the remedy

One war’s never enough, Freedom Fries and talking tough

A White House Garden Party

Nibbling imaginary Yellow Cake and sipping ice tea

Make small talk, manufacture consent, swat bugs stomp on dissent

Whatever you do, don’t tell the truth ever

‘Cause the Penguin and Scooter’ll blow your cover

The DOJ’s new sheriff lost a race to a corpse

In between songs, they played on our fear and remorse

Barney Fife spent 12 mil to bring down Tommy Chong and those evil bongs

Turn on the Terror Hoedown – Green swing your partner ‘round

Orange – Stand in place, Red – slide on down to the bomb shelter

Blue, Yellow do some more shopping with that lost look upon your face

The most Patriotic Act is giving up all your rights

‘Cause everyone warrants a warrantless wiretap

Now I’ve got bugs crawling out of my phone

While someone yammers on about known unknowns

The Keystone Cops with an evil streak

Ship of Fools madly paddling their battleship up a dried up creek

The smoking gun wasn’t a mushroom cloud

But the sound of the House calling the bets of the Wall Street crowd

Self absorbed pricks picking the bones and pockets of a system that’s fixed

Credit Default Swaps, CDO’s, “Shitty Deals” and corrupt CEO’s

Ignorant pageant queens talking about quantitative easing

All of a sudden I’ve got a queasy feeling

Cause somehow its my fault, I shouldn’t have forced them to give me that loan

Now I’m laid off and a robo-signer just foreclosed on my home

But everything’s going to be okay

Orangeman and Turtle are here to save the day

Protect us from the subversive clap-trap of NPR and Click and Clack

Our heroes in the Tricorner hats screeching that they want their country back

A polyester revolution complete with party favors and silly hats

Wrapped in their flags and smeared with apple pie

The true patriots know that God is on their side

So they solemnly shove their beliefs down my throat

Knowing without doubt that God loves them the most

…I hate to interrupt, and I know we haven’t met

But this is my country too, or do you need to see my birth certificate.

Pieces

Toil against the chaos

Push on in goodness

Hold fast to the piece of peace you find

If you need bread take mine

If you’re thirsty here’s my wine

If you find the chance further down the road

Pay another back in kind.

One Star / Mustang / Solace / The Worst Part

2011-11-08T20:26:00.000-05:00

One Star

Linear time a simple construct

Merely a convenient paradigm

So I fold back the veneer

Back to when I held you near.

In that moment, in our kiss

Is where I live

Your brown eyes shine

Cut through space and time

A guide to take me home

Thru all the dimensions I have roamed

For that one sublime eternal instant

Our kiss, one star

Burning forever in the distance.

Mustang

I have no name nor want of one as

A name is but the first step to subservience

I roam the plains as my ancestors did

The legends say a man named Cortes

Brought the first of my kind to these lands

We are smaller than our forebears,

But can run faster longer on less

I run with the ease and as naturally

As you draw your next breath

We ran north until The People

Walked out of the woods and harnessed the first of us

They roamed as we did, living in balance

With the seasons and the land

As times changed so did the needs of the people,

And again we were allowed to run the lands

There are fewer and fewer of us each year

So I tell our story

They call us Mustangs

But a label isn’t much different than a name

I am a creature born to run

And will do so until the day I return to the land

And that is all that matters.

Solace

i want drugs

hard soft

i don’t care

just give me a moment

where when how why

the pain is gone

a second a minute when

i don’t miss you

an hour a day a place where

everything doesn’t remind me of you

a respite from the torrent

an instant free from the chaos

the solace i only ever

found in your touch

i found in your kiss

The Worst Part

The worst part isn’t that I

Can’t pull her close to me anymore

Kiss her hard as her perfume washes me away

Kiss her again

Pull off her soft blue sweater soft off

Kiss her again

Feel her lips brush my neck

Kiss her again

Wrestle with her belt jeans around her hips

The worst part isn’t that I

Can’t revel in her soft freckled skin

Kiss her hard

Slide a bra-strap off her shoulder and kiss

Not feel the curves of her

Feel the curve of the small of her back

Kiss her again

Run my fingers thru her hair

Grab her ass hard and pull her close

Feel her glorious small tits hers

Her perfect tits hers

Kiss her

Undo the bra

Kiss her

Pull the elastic of her panties from her hips

And slide

Kiss her

Then my hand back up her legs

Kiss her hard

Feel the warm wet satin soft her

Kiss her harder

Pull her close

Pull her closer

And never let go

The worst part is that I can’t tell her how much

I love her

This moment

Every moment

The now

The then

The forever

Her

Beautiful Her.

flight / Sandpaper / Projector / Fields

2011-11-08T15:33:00.001-05:00

flight

magic

classic beauty

incarnate

peace and calm

in troubled seas

cool damp cloth

on fevered brow

the snap of air

as wings take flight

she is all that is light

all that is right

Sandpaper

Sandpaper against my brain soul flayed

I can’t believe the foolish games that I played

Twenty years of pain and penitence

And it still doesn’t make any fucking sense

The dark spaces suffocate(make it stop)

The fear and anger always overtake(make it stop)

Pleading and prayers don’t placate(make it stop)

The pain and doubt never abate(makeitstop)

The hollowness is deafening the void blinding

Broken mirrors strewn about a cramped hall

Shards of dreams and promises on a dark path winding

Down the stairs into the cellar

Only the worst possible you’s dwell here

In the shadows of the bitter corrosive air

I find a faded dusty photo of me the way I was supposed to be

On the back in a hand I know

Every mistake every regret carefully shown.

Projector

I want

the charm of Cary Grant

a date at the Empire State Building

the steely blue eyes and

coolness of Paul Newman

to solve a murder with Grace

perhaps be a

photographer in Paris

reporter in Rome

I guess a writer in New York

and meet a girl named Audrey

engrave a memory

at Tiffany’s

if you see him

tell Yunioshi sorry

about the noise.

Fields

A forest of white and gray

Birches

Marble columns

A field of honey colored

Grass

Parquet

The orchestra of

Larks mourning doves and nightingales

Violas cellos and violins

You in a

Simple white dress

Elegant lace and satin gown

And

Always us – dancing

Field or manor

Town or country

Mountain or sea

Always us

Always you

Always me.

Union / Teachers / Simple Man / W.

2011-11-08T04:56:00.001-05:00

Union

Words don’t mean shit when the stick’s sparks are burning my skin

I’ve busted my knuckles turning too many bolts

Felt the coal dust settle in my lungs

Run too many miles of wire

Crawled thru the company’s shit

Taught your kids and put out your fires

Don’t talk to me about responsibility

Don’t tell me about sacrifice

Don’t speak of integrity

Only to steal my future then smile nice

I work for a living – I know who I am

Don’t tell me what it is to be an American

I’ve bled for my family would fight for my neighbors and this land

I work hard and try my damndest to be a good man

So don’t you fucking tell me what it is to be an American.

Teachers

Teachers are,

after moms and dads,

God’s greatest gift to children.

Simple Man

Late some nights I watch my wife sleep

I wonder if I’m everything she needs

Am I half of what she is to me?

My rock my storm my peace my soul

A warm safe refuge from the driving wind and bitter cold.

Late some nights I watch my children sleep

Will we have kept our promises?

And left this place better than we found it

Worthy of their innocence and kindness

A place to howl a place to pray

A place to love a place to play.

Late some nights I look in the mirror

And try to divine the sight I see

A simple man trying to do right

By his wife

By his family

Trying to do right by what he believes.

few were shocked

no one awed

most wept.

Couple of notes:

"Union," For the folks in Ohio and Wisconsin - I wish I was able to a better job on it, but it's hard to improve on Mother Jones - "Pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living."

"Simple Man," is something I wrote for my brother; I'm still in awe at how the kid I grew up with has become such a great husband and dad.

I've been fortunate enough to have had a bunch of amazing teachers/professors over the course of my schooling, and even more fortunate to have one or two in my personal life. They are amazing people that literally change kids' lives every day - they deserve our warmest thanks and appreciation.

'til next time - take care. And give 'em hell, Ohio.

Shattered / ... / My Contribution / Above All

2011-11-07T15:15:00.001-05:00

Shattered

The Urn is smashed the Shell shattered

Crushed under the weight of self-righteous hypocrisy

Replaced with an alter over the graves of those you deem unworthy

You bathe in your arrogance encourage ignorance

The 'bleeding hearts and artists' enemies of the state

Those who believe differently to be served upon your plate

Self-congratulatory piety the order of the day

Simplistic masturbatory jingoism decreed the only way

Demagogues and their Squealers

Parade about the farm

Extolling their virtue while dismissing those they harm

The phrase ‘Whatever you do unto the least of these…’

A liberal media socialist conspiracy

All animals are equal, except for them, those over there and these

"Tolerance is not to be Tolerated.”

Reflection education berated

God a possession, one all your own

Divisiveness reaped from the hatred you have sown

You offer the hungry Psalms

The homeless Letters

The sick Revelations

And get a receipt for your tax preparations

Have the courage of grace

The strength to forgive

But don’t tell me the correct name to address my God

Or deign to tell me how I should live.

...

Hot

Sweaty

Dirty

Passionate

Gorgeous

Sublime

Beautiful

Intimate

...

My Contribution

A disease of the body politic

Your bribes the sepsis running thru our veins

Your PR department’s press release

Machinations of a festering brain

Shills and shysters

Con men and thieves

Corporate Pimps and your Congressional Whores

Petty criminals with MBA degrees

Cost Benefit Analysis

Of a nation’s paralysis

Profit or loss another body tossed

Just a Civil Suit acceptable cost

Jefferson warned of your treachery

What’s true then true today

Gave us poison and sold us the cure

Little more than

Soulless whores trying to act demure.

Above All

Dance, fuck, sing

Write, dream, laugh

Paint, learn, play

Cuddle, kiss, read

Flirt, swear, give

Cherish, adore

Listen, love.

Love.

Above all – love.

'til next time - take care.

Mischievous / Curves and Angles / Conflict / Sight

2011-11-07T00:02:00.005-05:00

Mischievous

You would give me such

wonderful loud wet kisses

smacks on the cheek and lips

and smile your mischievous smile

and I’d feign my annoyance

and more wonderful wet kisses

I’m not a bright man

nor an actor

but I do have my moments

and thank God

for those

you

and those wonderful loud wet kisses.

Curves and Angles

When I close my eyes

It’s your body

That I see

Moving under me

As sexy sensuous dirty

As you want to be

My Lady My Courtesan

A vision in lace

Evening dress

Effortless grace

The push and pull

Sophisticated seduction

Erotic suggestion

Lovers’ secrets

Whispered in polite conversation

Take my hand

We have things to do.

The warm soft curves

And hard angles

Of passion’s indiscretion.

Conflict

ashes and cartridges

litter charred ground

despair smoke and death

fill a shamed sky

no sound except

crunch of boot heels

gravel dirt caked with blood

an empty swing

swings in the wind.

Sight

It’s 3:24 a.m. and my soul is screaming

Yet again thinking of you and dreaming

All the words unsaid all the things left undone

There are no more roads left for me to run

Memories of you console and haunt

The mistakes I made forever taunt

Your smile your voice

Your mind your heart

Soft hair and freckled skin

I held the world but let it slip time and time again

Only ghosts and echoes tread the places the memory of you and I go

Where the breezes are soft-sweet and the light is low

Where the sun meets the horizon

Where the finish meets the end

What I miss most every day is my best friend

He’s a good man please thank him for me

He’s taken care of you and been a better man than I could ever be

Remind him to cherish every moment with you

Your laugh Your cries Every smile he’s blessed to see

You’re the light and the air

Everything beautiful here today and those yet to be

Memories of you light my darkness

And even today are the only way my tired eyes manage to see.

'til next time - take care.

Moments / Sandbox / prayer / Senses / Fly a Kite / hot pink / kinetic

2011-11-06T15:46:00.008-05:00

Howdy.

My name is not M.E. Brady (anymore than it's J.S. Doe), but as a 'Pen Name,' it will do. I don't know exactly what this site will be (though I do have a fairly good idea), but that's part of the fun.

For the time being, and for simplicity's sake, it's just a place for me to put up poems that I've written. There are good ones, there are one or two I think are great, and there are more than a few that are, at best, mediocre crap - but they're all me.

And the ones about Her - She of the capitalized pronoun - well, they are all about Her. Her and only Her. It's been a ridiculously long time but a heart, apparently, will not forget.

The 'Comments' section is off, but if you feel strongly enough about getting in touch, there's an email address at the bottom of the page.

The site will be updated daily (or thereabouts), while doing my best to spread the 'good' ones out with the 'bad.'

If I can impart one hard-earned piece of wisdom to you - if you find someone that you love, treasure each moment and hold on like hell.

'til next time - take care.

Moments

Your mouth, lips

Soft, supple kiss

Blush on your cheek

Touch of Chanel on your neck

I zip you up; necklace clasp

You straighten my tie

Smile your smile

Those brown eyes

These are the moments

These are the moments.

Sandbox

frayed curtains in a ramshackle house

modest honest built with love

a broken man on his porch

trying to figure out

how to tell his wife

his love

laid off

as his daughter plays

in the sandbox

prayer

I say your name like a prayer

Softly whispered

A plea, a summons, a wish

A small prayer locked within

A small word that means so much

Senses

I hear the sound of your heels

The whisper of your breath on my neck

The rustle of your stockings

I drift away at the scent of

Your perfume

Your hair

Your skin

My hands were meant to be

Around you

Exploring

Imploring

Bound to you

The ups and downs

The ins and outs

Of you

The moment I see you

You are radiant without knowing

Without trying

- your smile

- you in that dress

The taste of you

of your

kiss.

Fly a Kite

I want to –

Play in the rain with you

Dodge raindrops

Jump in puddles

Kiss you soft-ly

Fly a kite with you

In a field of flowers

For three and one quarter hours

Kiss you hard-ly

Take a walk with you

And hold your hand

Along a beach – there’d be sand

Kiss you silly-ly

Hold you when you’re sad

Kiss away your tears

Love you madly for years and years

Kiss you hard-ly soft-ly

passionate-ly

and every

between.

hot pink

better than any drug

more encompassing than any

sedative stimulant

your hot pink lips lipstick pops

soft skin fingers trace

gentle assurances

of brown eyes whispered

between

subtle come ons

you brush your hair back

behind your ear

and your earring dances

light bouncing off it

your eyes

and smile

warmth of your breath

on my neck

and I start falling

or is it flying

again.

kinetic

you are

narcotic-ally erotic

automatic, synaptic

kinetic

carnally unapologetic

warm wet aesthetic.