the movement of images in & out
of the mouth
go calm, go rhythmic
as the rise & fall of waves,
as one sits in the lotus position
over the world,
holding the pen so lightly
that it scarcely stains the page,
holding the breath
in the glowing cage of the ribs,
until the heart
is only a living lantern
fueled by breath,
& the pen writes
what the heart wills
& the whole world goes out,
goes black,
but for the hard, clear stars
below.
full complement offingers, toes,little rose bloomingin a red universe,which once wanted you lessthan emptiness,but now holds youfast,containing your rapid heartbeat under itsslower oneas the earthcontains the sea…O avocado pitalmost ready to sprout,tiny fruit treewithin sightof the sea,little swimming fish,little land lover,hold on!hold on!Here, under my heartyou’ll keeptill it’s timefor us to meet,& we come apartthat…
to catch up with us.We have been travelinga long time.Behind us are forests of bookswith pages green as leaves.A blood sun staresover the horizon.Our souls are slow.They walk miles behindour long shadows.They do not dance.They need all their strengthmerely to follow us.Sometimes we run too fastor trip climbingthe rotten rungsin fame’s ladder.Our souls knowit leads…
with iambs jumping in his hair like fleas,with all the revisions of his bodyunsaying him,walks to the podium.He is about to tell ushow he came to this.
To please mummy & daddy?To find a home for their furniture?To found a family of one’s own,possibly a dynasty?To fill the world with more booksthat have no readersor books that have too many& killtoo many trees?What is the passionthat drives usas the wind drivesa winged seed?To reproduce ourselves,then die?To meet God onceif only in a…
in my husband’s house& the snow gently rising in my throatlike guilt,& the windows frosted overas if etched by acid.You have come from the desert& have left a little sandbetween my legswhere it rubs & rubs& secretes a milky fluid,finally a poemor a pearl.I am your oyster shell,your mother of pearlgleaming like oil on waterfor…
wet & red as the inside of your mouth,full & juicy as your probing tongue,warm as your belly against mine,deep as your navel leading home,soft as your sleeping cock beginning to stir,tight as your legs wrapped around mine,straight as your toes pointing toward the bedas you roll over & thrust your hardnessinto the long tunnel…
