phoenix twins

wandering eyes alone in all this empty air

green dreams curled up fetal and fluorescent

lazy horrors hover on the warmish breath of the night winds current

no point of orientation in this place

even though it took them days to reach

he hesitates to listen

to stretch out his ears

to listen for a voice

the crushed iron throat of a dead giant

still heaving

the sickening sound of all these hanging things

making dull contact with each other

hollow thuds

in absolute defiance

in slow anger

with bits still clinging there against the pole

moon like an impossibly healing scar in motion

there she rises wetly

slowly growing older

in the deepening tenor of night

the blackness thins then mists away

and whirls the dawn drowning hues

around her form

her canopy

her labyrinth

her sixty second sentiment

summer dress

reborn and beautiful

The Elk

And once it never mattered

And twice did I ever care

Three times were all it took

Four for lost wishes

Five twilight's I've lived through

Six senses, that's one too many...

Seven tried to hard

Eight, lost it all

when once upon a time they were happy

Stone House

in disguise and walking through some far away hall of fame

on some rocky shore

all that dried paint ruined your brushes

from here on high dances the scattering crow winds

from here on high we're slightly hypnotized

by the confusing waves crashing coldly

on December beach

from here on out watching single gulls

erasing a path through the darkening skies

while those who moved away witnessed

blasted brushstrokes of cloud from vicious railways

mountains removed from cloud cover

send formations of birds westward to contradict the rain

from here on high the memory you hold

some sweet childhood together we missed

barely there

you concentrated on unclenching your hands

to cast a stone into that cold crashing spray

wanting to shake that forbidden fruit from your hair

to taste our time with all your broken arrows

planting flowers on that rocky shore

a refuge of orchids now grow there these days

petals kissing the ground

all whilst breathing in the familiar scent

of her razor winter

she is coming

An Anchor

The second Summer's haze shimmers grey

regrets its passage to the sea

calling all comforts to closed blinds

soothing mint winds disinfects the bleeding horizon

faded like the painted red roses rusting on her shoes

transparent though her ghost glows softly upon hearing the right chords

she wraps herself in all his healing sorrows

to catch the faint scent of their last week by the sea

(I couldn't ever bear to capture these moments in focus)

finally having to acknowledge that nest had begun to unravel

10 tempting days drifting by so slowly

just waiting to hear one simple word

never once uttered

"Stay"

Garden

Arch your crane like neck

there by the fire escape

while delicate night shimmers around a rooftop garden in November

the soft smell of garlic in the air

high above these wanting black buildings

where you learned to walk again

peeking down at the movement

these moments so slight

from up on high, away from all the soulless car crash

and sarcastic footfall

tired patterns of compliance

wind whipped hair

kissing the frosted iron bars with your face pressed between them

a perfect frozen flower

as an observer

as a single snowflake descends

for something you loved so intensely

then discarded so suddenly

Overcast

I needed some kind of seeking vision

to compete with the power

of your naked shadow castaway

forgotten mementos, Arctic waters

our time as a sinking ship

your picture on the wall

the small spaces between the falling rain

came together to form your smile today

since then and ever after

on every overcast glorious grey day

there is a reason to rejoice

Satellite

"closer"

said six clouds closing in

while perched there pretending

everything assumed was part of this

faint lights brush across your lost lips

the sea breeze sends grains of salted sand

while bending moonbeams stretching their fingers

watching little orange lights wink in the distance

trying to tend to this laughing garden of stars

blaming the morning breeze

for undressing our inspiration

and all the love shining there in your satellite smile

while presently the moon rises