WITNESS PROTECTION

"witness protection"

a waning winter's soft reflection
shows the ceilings of protection
swiftly caving in
a spectacular disaster
the shields could not drop faster
stepping back and giving in.

the archers have evacuated
and tower guards have drifted off to sleep
armor doesn't fit your skin
the front door's latch is broken in
and all the hallways run a bit too deep

you have shattered all the windows
and released all of the shadows
weary minds have sown
echoes of old conversations
no use for expectations
the known turns to the unknown.

there's a possibility in chance
there's also risk of sifting through debris
only victors face the doubt
walls that can keep everything out
are the same that never set you free

THE FOREBODING CALM

"the foreboding calm"

the blaring sound of silenced birds
perched still atop the swaying limbs
of trees that rock in violent wind
and moan like sunday hymns

the clouds have swept across the sky
and stamped light short of its goal
the summer heat has turned a chill
which stutters through my soul

people's words come out as whispers
as static passers pass on by
from underneath a poplar tree
where all the view is sky

wind comes in from all directions
brushing grass across my feet
the storm that hails from everywhere
can offer no retreat

FLUTTER UNDER FLURRIES

"flutter under flurries"

the green cup,
clutched in warming hands,
emanating ripples that roll up to an edge,
then echo,
back upon themselves,
then eventually rejoin with where they begin.
as night air
that tries to pierce glass,
cannot win the fight as heat i hold fights it back,
like the sweet voice,
still whispers in my ear,
talks above the worries until they dissappear,
like butterflies,
that shouldn't have survived,
yet flutter under flurries
in light of new sunrises.

METRONOME RIVER

"metronome river"

pound out a metronome river.
follow a cloud that rests soft.
capture the coy glance,
fulfillment fed,

hide in the gaps

between

words that were said.

crush in the folds of creation.
beauty of luminous light.
questionless answers,
on tabletops,

planets will spin,

inside,

everything pops.

SIGHT UNSEEN

"sight unseen"

the camouflage of scattered light
can blind it all away,
the sight is hard to hold onto
when memories decay,
connect unspoken dialogues
upon less traveled streets,
the lights can burn out when it counts,
some history repeats

trees hold hands between the clouds,
eyelashes interlace,
a portrait hangs on crooked nail,
abstraction hides the face.
the street has felt feet standing here,
a thousand steps before.
eyes will keep from opening
if you always lock the door

the grief is for a missing song,
but hope can find new beats.
some lights can burn holes through the dark,
some history repeats.

SINKING SUN

"rhyming words on sinking suns"

feet leave the maps of people's course
the land will quick forget
seas beat down like a frothing horse
carrying off the debt

stallions play with an orb of fire
they flicker blue to red
skies will mirror the earth's desire
before they go to bed

gusts of grit and white birds in drift
drown sound in static noise
the gray of later hours shift
a race against horse toys

and in one burst of cross hatched light
the flares are pulled below
stars always sink without a fight
but not without a show