When we face the gate of fire at the end of our journey,
and the creator beckons us forth,
what enchanting tale shall we regale him of our spell
spent on his land?

We will speak of the wandering souls encountered
on the pathway to the next.
Tell of the ones who abandoned our wreckage
and whisper of those who carried us on.

Weep at the thought of the ones who went early
to dwell in the land of spring.
Recall their ways and faces
and know we shall see them again in time,

Reminisce on the wild and wondrous adventures we had
and beam down on the memories shared.
The Earth still spins without us there
but our mark was left in soft song and kind word.

Whatever lies beyond this life
shall suffice for me.
Forgive my simple mortal mind
and may my soul be free.

In the light of the streetlamps
I looked upon you
as a sailor looks over the sea.
I watched the fire in your eyes
flicker and burn.
It called me back to
memories of waking up
on your couch,
the smell of syrup and rain
on a Sunday afternoon.
Suddenly I feel
your silk sheets sliding
off of my cool skin in the summer time,
hours spent enveloped
in the folds of your body,
tangled in your hair,
a soft auburn forest .
I felt the lure of your scent
as I fell at your feet
pledging allegiance of my sable heart
unto this
goddess
before my filthy hands.
Crumpled in a heap before you,
you stepped over my weeping soul
and into sturdy arms.
Arms that never dreamt of your skin,
never went sleepless over
the quiver of your lip.
Arms that never felt weak and worthless
in your absence.
Not how mine did.
Those arms are strong
they will strangle the warmth
from your bones,
leave you shivering in the road
where I shall find you by the light of the streetlamps
only recognizable by the dying fire in your eyes.
I see your darkness now.
Your miserable wallowing worst
I pray this time
you shall see
my light.

Leave your concious mind
into vivid dreams
fall into the sheets
to watch stars capsize
beneath a distant horizon.
Cling to their brilliance
swing from their beams above the fields
call farewell to the
antagonists
who shoved you too far
Whisper into the vacant spaces
words of reassurance
tell yourself
'it's okay to follow the light'
an escape
beyond the reaches of your lifetime
into the heavy darkness.
let the stars lead you
so readily
beyond.
So forlorn
is the echo
of your final goodbye.

My bones creak like an old house
that has sheltered the darkest memories
a hundred
forlorn people.

I sway in the wind,
groaning, whining,
settling my foundation
in your soft earth.

The sable skies have passed on
and I rest on your shoulder
beneath the sun.
This old house
lays still and peaceful.

i am torn pages
from a book
gathering dust
behind the shelf
just broken twigs underfoot
of a marching army
and only gray snow
piled along
i-84
going straight from Phoenix to
nowhere special
i became the wind at
5 a.m.
and the moon
at noon.
i went  unnoticed
this long
i can make it
to the end
without further incident
perhaps the coldness
of crippling exhaustion will be kind
and leave me numb
in my dying day.

.
Drinking straight from the bottle and
kissing with the taste of
Jack and Jim
on my lips.
Jose
wanted some, too.
.
You got the leftovers
when I forgot the difference
between you
and that lamp
because you both
kissed me
the same
empty way.