Quiet Rivers

the first time a man lost sight
of words to complete
or erase an entreaty marked
the birth of poetry, i’d like
to believe.
the heartbeat
after a thousand i’m sorries,
is gotta be the most profound,
don’t ya think so,
too?
the gesture lost,
the one you make
behind a retreating back; now,
that is poetry, words leaving
in a huff,
words you run after
while your soul
cultivates the driest
tears.
and […]

Read Full Post »

i was thinking about you the other day
and as suddenly i caught myself smiling
at the thought of your name,
and maybe that’s how we build a faith,
or a trust, or a barnyard full of friends;
by simply believing the best
of those we touch along the day,
or dream along in moonlit nights…
and there the thought fell dead,
leaving future […]

Read Full Post »

my heart counts with fingers
that don’t cooperate at the best of times,
my soul craves a different province,
and my mind is often lost
in abstractions
between.
so how, in the name of all that’s holy,
do you expect me to understand
the texture
of your silences?
i read the words you write,
the poignancies you mutilate
with every revisitation; those tastes
you remember imbibing but don’t […]

Read Full Post »

Keep smiling; stay away, you don’t
have to speak a single word,
don’t spoil the lovely nights I worship
when I’m not hurting.
Don’t speak to me
about things you haven’t found
the courage to leave well enough
alone;
it’s way easier
to quit smoking when you’re sick,
harder still to forgive yourself
when you have no one beside you
you trust enough to practice
forgiveness on.
Trust, it’s […]

Read Full Post »

Sometimes, I find myself writing words for others; as if, inherently doubting the value of first-hand and unasked-for advice, the only hand I could offer in empathy, and one that might prove of some worth in the long run, was an invisible one. A drawn-out exchange requiring discernment in silence. If such might be possible.
For […]

Read Full Post »