bend me
to their will
but I’ll snap back. Not
allowing them to fill
my head with flack.

They can
sting me
with their tongues. But
they’ll die as the stingers
fall. Words to me
have no weight
at all!

They can
throw me
to the wolves. But I’ll dance
in the sun/warble in the forest.
I kick up my heels when
I’m the sorest.

the oceans drained
till the sea turned desert
and the clouds inert
so, it stopped the rain
someone pulled the plug
and it's hard to feign

All
the stars collided
till the sky broke gas
in this billowing mass
men cried
it wouldn’t pass

All
the forests burned
every tree that stood
took a turn to fall
nothing but ash left
in a smoky squall

All
the flags bled
from mans oversized head
into the mire
the birds on the wire
were cooked
as the chickens in the fryer

of the bread
the thick part at the end
everybody discards
some men feed to the ducks
I’m just a piece of crust
But I hold the whole frigging loaf

I’m the heel
of the foot
a cracked, dried bottom
people walk on
not the shiny, painted toes
that everybody shows
But I’ve soul

I'm the heel
some men say
a punk with junk
a stinging ray
a callous mutt
so, they say
but I aren't I tough!

I’m the heel
of the red high shoe
the stiletto
that raises woman’s view
I make them taller
when they’re smaller
I make them ****
men get apoplexy
and swoon

as a rubber band
wrapped around my hand
digging deep into the skin
cutting off circulation

I’m stretched
as cherry glossy taffy
bubbled and buttered
that’s why I’m daffy
the ingredients in the mix
turned me into this

I’m stretched
out as a sheet
I have wrinkles
no pleats
I’m tossed on
and pulled
soiled in
and spilled

I'm stretched
as a fisherman's net
that's why I catch
all that lands
in the strands

I’m stretched
of my imagination
I turn snowflakes into stars
eat them as candy bars
so, I’m lit
as of now I haven’t quit

the azure sky
turn to stone etched grave
and wonder why
my hollow eyes concave

I watch
diamonds dancing
on the sea
turn to dregs
of lemon tea
I wonder why
the albatross fly
the snow crab flee

I watch
the muddy river run
the day melting as candles
in the sun
I wonder why
the colors bleed
into shards of make-believe

I watch
the bullfrog croak
through the larynx
in his throat
a bassy bello hello
as the tadpole’s scatter
and I wonder
why they chatter

I watch
the salty moon
cast a shadow
on the loon
and I wonder
why he swims
when the light
is so dim

from the inside you don’t stick
out. Dark as stout you fade in a chocolate
sky. The stars shine around you. But
a storm’s inside you.

When you’re torn
from the outside everyone runs. Hot
as the sun you burn them with scorn. You’re
adorned with spikes, a cactus on ice.

When you’re torn
from the top you pop as a balloon. All the
air leaks out of you. Men stare as you
shrivel up like a prune. They scoop you up
with a spoon.

When you’re torn
from the bottom men walk over you
as the leaves in autumn. You bleed
orange, yellow and red, unravelling as
a loose thread.

When you’re torn
in pieces you’re as fleece is shorn,
a soft, billowing pile of mourn. Till you harden
as the ground in winter. You splinter into
toothpicks men stick olives in. Here’s a toast
to “this might have been”

When you’re torn
in two you’re half –
not this or that. You’ve
a twin brother that smothers you. Not
a day to cover you.

hot as a sidewalk
in July. You can fry an egg
on me. I’m a hustling, bustling
public street.

I am
cool as a midnight
serenade, covering you in
golden brocade. You’d get lost
in the reverie of evergreen,
turquoise waters
and bubbling streams.

I am
a starlight band. You can
dance in the moonbeams and
rainbows, weep in the milkweed
and widows.

I am
a baby lamb, soft as the first
snowfall. But building in
tempo. You can paint a farm
with me. I am the orchards. I am
the bees. I am the marmalade sky
and fields, the whippoorwill and
daffodil.

I am
black and white
on paper, a scratching on
a napkin, glossy print in
a magazine/stuck in pages
in between a book. Never **-hum –
I am poem.

is the sun shining
and children laughing
this is happening
as I cry

Why
are the stars blinking
lover’s eyes twinkling
what are they thinking?
as I’m all alone

Why
is the day
rolling as a stone
as I stand still
I’d had my fill of lies
disguised as dreams
I despise these foolish things

has a spiky thorn
that’ll jab you
even shorn
so, beware child
beware
of sweet perfume
in the air

Every sky
has a rainy cloud
cloaking you in a gray shroud
so, beware child
beware
of cotton candy
high up there

Every ocean
has a rip
that’ll drag you
from shore
a trip that’ll **** you up
spit you out as an apple core
so, beware child
beware
of a watery
dancing flare

Every viper
has fangs
laying still
as parted bangs
so, beware child
beware
don’t trap yourself
in his snare

hung
as a pendulum
and swung as so
side to side
of all my woe
till I let go

My head
is thread
as if sewn on
and unraveled
to some man’s song

My head
is weaned
as if sliced
from a guillotine
weaned of all smiles
and laughter
no sweet kisses
thereafter

on the vine
plump and ripe
between the twine
hands came
and plucked me
tore my skin
and crushed me
till I broke
and bled
a river of red
bottled up
and labeled
made to sell
as old Clark Gable

I sat heavy
in his stomach
as indigestion
burning holes
with my questions
he couldn’t walk
so, he rolled
as a joint
and smoked me cold

I sat heavy
as dust on the furniture
of an abandoned house
you can draw letters
on my table
with a finger
write a note
it'll linger
for a fortnight
then disappear
out of sight

I sat heavy
as a ‘56 Chevy
painted blue
with a hardtop
and high mileage
but none volunteered
to be my pilot

was a mile
I’d circle the earth
and back again
the hardest walk
without a friend

If every teardrop
was a match
I’d light a forest the world around
till I flattened the ground
and all the trees
crumble as leaves

If every teardrop
was a raindrop
I’d flood the oceans
with my emotions
men have to build an ark
surrounded by circling sharks

If every teardrop
was a note
they’d hang in the air
a song of love and despair
and men waltz
bowing their heads
till they all went off to bed

If every teardrop
was a rung
I'd climb
till spring has sprung
heaven high
and touch the moon
till tulips bloom
from hazel eyes
daffodils and butterflies

as the sunrise in the morning
bursting flavors of cherry pie
in a charcoal sky.

You’ll miss me
as a cool breeze waltzing
through the window
giving you a tingle

You’ll miss me
in the afternoon drinking
Chamomile tea
as you swirl the honey
with a spoon
the golden daisy
that you bloom
lost all of her perfume

You’ll miss me
as the silence is deafening
the still grass in the backyard
is threatening
not a footprint to flatten a blade
all ***** as if marching a parade

once you’ve left
the safety of the ledge
you can’t climb back
to the landing –
the place you were standing

You can’t uncook
the meat in the frying pan
once it hits the heat
it’ll not be raw again

You can’t unsay
the words you’ve said
once they slip pass the lips
they’re lost in the abyss

You can’t undo
the thing you’ve done
like a knot tied in a rope
once you slide down
the slippery *****

You can't untangle
the mess you're in
like snarls in hair
you can't brush out
the strands matted
and clumped together
like hair down the drain
you can't sew it on
the head
like crusts cut off
a piece of bread

You can’t unlive
this life you have
you can’t go back
in a time machine
and live the dream

the clanking sound
at eleven o’clock searching in
the dark for a frying pan. The smell
of bacon and eggs, and thumping

legs taking the grub
back to his room, studying
all night and waking at noon. I’ll miss
the bedhead at two, as he stumbles

into the shower, and the hugs –
even though he towers over me,
at six-three. I’ll miss the kisses
as I leave to do the shopping. The laundry

will be light without all his shirts
he wears once, towels and socks. And I’ll
miss the talks on the couch as we’re
watching tv. But most of all I’ll miss the laughing!

The innocence and future of youth lost.
Such a travesty of life at a very high cost.
What feeble mind gets to play God?
Ending all these lives, superfluous fraud!

Empty homes, families shattered.
Sons and daughters, bodies tattered.
We shan't escape the evil, the bane.
What prompted wickedness we can't explain.

All we are left with is the ****** aftermath.
By some form of devil that took its wrath.
Where do we go from here; how do we mend?
And who do the survivors now come to depend?

on your head
as dandruff, shakes off
in bed. And it falls all over
me as snow on the old oak tree.

The frost
on your lashes
are frozen crystals
from all the years you
cried. They solidified.

The frost
on your lips
have sunken ships. You’ve
icebergs as teeth. You’re breath
an artic blast, even a polar bear
couldn’t fare.

The frost
on your hands
are hockey rinks. Every finger
is an icicle stick. This heart
the puck you bat around. I’m flying
high on the ground.

in you. You held all my broken
pieces. You smashed the glass
screen, shattered the woman
and dream. Stripped the veneer,
blew in my holes/laid me bare
down to my soles.

I lost myself
in reverie, shadow of
a memory. Tossing and sweating
as cut-up vegetables
in a wok, covered in the sauce.

I lost myself
on printed paper. Now
that it’s out there. There is no
eraser. For years I’ve spilled the ink
as perfume on the dresser/ born to
feel lesser.

I lost myself
in drink. My head in pain/ on the
brink of disaster. For me there is no
ever after.

and hold them in your hands. They’ll not fit
back the same again. A snake can’t
crawl back into his old skin. A butterfly
does not hide inside her cocoon. You can’t

reattach the branch you’ve pruned. The golden,
crimson leaves won't hitch back to the trees
once they've fallen. But they’ll grow new as skies
turn blue. Not the same, but just as beautiful. Take these

broken pieces and build a mosaic. Let all that see
the light reflected. The blues sapphires. The reds
rubies. The greens emeralds. A kaleidoscope of
broken glass turns into an eagle flying over the

horizon. All this from scattered chips
lying on the ground. And in the hands of
a man that found them to be beautiful. And so,
they were! And even more beautiful than before!

rain down on me
let it pour
let my skin repel
every icy drop
of water that fell

Let it
blow gusts of wind
let it knock down branches
let my curly hair do dances
in the storm

Let it
burn me, the sun
till I’ve blisters
let them fill
and with my fists, sirs
I’ll pop everyone
as if it bubblegum

Let it
snow, a blooming blizzard
slapping my face
hard as a lizard
billowing gusts of powdery dust
let it climb past my door
I’ll bore a tunnel through it
crawling out the other side
where the ocean meets the sky

my wings clipped
than live in a gilded cage
ripped from the outside
if I can’t spread my wings
I can still sing in the open air
catch a breeze
and have the sun’s glare
shining on my face

I’d rather have
my vocal cords cut
than live in silence
as a muzzled mutt
I’ve a lot to say
and if I have
my pen
then I’ve the key
to open every door for me

I’d rather have
my legs chopped off
than lose my head
how is it to run into a friend
I can’t remember
or how I spent last December?

I’d rather have
today
than tomorrow
tomorrow may not arrive
and yesterday I can’t revive

a lark
I’d sing
all morning
flapping my wings
till dark
filling the air
with my song
till the sandman
came along

If I were
a horse
I’d run
with the wind
in the meadows and plains
splashing in the ocean
through the sandy terrain

If I were
a turtle
I’d stroll
taking my home
as I go
basking in fresh-water lagoons
closing my eyes
till noon

If I were
a heron
I’d fly
in an azure sky
over treetops and raindrops
wade in the crystal river
till the water made me shiver
then sit in the grass and dry

If I were
the sun
I’d shine
gold as a band of 24 karat
bright as a jungle parrot
over the sea and land
not hiding behind a cloud
sticking my chest out proud

If I were
the moon
I’d be a pizza pie
full of toppings
in the shadow of a pepperoni
men would waltz in ceremony

as shining stars
hang on dreams
glitter in the dark
in the morning scream

Words
as icicles
frozen stilettos
piercing with their tips
snip at self-esteem

Words
as broken pieces
don’t fit together neatly
tough as leather
or smooth as silk
going down sweet as milk
or sticking in the throat
as chicken bones
cutting with jagged points
disjoint at the foot

into pieces. Every man
that held the chisel chipped
a little. A speck, a flake; it’s
snowing cake. A forest of crumbs
lies on my rug.

Day Breaks
too. The sun cracks open
as an egg on the morning
dew. My head is scrambled. My face,
toast. It’s raining in my kitchen. I can’t
stay afloat.

Waves break
on rocks. You run a ground,
bound to sink. In a blink your life
flashes as lightening. Tightening your grip,
only to slip into the abyss.

know only as she tells
you . A swelling rose, buried
under a blanket of white. As
the snow melts all that's felt
are thorns poking out
from the ice.

She lets you
in, following the light
of a glittering star. But as far
as a star is. You'll climb a mountain
to reach the desert.

She lets you
chase her
until she captures you. And in
your arms lie a silhouette
of a brunette

She lets you
out, as a dress she’s overgrown
and can’t zipper up. You’re caught
in the teeth, halting to a
screech.

She lets you
stew, as sweaty clothes
in a plastic bag after you’ve
a few drags of her. You’re
suffocating in amour,
remembering when you were poor.

in the wind. My arms
helicopter blades that
cut through the air as
a pinball in a penny arcade.

I Stand
in the snow. My legs
polo sticks whacking the ice
as I go. Making it fly through
the trees. I’m a dog shaking off
her fleas.

I stand
in the bog. My feet
springs, jumping as a frog
over the muck. This so I’ll not
get stuck!

polyethylene that bunched
around her thighs holding in
the ***** that pooled as
a riptide. She cried. But none
came as she soiled, to hold her
and dry the oiled dew that fell
from morning till noon.

She wore
her hair short
as the boys. She didn't like
the look. Even then she dreamed of
looking like a girl. No ribbons or bows –
just wash and go.

She wore
her welts underneath
the second-hand pants
with a belt. None to see
the scars that bleed.

She wore
her name on plastic
pinned to her navy jumper. She bowed
her head in shame as the kids taunted
her again and again. Thin as the pencil
she carried. But she couldn’t erase
the secrets she buried.

She wore
a gown of snow white
lace. And chased a dream
of green lawns and picket
fences, white knights. But
lost her senses.

She wore
black velvet
at his funeral. First ever
the voices stood still. Now
his torment lay in a box that
covered the stain. But the pain
billowed in the air –
from then on
it’s what she'd wear.

the full moon is
a bowl of honey
you can lick it
with a spoon
till it slides
down your tummy

If you think
the mountain
is a stairway to heaven
you can climb
up the steps
and be back for dinner
at seven

If you think
life’s a beach
a walk in the sand
within reach
you’ll make a splash
in the waves

But….

If you think
this world
is a grey rainy day
you’ll hide
under a bubble umbrella
till the first of May

for more use than to
entertain all of you.
These round plump *******
were put on earth to feed both

of my babies, with warm milk
that flowed out like pearly silk. This
pelvis was their home for nine months
till they were born. These arms

cradled them deep, as these lips
sang lullabies to send them to
sleep. These hands held
their heads till their necks were

strong. The hips that flounce
suspended their weight. Both boys
bounced on bended knees as they
grew. And these wobbly legs walked

the floor the nights they were colic
too. My body’s more than a pretty frame
for men to entertain.

for you –
is the mountain
too immense
for the hiker to climb
is the sea
too deep
for the diver
to explore
this watery world
is the wind
too turbulent
for the eagle
to fly
is the desert
to dry
for the camel
to ride
is the sun
too hot
for the grass
to grow?
If I’m too Intense –
just let me go!

on a log? A protruding
lump hogging space. A deformity
without a face. A gnarly mass
surrounded by grass.

Are you a bump
on a foot? Do you stick out
and can’t stay put? Is it hard to
walk in your shoes? Do you
easily bruise?

Are you a bump
on the ground? Not noticed
you don’t make a sound. Men step
on you with their shoes. After they go
you’re yesterday’s news.

Are you a bump
in the wall? Do they cover
you up with a painting? Is it
dark underneath the wooden
framing?

Are you a bump
on a cloud? Puffing out
and loud! A sky of cotton *****
rocking and rolling. Knocking them
out as the pins in bowling.

on a rainy day
when clouds are grey
and weeping willows
fall as feathers
from downy pillows

Take me
as is
without the make-up
and wigs
when I’m bald
as a joey
not adorned or showy

Take me
with my scars
don't try to fix'em
leave 'em as they are
hold them close
but do not smother
reverend them as
you would
your mother

Take me
over the horizon
as the red sky meets
the midnight sea
don’t look back
just cut the tethers
and we’ll fly like birds together

in the cold of winter
as leaves splinter,
not just in June
as roses bloom
and the lark sings. I’ve
broken wings.

Stand by me
when I’m thin as a spring’s
pond covered in ice. I’m ready
to crack. I bore the weight
of this world on my back.

Stand by me
as I'm shorn, grounded
as a peppercorn. I fall
down as black powder. I, once
white as snow, turned yellow
on the road.

But they don't bark as scrounging
dogs or lie as fallen logs. The angels
dance around every branch. The sun glistens
as I listen to the lark. There's a spark of magic

in the air. The azure sky winks as I pass
by. I can stand in the same spot as I did yesterday
and it will look new. A ****** appears wet from
his swim. The leaves are trim. And footprints

squash holes in the snow. I frame the scene
as I go, so I can paint it on a page to save for
my old age as my head billows as the clouds
at all that it surrounds!

I flitter and flutter from
flower to flower taking in the sweet
nectar. All things turn sour. I’m a colorful
parade of black and marmalade. But you

won’t see me land or catch me
in closed hands. I’m a breeze dancing
through the trees. I like the sun. Too many
rainy days. My wings stick together

in humid weather. I landed once
in a pool of shade, I drowned
in. And like a mother bird laying on
her nest of eggs after they hatch

they only fly off into the sunset,
over the horizon into velvet days. You
won’t see me weeping. I broke out of
my cocoon.  The only thing I'm wrapped up

in is my dreams. I live between the spaces
of now and lighted places. If my wings
grow bare, I won’t stop flying –
that's how I’ll get there.

a footnote
at the bottom
of your page
I’m a star
taking center stage
a Napoleon Bonaparte
that only brightens with age

I won’t be
leftovers
you place
in the microwave
no Hors d'oeuvres
or strawberry preserves
I’m a smorgasbord
fit for only a lord

I won’t be
an ornament
you hang
on the tree
dangling on a wire
I’m a raging
forest fire

I won’t be
hushed
this woman
has guts
and won’t be
brushed away!

some things like ribbons
in my hair I'd cut the ties
and have them swinging free like
Gibbons in the tree.

If I could undo
the damage I’ve done
but how do you stop
a flying bullet after it’s shot
from a gun?

If I could undo
all the pain
I’d take a pair of scissors
and shear the clouds
stopping the rain.

If I could undo
the past
like a broken arm
set in a cast
but how shall I cast light
on covered broken pieces?

Weld them together with love
is the thesis!

you used to wash all over yourself. And as
I melted I got smaller in your hands. I took
your dirt and ran down the drain. Till
all that was left of me was *****
water and poverty. You came
out clean.

are sweet as candy
when they were younger
and sandy like lost summers

Used to be’s
make me weep
they cut the strings
of my kite
fly off
into the blood red night

Used to be’s
are held for ransom
they prance in my sleep
like lottery machines

Used to be's
don't count
as I hold them up
to the mirror
I see them clearer

Used to be's
are gone
like an old song
I can't hold onto them
they're like roving men

my keys
locked them
in the car
with no drive
couldn't go far

I lost
my head
it rolled
on the floor

I lost
my footing
and fell
outside your door

I lost
years
of a life
that was green
till I took my brush
and painted the sky
with all your lies

I lost
count
of the painful
things you said
but like sheep
I put them to bed

your hands
a dancing butterfly
as golden grains of sand
you couldn’t hold onto it
it didn't belong to you

You let it slip through
your pearly lips
big as the Titanic ship
and it died in a stormy sea
as a razor honeybee
after the sting
losing your flighted wings

You let it slip through
the cracks
you're a train that's
run off the tracks
you crashed

You let it slip through
into the future
as a ticking clock
hanging on the wall
and it stalled

lies lying around me
kept me from the truth.
In searching the world over
I lost my youth.

A thousand
mountains to mount
and my legs turned to
jello. I melted into the snow
a bright shade of yellow.

A thousand
teardrops dropping from
my face into a river of
dreams that escaped.

A thousand
****** pricking under
my skin, all the while
smiling. And I let them
in. Now I’m leaking
as a fountain pen.

A thousand
barrels full of demons
barreling through my door.
I’m left screaming as my ship
leaves the shore.

A thousand
pieces I can’t piece
back together. The broken
me reflecting in the glass
crystal blue.
All things pass.

mood you’re in
I will always listen
without judgment
or thought
I am here
when you are lost

No matter what
road you’re on
you’ll always have
a friend to lean on
to walk beside you
to hold you up
to carry the load
and bear the cross

No matter what
you’ve done
you have someone
to count on
unabashedly, don’t be afraid
I’ll walk you through
every stage

No matter what
time it is
day or night
winter or summer
you can call
and I will always answer
when you’re sick
or at the end
no matter what
you’ve got a friend

my hair
as my politics
on the left
out in left field
head high
as a high ball
in a tall glass

I part
my lips
into a smile
and all the while
carrying the pain
I strain to part with
old ways

I part
my memories
parcel them in boxes
store them in the attic
where the Christmas tree
and socks is

I part
with friends
I’ve grown apart from
some partings are sweet
some glum

I part
ways
with people
that don’t serve me
they don’t deserve me

of life
strewn about
in my backyard
scattered as the autumn leaves
now lay bare as winter trees
crumbled to pieces
scattered as dust
blown in the wind
the two of us
stains of a life
that shined
now tarnished
as sap on the pine
teardrop tar
a slit moon
a wounded star
bleeding shards
the lawn splintered
death as life
has hindered

the sun is yellow. You
selling it to me, young
fellow? I see the sun go down. I see
it hides behind the clouds.

You don’t have to tell me
the trees are tall. You’re too in
the forest to see them all. You’re so
low you're a rolling stone.

You don’t have to tell me
the earth is flat as the red bird
mat outside the door. And if I go walking
I’ll fall off the horizon. I've a dream
I’m not compromising.

over two men. I didn’t see
me standing naked as
the winter trees. Stiff as
a starch shirt. The hurt I

worn was marmalade. And
spread in yonder sky as fire, the sticky
slopping syrup called desire. I
lapped it up as a mangy dog

that hadn’t eaten in a week. I was
bones and teeth. I waved my pen
in the air spelling letters in the
billowing clouds. I fell over my puddles

of teardrops till I was face-down
on the ground in the sherry and
beer. And I couldn’t fit in this head
that the men didn’t care. I outgrew

their mistakes as my size two
pants. I danced in the snow. I waltzed
in the rain. But I fell again into this -
“that was then”

a rose
into a vine of thorns
plucking all the petals off
in a bed of scorn

You turned
a snowflake
into an icicle
hanging on the eaves
falling as the leaves
daggers of steely deeds

You turned
a robin’s nest
into scrambled eggs
by breaking all the shells
you said you meant well

You turned
an azure sky
into darkened grey
rolling in the clouds
cutting the sun’s rays

You turned
a bright green grass
into acrid straw
turning a bighead
on all the things you saw

it’s because I’ve splintered
in the coldest of winters. Under
my bark after the layers ripped
off is a shark!

If I’m hard
it’s because I’ve fell as a stone
from a hundred floors and
shattered my bones. My jagged chips
are now sailing ships.

If I’m hard
it’s because I’ve had men walk
all over me. I’ve crumbled as crimson
leaves under elephant feet. My pieces
crushed. I fly in the wind over lakes, rivers
and mountains.

as a snowflake
falling from the sky
soft as the wings
on a butterfly

soft as the leaves
on a weeping willow
the fluffy goose down
stuffed inside my pillow

soft as the hair
on a rabbit
as the velvet wine
in a bottle of Cabot

soft until
it poured down buckets
the clouds above
caused a ruckus

then I hardened
as my world darkened
hard as a wooden broomstick
even harder than a ton of bricks

I'll not catch the raindrops
running off my rooftop
they froze into icicles
pointy, jabbing rising hills