frost rime, moss, and shatter'd
limb
tall spruce a wanton guard

our thoughts like steam from
broken mouth
trail back to summer's yard

while wait and lie and wait
again
the ridgeline constant scann'd

and bow and blade and axe near
by
and fires held low, not fann'd

with voices soft and breath kept
close
and furs and leather clutch'd

we swore and begg'd to gods we
knew
and others we knew not

'til dawn a misty lifeless haze
broke forth her frozen glow

and through the mouth of Hell
itself
the first of them did blow

like leaves before a horrid
storm
the Roman legions came

yet worse, alas, before the crest
a beast we could not name

bore down upon us cruel and
fierce
and widely gaped its maw

the cane corso Romans bred
to rend us tooth from jaw

my axe a useless feeble limb
no strength to give it seed

no time or space to swing or
slash

but time afresh to bleed

dim light of winter
cats thirsty
and now the dog has gone
up and down
the stairs at least thirty times today
while out beyond the fogged
glass
of the south wall
a wind-blown
     snow
          man
props himself up with half
a martini glass
and inside
here, with us,
rests a magnificent
sable antelope
its dense pelt fuming
and steaming
us toward spring

When toward your eyes
my crooked heart
reaches
there comes a flow
of good and bad but
mostly good
and this in turn sets
a glorious blaze
upon the distant hills
all consuming, sending
forest beasts out
upon the plains where
further scatt'ring then
occurs
until all resettles itself again
the birds alight
and preen one another, the
squirrels come to rest
tiny underleaf mammals begin
to quiet themselves
and you breathe and i
breathe
and the warm surety
of us
comes over and
upon
it all

this cloak of tattered
wishes stitched and gathered
by weary fingers you
placed upon my shoulders
allowed me passage
through dreary nights
storm-ravaged
days
safe, though not entirely
unattacked
i climbed crawled dragged limped
just as you said
i could though i didn't
believe
over stony sharp crags
barren slopes
through treeless forests
where all the owls stood
earthbound
past clinging vines wet
and heavy with unfulfilled
dreams
into icy winds that rent flesh
from my sodden bones
into and upon waters so
deep and dark and roiled
not a human eye could see what
hells their depths succored
until at last
with the weight of never-ending night
the cloak
and i
reached forth and fell
limp
into your embrace

a heart has many hands
i whispered  
while moonlight stole
through the tears in our blinds
but her breathing never
changed, never
hinted
she had heard and so
i rolled away, sensing
the dog shift
in its soft bed upon the floor
and tried
to pretend
i hadn't really said it

I'll be here

waiting

even when it's late
and the night is windy
the sky low, wet, dark
the others having
left
so just go ahead
my love
and take
your time
I will be
here

Baby, I think

I'm

falling

I know, love you too
let's stay
together
no matter what
and cabins and rivers then
streets
of Copenhagen and back
to cabins and winters and
books and papers
then back for a defense and then
back again and oh my god
I think
I'm pregnant
I have a surprise, don't
make any plans
what is it
will you marry
me
of course, Baby, of course
I got a job
let's go, let's move
and the baby's crowning, now
push
and a little apartment atop
a house atop
a hill atop
a life fresh begun
my god, Baby I can't
believe it
hi Dad you're going to be
a granddad again
well you better get
off the **** phone
and get to the hospital
look at her little crooked
nose
I didn't sleep
did you
and here we are
there we were
what's for dinner
let's put on your shoes
pick up your socks
time for daycare
we're moving back
to the States
Baby, oh my god, I'm
pregnant
guess what, Mom
I can't believe we
have our own
house
mint elf
time for your bath
can we get a kitten?
happy birthday
Mommy my shoes don't fit
where's my backpack
a cold winter night
a hot summer day
turn off the tv
let's go for a bike ride
good night, Daddy
time to get up, Sweetheart
What did the vet say?
Zoe has cancer
when you have time
will you make me breakfast
I'm scared
my new teacher is really
loud
I'm tired
don't feel good
practice violin
Merry Christmas
my belly hurts
mow the lawn
let's rake the leaves
can we jump in them
I got an A
shovel the sidewalk
trips to the beach
can we go sledding
I'm going to sign up
for track soccer football
can I get a phone
you have riding today
there's nothing
to eat in this house
I want to take dance
everyone needs
to take a turn
I want to be a cheerleader
for Halloween
there's no
clean
laundry
I need new boots
can we go to New York
congratulations
I can't believe it's
over
already
Baby, I think I'm

falling

I know, me too
I'm here
just
for
and just
with
you