Pimple popping
Lathered deodorant
Awkward tampons
Hair in unwanted places
Drunken nights
Failed hangover cures
Flunked classes
Broken hearts
First kisses and first times
Rebounds
Hookups
Hickeys
Rushes of frustration
These are all
unglamorous occasions
Of a not so florescent
Adolescence

and I escape
away away
into everything
right here

this thin and silky edge between air and water
crashed crushed

the once so filled lungs got emptied
bubbles danced out of my mouth
as I drowned deep down
I thought I could
walk on the waves

he liked to count his ribs
( 1 2 3 4 ...)
and brush his nails against his collarbones
(so prominent...)
his palms cupped his knobby elbows
(years to perfect...)
and the sun shone between his thighs
(lighting up his world...)

his body was so very
     a l i v e
his heart beat in
   o v e r t i m e
meanwhile, his eyes were
     d e a d .

I smoke like a dragon but never chased one
and I drink bottles of red but am no expert
I am always behind with any form of housework
and pray God send me a gardener
I write at this table that needs cleaning
but when alls said and done im reasonably happy
and im sure Saint Peter at the gates wont hold any of it against me

an Island of half-marathon tomorrow
football England are playing tonight
Birthday for some Brendan tomorrow
and I wait for love to find me today
take me up into forever and then forever
when no one is watching spying
yes some are watching having forsaken love
and ***** in the darkness of others lives

i would sing you a lullaby
in Latin or English
and sing for you
for eternity if i could
and hold your hand
and love you forever

if we stripped down
discarded our pretentions
clothing on the floor
could you could i could we
embrace softly
love what we find
touch so gently
worship and worship
and worship till the end of time

when you have bequeathed wings to your friends
they will always fly
but will remember who it was gave them flight