A Poem
Ten words
In length;
How do I
Say…

It
Cannot
Be
By itself,
It must
Be done
Together.

The long branches hang down so softly,
From the great tree that surrounds us,
With many branches, yet unfolding, softly
Like a curtain, in the wind, that never closes
All the way, nor opens to the sides of the stage,
Leaving dark those places that seem rare and alone.
The hidden people look and watch from silent slumber
Their feelings gone and their faces blank,
As they watch the happenings there,
They see the tree as it grows firmly down and strongly upward,
Until the branches rest among the clouds,
And the grass grows deeper and darker
As the clouds fill the sunlit sky;
Making the vision soft and raining
And the branches fall downward, and loop their gazers
And the tree grows and stands tall
As the stage door closes...
The actor walks out of the scene,
The tree stands alone upon the stage
Its roots growing deeply, breaking the boards
It waves a gentle wave
As the wind finds it,
It becomes itself,
Slow.

You can see the sky is soft and blue
And the sun rises slowly, bringing up
The wispiness of clouds, just passing through
You hear a bird singing, its call a gesture
Of food, of shelter, of a limb softer,
A slight wind blows through the trees,
And you know the morning is here, again.
You’ve felt this love, this sterling feeling
This huge and wonderful crush, as day breaks
Your there, and your son makes noises,
And writings, and finds a way to incidentally touch
Your heart, with news; of his son, or his wife, or his day.
Your daughter is there as well, in the morning, awake
Because she wants too, because she does not, and
Her husband is on her mind, and you are, together
On the thoughts of both of them once more.
The morning breaks, beautiful this time, no rain,
No cold, no winds of damage, as you breathe.

You’ve Been Gone
There falls a feeling of being lost,
When one is lost without the pieces
When there are few, no, fewer than few
Who understand, or pretend to understand
Or who can understand, the selfless feelings
That permeates my soul, and my mind, and makes me
Lost; alone, feeling left behind here
In this feeling of those getting larger
And spreading their wings across more deserts
Finding the sun as it calls, the clouds as they swarm
The raw, passionate, beauty of it all
Leaving me to feel and find that which I have felt
Fought for, and so wanted to come true
Wondering the loneliness of it all
Bring me back
Here.

Come and find me, in the morning,
While the gentleness of an angry day,
Hides among the colder inner workings,
And steals the sunshine from the clouds
Up there, before the bird flies,
Before the worm sticks his head up,
And the grass is still wrapped in the night before.
Come and find me, please, oh please,
Lay your head down on my chest,
And play your silly game of tempted fire,
Let me hold you there in my arms,
Put your face so close to mine, each breath
Like the day; could-have-been an also-ran,
And keep your fingers soft, full, grace-like and your hair
Lying all crooked on your head, on your face, curling
Over and lying down against the skin, that touches
Me, and holds me closer still,
While you play your game, and talk your talk,
And the windows open up, and the grass finds its head,
Each posture, each movement, each time
You fill the grace, and feel the feeling straight from me
As you keep your heart, your dangling ready heart,
So closely held.

Hold me still.  Keep me focused.*
Yes Love, Yes.
I can feel it.
Yes Love, yes.  I am here.
Today.  Keep it in.  Hold it.
Yes Love, I know it, I know because you’ve told me.
Keeping the words soft.  Keeping it easy.
Yes Dear, I know the badness is here, yes Love.
Keep me close to her, keep me close.
Yes Love, it is your face, your heart, your hands.
Gritting my teeth, but holding on, hold on.
Yes Love, I see you there, hurting, Love, that physical hurt.
Hanging, hanging, hanging, keeping it here.
Yes Dear, I would make it better if I could.
The feeling a tear, brush aside, feel it going.
Yes Love I will hold you, maybe not, I am right here.
The very skin of my neck hurts, the very hairs hurt.
Yes Dear Sweet Love, I can get you a glass of water, a towel…
My face and neck are red, and hurting, my chest is hurting.
Yes Dear I heard you talking, Yes, Love, it hurts, I know, because you have said.
Nothing in experience, all in survival.
Yes Love, close your eyes, and sleep now Love.
Hanging, tears will not fall here, not now, not for her.
Sleep now Love.