Saturday, May 1, 2010

tattooed hearts

We you and I we both used to know her
She had yellow caution tape across her heart
there were signs everywhere about her
that No Trespassing sign was vivid on her lips
the gated hips a deterrent to all but rats

It came as such a surprise
when someone turned up on her sofa
drinkin’ her wine and she there
right in the kitchen
bakin’ him pies all the signs down

Who would have thought anyone could have
gotten through Sleeping Beauty’s briar patch
we all said and tooted our horns
to applaud the security breach
never pausing to think out loud

Until collapsed on the brink of the pit
of love gone totally gone she lay
on the last of the coffee ground
lilacs shredded across her open path
We saw he had stolen her heart
He had ridden away with all her goodies

And it became clear to us you and me
that only a thoroughly rotten scoundrel
could have broken in to her emotional fortress
and that is when we you and I
threw all the locks to our hearts in the rushing river
every ray of loving sunshine now comes in upon us
Thieves of love and happiness are still out there
Having lost their way in their own darkness

Song of the day

Ignore the days that pass
my love
hold me hard
in these shadows
where no one intrudes

fold up these words
keep them next to your heart
to know me when the snows fall
when these hands no longer move

If there were phrases
woven through with passion
that could hold this love
in their prison in their shackles

believe me
I would not use them
Let us lay down in this golden sunlight
our hearts beating with the earth

we will make no other plans
neither intrude into tomorrow
come and drink up this day
make it your blood this music
this rhythm the heartbreath of all time

Note for the carrier pigeon

Are you there watching from that other side
If you are I hope you saw
Mauka the girl dog shake sand off her treat before eating it
emerging flowers on your purple and golden orchid
box of books for the women’s shelter
all titles of hope and compassion

I hope you read all this like your own handwriting
in emerald green ink like no other’s
I hope you know it means there is intentionality
there is peace and intelligence aflow
in the world as you left it

I hope you know
you are with me often and always
in this rearrangement of familiar smiles in this garden
of hope and dreams

Breakfast time in the rainforest

outside away from this writing corner
subtle rain finds surfaces
stops and gathers itself

the birds are about
dogs eager to go out
morning is unfolding damp & new

fern fronds unfurling
embryonic curls in the canopy

I have been out now
admired new moss
examined oxalis under the fir trees
considered where to put ohelo berries gathered yesterday
taken in the plumeria fragrance
... a stem plucked in Hilo …

now drenched in April
we move along to hot coffee
rain muttering as I shed jacket
already it misses me?