In Mind

(the 19th of February, 2012)

The mind is a child at play
Boundlessly vivacious
Then bored
Throws smaller toys
On the floor – to be swept away
He gestures the loss by opening up a
Circle with both hands,
An invisible container of puzzlement, grief
The entire body is called upon
To pronounce rigor mortis
Uncertain of its age
It will keep asking for a place and a time
It moves on to grander projects
The basic facts of birth and death
Never owned
Swallowed whole
In the arms of the grandmother
Hailing rides at dawn
Mischievous
“Now pretend you are sick
And lay your head on my shoulder”
Or, crushing,
“You should have known better
You’re that much older.”
The huge leap
Required
To recognize one’s face in the mirror
Goes un-noticed
The quiet enterprise of creating a self-story
Un-heard
The maverick testing of wit
Stealing money for sweets
Sneaking away for a swim in the river
Was found out
And crushed.

Pulse

(the 14th of February, 2012)

Attuned to love’s pulse
Days quicken
Nights come round
Suppers of sweet and sour
Fruit picked green and ripe abound
One little seedling nestling in our bed
Caged between arms and legs –
The branches of two arbours intertwined
Locked in rest
Pillow tenderness
For that which is yet to grow
For that which at dawn half a-dream we caress
But will never possess.

Restless

(London, the 12th of January, 2011)

Timed out in this spot
Restless, restless,
This day is a fugitive
That creeps further
Into corners which cannot be filled
With wild patterns and pretty dresses
Moving pictures or strolls in the park
There, between the ironing board and the keyboard
Lies the choice of epitaph
In passing I also touch piano keys, back-door keys
And keys labeled “Poison Cupboard”
A dance within the limits
Of a twenty-four hour enclosure
Choreography with repeating steps