On the handkerchief near where I sleep; far-far away from home

Pure, meek, faint...
staunchly present.
Illuminating
detachment.

Transcendent---soothing.

Her scent!

March

morning-ocean-sun collide
like porcelain and reverence
water's mirror reflects, respires
purity unseen by its own eyes

the waves roll in to bring the tide
so her joy brought me a smile

the little girl inside her weeps
looks up and says can you see
what you do, do you find it pretty
oh god my heart is heavy

the little boy inside me keeps
pressing on into the deep
hide girl and i'll come seek
hide girl and i'll come seek

summer leaves exhale and fall
wintered from the infant branch
hardened by road and time
scattered in the march breeze
they blanket earth to kiss her feet

leaves are carried by the wind
so her laugh taught me to live
(so her love taught me to give)

*i say god made delicate hearts
the beauty of yours taught mine trust
building bridges to cross valleys over my fears
to speak now of that which i must


*alan kaiser adaptation

Everybody wants

Everybody wants to save the ocean
but no one really bothers to take a swim
Like everybody fights to talk about Jesus
but no one seems to know Him

So don't think, just buy
don't hurt, just cry
don't hope, just die
and we'll all be happy

don't question, just lie
don't confess it, just hide
don't doubt, just wonder why
we all keep
we all keep playing church

I've lived twenty-one years in ignorance
what would it kill if I lived twenty-one more
I don't think it would much hurt society
in fact I think it's just what they're looking for

The ascent of Stan

It started as a poem, about a tree fort, on a leaf, but turned into stomping grounds for my new caterpillar pal.

Down the Loxahatchee

An early morning launch
with paddle and kayak,
she arrests seclusion.

Caught up in the current,
she purely steers
through the interwoven river trail.

The mangrove roots,
like bare flamingo legs,
relax inoffensively on the bank.

Sable palm trees bow
toward her,
giving shade.

Up ahead, an alligator
bathes in sunlight,
cautious of her presence

She ducks below
the golden gate
of a bolstered fallen cypress.

To take her seat
upon its throne,
this river’s sacred empress.