Fall into these arms

Fall into these arms

My autumn hands 

Trace wondrous lands

Beneath the lampost-

Filtered trees. 

(How brief this memory 

How light it  

Rests upon my mind) 

Should time unfold 

A destiny 

For different eyes and 

Times 

I'd find a way to 

Cross the world

Autumn Wind

Autumn wind in

Haunting bone

Transpires on the

Fissured face 

Love's sole grace her 

Last embrace 

Then down into an

Earthy grave 

When last leaf falls 

Goodbye to all 

Goodbye to Spring and

Summer 

The Winter sleep 

So dark, so deep 

Exhale October night

Exhale October night

And watch those 

Glowing lights shimmer 

In the darkest sky 

I wonder who else 

Stargazes 

These days? 

A lost art since 

Invention of

Synthetic light 

(Tonight I shrug 

The thought away) 

There Jove outshines 

Them all 

Brilliant aural ball 

Along my eye 

Now deeper 

We touch there 

Upon etheric plain

The Convent

Will you help me find my light

Lost with a dying friend

Because tonight I felt a familiar

Spark burn in my heart again.

There beneath the yellow oak

And up by the convent wall

We gazed down the Sister's path 

Until night began to fall 

how we ran

how we ran on

smiling feet

over fresh cut fields

breathing sunny air of youth

and now dear cousin

you’re broke in half

(with my heart)

as death comes

from inside to

wipe away your smile

how can that

immortal light fade

from your eyes?

how can your feet

be stilled?

i remember

i remember a
round-eyed world
endless green
blue-streamed days and
starry nights
to return
oh to return
from these grey
whiskered days
my youth
oh my youth
has gone away

reach through

reach through
the thinnest veil
transparent to
your smiles and
glowing white teeth
in a suntanned
summer face
we embraced
each other there
where the old
ways touched
our ears
how strong
your arms!
how healthy in decay
before day
breaks this revelry..
a gift?
a warning or presage?
i miss you,
either way

the boys are gone

the boys are gone and
the chairs stand empty
at their Thursday meet
we cannot cheat the grave
or save ourselves from
their fated journey
but i'll miss our talks and
sunny walks around
the green, green park
with your little black dog
who loves those squirrels
and you the best
it's time to rest
dear neighbour
time to rest

she is the mystery

she is the mystery of a
falling leaf
on the greenest grass of
love
in the autumn of
my life
oh silver-aged
days yet to be claimed
spoken only in the words and
looks of youthful hearts
under an October tree
witness of our love and
earth's gift of
one another

to those starry eyes

to those starry eyes
gasping air through
obsidian pupils
cupping a myriad worlds
my intention is focussed
diamond-pointed sharp

i am swallowed
in your infinite oneness and
we are together
using the same legs
same arms
taking first steps
into a new world
exploring this gifted
double vision

the star

the star is so bright tonight
glowing like an angel
before the fall
she heard me call
indifferent to the endless
space between us, 
my new name a
shame to hear

shallow, she said
like an iron hoe
against a rock
and i in shock
at a word from an
angel's mouth
a light falling from
a heaven
burning through my spine

kindness
compassion
an eye upon the heart
have all turned dark
beneath the falling star,
a god only knows
how far

unrequited

how heavy the unrequited
heart given
pieces
tombé sur la terre
si dur come du laiton
ou son visage
in the name of Jesus or
a god
beloved silence

how heavy

how heavy the day
a space away
ribbon pressed between
the printed word
heard by angels in the
wooden rafters
i call out across
the creaky pew
my words too few and
softer than the barking dog
to fall upon your perfect ear
fear, fear, fear, love
the promises of mud
but you are rapt
angelic vision to my
aching view
how far away
i die
all God’s beauty in your
shining eye

dark night

dark night
beneath the
glowing lights
we shared our breath
along the quiet street
too soon for promises
footsteps apart and
side by side
your stride was strong
and your eyes flashed
but how gentle
your voice
how cool the breeze
where we sat upon
the park bench
covered by the dark night
lips hidden from
the light
parted by the space
between

a prairie flower

a prairie flower
wilted and gone
what life those rays
gave to the green
ground and eyes...
       
            May 27, 2020