My Daughter is a Honey Badger

I Wonder

Half finished cups of tea
doing dishes at midnight
after three straight hours of reading
on the couch under a blanket
Your face is dimly lit
by the lamp,
eyes following each line
on the page of your book
and I wonder if you study
me when I'm not looking
While our hands delve in
soapy water, pruning with each scrub,
I watch the curve of your lips
under the fluorescent kitchen lights
and wonder if you want to kiss me
as much as I want to kiss you
My eyes are drooping and
I give you my last goodbye
and I wonder if you wish
you could stay and hold
me through the night
as much as I wish I could
hold you.

Passersby

 Deep rooted in shallow religion,

His eyes cold and unfeeling

Sweep the paved view,

Blurred around the edges

He was raised by the rod

And the drink,

Late night cold sweats

And teeth chattering

Have brought him to judgment, to judge,

So he does

He follows the movement of the girl

In the colorful skirt,

Allowing the wind to play lover

To her hair

She gives him a glance over

The shoulder and her

Eyes penetrate him, freeze him where he stands

She smiles, dazzling,

And he hates her

Hates her for the freedom she represents

And her happy rebellion

She couldn’t love him more,

Couldn’t need his approving gaze more

But he will refuse,

Will only hear false her voice,

Sultry sounds and warm whispers

Have been denied him

In his darkest nights

So how can they be alive

And inviting in the day?

He will never know the smell

Of fresh flowers

Or the feel of damp dirt

And grass under his feet

Because he was raised to judge

And she was raised to dance

Longing

I speak of love

And watch your eyes melt

With forbidden pain,

Forbidden longing

And you reach back into

Your past for something that

Was never there

With tears behind your eyes,

Hidden for my sake

And I feel a beast roar

At the unfairness of your life

You think you’re running out of time,

Running out of mistakes,

But maybe this is where you have to be

In order to find what you’re really looking for

Gypsy

 Dirty, chlorine bleached feet

In damp flip-flops

Rise and fall like dancers

Along the beaten trail

A small row of people

Striving to grab hold

Of the end of the night

Smiles have grown weary

And backs are aching

Eyes have started to droop,

Forced wide as the headlights

Sweep their deadly glare

Across the shoulder

Hopes of consummation,

Drinks and sweet talk

Have all been lost in weary thoughts

But the memories lie

In shared glints and mindless chatter,

A touch on the shoulder,

Shared comradery

Clinging to the last few steps

Before dreams toss their hurricanes

Over rest

They Tried To Steal My Words

They tried to steal my words from me

With stevia and instant coffee,

They said healthy is better,

But sanity lies too close to the

Early morning rise

I’ve never gotten the worm,

Never needed it,

I keep my own juices running

On my own time

With my borrowed pen

And my poems are indispensable,

Like love,

They won’t dissipate like too much cologne

On a hot summer day

Or be rejuvenated by your

Timed routines and vitamin waters

They eat fruit straight from the tree,

Pesticides or no

And still taste delicious on your tongue

If your body rejects

The tone of my voice

Then go back to your brisk walks

And loud opinions

And leave me to my paper

You

I want to stare at you for awhile,

Learn the creases in your face,

The line of your jaw,

The color of your eyes

I want to listen to you speak,

Your voice is spiced chai and warm milk,

I’ll memorize your words,

Engrave them in my heart

I want to feel your skin on mine,

Fingers intertwined, cinnamon and sugar,

Leaning forward to touch my forehead to yours,

Kiss your nose softly

I want to know your soul,

Every virtue and imperfection laid bare,

So I may combine it with my own

Lingering, mingling, together

Through all Revelations