I access warm parts of my heart
With a soft center spot.
I dig for that whisper that tells me my way.
And then, there I am,
Standing with open arms
Outstretched for grabbing.
Open wide to catch all that I can,
To be loud and obnoxious,
To be silent and free.
To be home and happy; family.
A large laneway spoiled my walk.
It burst open at the seams with
Garbage and decay
That nearly side swiped me
With unbridled consumption.
The laneway confused me
As I contemplated it a while
From the safe sidewalk on Main Street.
It steamed and gurgled and
A faint smell of piss and regret
Hissed at me with a cold bite in the air.
From here, my memory served me well. It reminded me of cannons
And a bazaar in a foreign land
That was purely barbaric,
Entirely rusty and soiled from
Years of neglected abuse.
In my idle moments I watched
Three souls wander the laneway
With as much passion
As one would expect lost souls
From Christ the Redeemer’s
Empathetic sermon to have.
And I was alone, wondering,
Thinking to myself in the 1-2-1 rhythm
Of my left-right-left leather soles
Clip clopping down the lonely laneway
Into obscurity and steam.
Suddenly I awoke
To see a light [of day]
Where sun streamed
Into my heart to say
“Hello.”
A timeline isn’t a memory
Unless you’re walking there with me.
Soar like an eagle baby,
Ride high above the sea.
Answers to all these questions
Is you and me growing free.
Lay fears on ice baby,
Command your spirit carry me.
Music isn’t loud enough
Until it’s got you in the knees.
Throw your head back with me baby,
Ignite fires and set souls free.
I’ve found a seat
Among the bees
That’s got me feeling happy.
Like waterfalls
On warm summer days,
It hit the spot just right.
There’re workers here
Minding their gardens,
Preparing for next season’s frost.
And all around
I see quite green,
A world of vegetation.
In it’s ripest hour,
My mind at ease
Amidst the Autumn breeze.
I, squinting from the sun,
And all around a gentle hum
For Autumn has finally come.
Sweating with a heavy breath
From the hill I had just climbed,
I circled the fourtyfive spouted fountain
Spitting mist like Niagara Falls
On my bicycle gliding silently
To observe, round and round as I went,
I was watched by more than just sweet little birds.
For, at every post there was a valiant sentinel
Eying me as I passed,
Who saluted on the hour every hour
To lords I had never met,
Captains of yesterday
Whose presence was lingering
In the shiny shackles about their vests.
And in my ignorance I sped away,
For my whole route,
From whence I had just come,
Was downhill the whole way!
Remind me of a time
I have always dreamt to be.
Of snowflakes
And hot chocolate, and
Giant balloons in the sky.
And wisdom I’ve learnt of
In dusty wooden books –
Backwards to frontwards
With marvelous hooks.
Lost in the park,
In the middle of a rainstorm,
In the middle of your heart,
With crackers and cheese,
And a bottle that’s real dark.
Remind me of a time
Speak to me moon,
With eyes so wide.
Take me to dreams
And lullabies.
I coo at your vision,
Watch sun drop deep.
Your eyes, a mirage
– And I’m the stars.
Landing in an unaware time
I’ve settled in oh… just fine.
Crawling over loose remains,
Curtains and leggings all have stains.
But breath and love; inhale, exhale,
Lifeline matters align each gale,
Upward lifting passages prevail
Eyes wide upon this afternoon sail.
It’s bewildering how all the
Little kids are dressed in green.
They’re wearing foreign flags and
Scrambling about in some kind of
Scatterbug formation.
It makes me think of the years I spent in ‘Nam.
– And coincidentally a delicious restaurant
Round the corner from here.
Chopsticks between eyes and arrows
And fabrics that tell me not to bring these new habits home.
I’m watching them with curiosity, the kids,
As they make their way about the grounds
Busier than all the ants of the world.
Hands flailing in some random forms of symmetry
That builds to an ecstatic culminations of sorts.
And then I get busy and pants with arrows pointing South
Cross my paths leaving home-job manicured
French poodles pissing about,
Confusing the tiny combat warriors.