Don’t Make Me Love You (day 1041)

What comes from me, is me.
Not painted on a shadow,
A dressed up disguise.
No, not a second guess;
Not a pressured belief.
I’m a moment of you,
In a moment of me.
Unafraid of my love
That makes you love me,
Unafraid of my love
That makes me…
Don’t make me love you.
This is bare feet
And worn hardwood floors.
Cracks and light footsteps.
Hands on night noises.
And your warmth tight against me.
Don’t make me love you
In spite all I can see.
The lonely gray wisdom
That circles this city.
I’m an unbent lover,
A sea that floats.
You can’t imagine
Where your love finds my star;
A lighthouse for the stranger
That makes me in love you
To make you to me be.

On Meeting a Stranger With Long Legs (day 763)

Bonjour fine lady of the long legs
Hello, yes, simply dazzling they are
Oh, don’t be shy! It’s true!
I can see you know it by the glint in your eyes!!
My name is Joseph, and it is my pleasure
Simply my delight today to make your acquaintance
Thanks my friend! It’s got to be my favorite
Article of clothing I have, I got it in Berlin
I love the color too, matches with everything
There is only one problem…
Yes, but one simple problem my dear lady
I have not had a chance to ask your name!?
Linda! Oh what a wonderful name
I’ve never known a Linda before
Such a beautiful day today Linda, don’t you think?
I know! Such bright sun it’s almost draining!
Have you been able to escape the heat today?
Well that’s good..
Oh mine has been good too
Lots of administration things
Organizing and filing, you know how it is?
Now tell me, Linda
From what far corners of this fine country
Since I detect no accent in your words
Did you and your legs walk from?
Indiana! Marvelous. I myself am from Chicago
Mere one state away! What part of Indiana?
Why! I had a great friend in university from Lafayette
You probably wouldn’t even know him
I don’t think I could even recall his last name!
Do you think? How big is it?
Well, his name was Conrad.
Conrad Berkley or Barkley or Buckley…
Yes! That’s it! Conrad Bernard!
Blond hair with a side part??
Thick black rimmed glasses?
Ha! Such a small world indeed
Such a small world
How did you know Conrad?
Really? Your old boyfriend was good friends with him?
Ha! Imagine that
Linda, I was just making my way towards Roberta’s Joint
You know, the café just around the corner here
Are you interested in joining me for a spot of tea?
Ah, delightful! It will be my honor
Shall we?

Extended Health Care (day 655)

Hey, you there
You stranger
These are my streets
This is my neighbourhood
I was weened on these streets
In my young adult life
Sent away from my family
Sent off to find my own…
And then the war broke out
Took so much of our lives
Threw it into fields
Like cow manure fertilizing growth
But for us, it was different, ahh!
It had the opposite effect
Killing us, what nationality
What respect we had harboured
Was lost, forgotten, silenced
And now. Huh
Well now they give me a cane
Extended health-care
And expect me to be happy
To ramble on without misery
Without resent
Top button buttoned..
But I’m a warrior!
The mind of a master
Oh you just wait
I have this planned
This is all how it works
You just wait now

Downtown Vancouver Streets - 20121013 (22 of 84)

Stranger (day 604)

A passing stranger steps onto the street
Three wise men watch him with their eyes
Pulling apart the layers of unknown
With one single nod it’s all gone to waste

Flying with patience an assault comes ahead
Loaded with a single sword
One made to draw the blood of valiant men
The attack goes ahead

Hands moving without thought
Trained for this night
The four become one
Across the rough surface of the street

Clanging swords ring out into the night
Intensified by the glaring moon high in the sky
The warrior’s shadows all bounce off the walls
Leaving traces carved out on the surfaces

One man with hair tied high above his head
Yells out into the night
A victim to the strangers sword:
One knee, sword curled into the heart

The three that remain round into the stable
Horses are gone; all out for the night
Only the warriors remain
The magician starts the fire and the blazing builds

One nick on the shoulder for the stranger in rags
The wise men were right, they knew who he was
Staring and breathing and allowing it to flow
The three, instant action, begin once again

A sword through the neck takes down the second wise man
His long netted hair flails out in a circle
Around the dying corpse, gasping for breath
Flying down low, another life for you now

With that quick flick of the wrist, two is all who remain
A wise man now friendless, and the stranger in rags
They know it has come to this, they saw it begin
A few knowing glances, a few words to share

But not with this bounty, the booty in rags
Tucked deep inside, is what they came for at last
It is death for one more, this battle is fast
Swords drawn for attack and a rush to the head

Circling one another they trace out their path
The fight and its wings is back on the street
With swords flashing wildly repeating their names
The masters dance in the ancient martial art

Without a noise escaping their mouths
The show, a pure form and fashion, carries on
Dust kicking up and the moons glare from all angles
Then, instantaneous rest

A calming all around as if hushed by the night
Settling of the dust, echoing of the night
And footsteps leading away, one last wise man dead
One stranger continues, awaiting the next challengers without relent

Decay (day 194)

Decay
Like the soul of the shoe
The voice in the head
The green of the leaf
The love in the night

Decay with the eyes of desire
Decay with the heart of a mother
Decay with the grace of a deity
Decay with the light of a fire

And make
The open sky of love
Fall apart into pieces
Never worn by a stranger
But the brothers of all