It's been awhile since I wrote about our house fire in July 07, but it's always therapeutic and my thoughts about it are still evolving.
AFTER BURN
There is nothing left here,
just the shambles
of our past life together
heaps of blackened pictures and
memories of a
past that's better off forgotten.
We paint each other's faces
with the soot
and no longer recognize ourselves.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
A grand love
For Egypt, for my LGBTQ friends, for my child, and for everyone I've ever loved . . .
A thousand years from now
our children's children's children
A thousand years from now
our children's children's children
will see how we loved each other
A thousand years from now
they will see how we fought
for the right to love each other
A thousand years from now
they will remember how we
loved in the face of such fights
Monday, February 7, 2011
Face to face
The mirror does not lie
does not reveal
my story
The lie does not reveal
does not mirror
my story
My story
does not mirror
does not reveal the lie
My story
does not reveal
does not lie in the mirror
does not reveal
my story
The lie does not reveal
does not mirror
my story
My story
does not mirror
does not reveal the lie
My story
does not reveal
does not lie in the mirror
A history
In honor of Black History Month
The twisted branches of my
family tree she
told me on her knee
The twisted tales of my
Uncle and Auntie
Lee she helped me see
The twisted kin from my
past in Tennessee
They follow me, forever free
The twisted branches of my
family tree she
told me on her knee
The twisted tales of my
Uncle and Auntie
Lee she helped me see
The twisted kin from my
past in Tennessee
They follow me, forever free
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
He got it all
Johnny prayed every night.
He prayed that dad would
fall down drunk and that
mom would get some sleep.
He prayed that bruises would
heal and that the war within
his home would end.
Johnny's dad prayed too.
He prayed that god would
damn him and give him some
peace and quiet for once.
He prayed that his wife would
stop nagging and grow some brains.
She left him the next morning.
He prayed that dad would
fall down drunk and that
mom would get some sleep.
He prayed that bruises would
heal and that the war within
his home would end.
Johnny's dad prayed too.
He prayed that god would
damn him and give him some
peace and quiet for once.
He prayed that his wife would
stop nagging and grow some brains.
She left him the next morning.
Safekeeping
She stored her secrets
in a locket that she wore
around her neck for all to see,
but never to touch
in a locket that she wore
around her neck for all to see,
but never to touch
Sometimes
"we are each the love of someone's life"
Sometimes he smiled
shyly sneaking glances
from across the classroom
Sometimes he slipped
his hand into hers as they
walked through the hallways
Sometimes he dreamed
of waiting for her at the
end of a church aisle
Sometimes he laid
his head on her lap and wished
she didn't have to go
Sometimes he smiled
shyly sneaking glances
from across the classroom
Sometimes he slipped
his hand into hers as they
walked through the hallways
Sometimes he dreamed
of waiting for her at the
end of a church aisle
Sometimes he laid
his head on her lap and wished
she didn't have to go
The Washboard
Her knuckles were raw.
She'd been stooping over the
basin scrubbing his clothes
for hours.
Her mind was numb,
lost in the abrasive thump thump
thump of blood-soaked cotton on
the washboard.
With a handful of soap and
a tub full of suds, she scrubbed
her soul and washed away
the loss.
She'd been stooping over the
basin scrubbing his clothes
for hours.
Her mind was numb,
lost in the abrasive thump thump
thump of blood-soaked cotton on
the washboard.
With a handful of soap and
a tub full of suds, she scrubbed
her soul and washed away
the loss.