don’t silence me
please
it’s taken so long
to find the right words
they must come out
or I will fade back away
from all that’s good and light
Autumn Chill
will there ever be a day when he won’t be like a sliver under my skin
or will I always carry the painful burr
a reminder of the finer times
when fun was important
learning was exciting
every place was exotic
sleep was a luxury
the way he whispered my name felt like spring rain
the way he laughed felt like summer sun
I’m on the verge of autumn
and it hurts like a chill to the bone
Dreaming Awake
another little piece of me is gone
surrendered to time
when I was asleep, I was six again
with the world a bright, sunshiny place
when poetry met me in a field near the school
but when I awoke
it was so dark in my room
no stars or moon
and I was old, beyond my own reckoning
but I still had words
to describe and comfort
so when I fell asleep again I was seventeen
on the cusp of a bigger world
with more people and places
and words faded as I soaked in the city
when I turned around I was twenty-eight
with my own walls closing me in
there were few words as I made a family
but again at thirty-nine the words bowled me over
as I saw a field like when I was six
I began to write
hoping to capture the feelings
so when I’m ninety-nine I’ll remember
my dreams when I’m awake
Nothing But Time
I didn’t want jewels or furs or flowers or chocolates or cars or letters
All the things you said could be mine
I wanted your hand
But it was full of things you were doing
I wanted your kiss
But you were busy talking to others
I wanted your time
And that was something
Too precious, valuable
For you to ever part with
For such a silly pursuit as love
Rita for a day
feeling like Rita Hayworth
except less tortured today
feeling curvy and sleek
flowing hair
shielding an eye
a curtain boys want to part
smiling wide
quick with a tune
or a dance number
maybe a striptease
but later
feeling the glamour
the old studio system
with life’s details worked out
just waiting for direction
feeling less in-progress and more complete
like a character and not a caricature
I don’t need glasses right now
less harsh reality, more soft focus
personality hiding behind an icon
face made up to hide weariness
woes set aside while the show goes on
pretending there’s no loneliness in crowds
none of that matters today
as I walk and hips sway
with purpose and beauty
with lines meant for artists to devour
feeling a bit like Rita today
The Word Rummager 