untitled

marching though the raindrops
to a silent beat
right foot, left foot, right
bearing my red brolly
stiff and upright as a flag
marching in the rain
alone, alone, alone
left foot, right foot, left
plip-plop, plip-plop
rain drops raindrops

what i really wanted was to run amok
skipping to my lou
free of my red brolly
raindrops pittering with me
raindrops pattering on me

rain, rain,
promise you will come another day

19th March 2006

untitled

i sing
not with my voice

i weep
not with my eyes

i bruise
not on my flesh

i bleed
not from a gash

i will not hurt on every part
but for wounds unto my heart

i have remembered to remember

[ what is it ]
i have remembered to remember [ ? ]

how can i recall & recollect
all that has been blown away [
private thoughts &
public words &
yesterdays’ silences ]

blown ever farther away
into time’s cobwebbed corners
receding residual dust
trickling into nothingness
history [ there & then ] has no past
destiny no future
all that remains [
yawning abysses

&

cavernous depressions ]
all my squinting mind’s eye sees
rapidly is fading away is dissipating
previous thoughts & words & silences
ebbing ebbing ebbing

discovering [ here & now ] however
in these fractured fragments
echoes [ faraway so close ] of the
messages i have forgotten to forget

because i know you read

till love cleans us

till love cleans us
till life parts us
till death unites us

death unties
life traps
love lances

this heart is crying

this heart is crying
because these eyes cannot

filling veins and arteries
with a wave of clear salted sadness
flooding the lungs

this girl will drown

for who can heal hurts
that the body does not show
and who will stop tears
that eyes cannot see



12^th – 15^th March 2006

your love is the drop of blood

your love is the drop of blood
on my white bed linens
which i’ve found too late
and has set in too deep

no matter how hard i scrub
or how many times i wash,
i can’t seem to remove your stain
completely

i have only a piece of dry rye toast

i have only a piece of dry rye toast –
will you spare me a spoonful of your honey
to spread over it?

as long as you are willing

As long as you are willing


Sappho
Trans. Stanley Lombardo

as long as you are willing
i shall, i will, i do
as long as you are willing
you shall, you will, you do

you have forgotten me

You have forgotten me,
or you love someone else more.


Sappho
Trans. Stanley Lombardo

you have forgotten me
or you love someone else more

i have remembered you
because i love another less

i have to forget you
or i shall love you more

for me neither honey or the honey bee

For me neither honey or the honey bee


Sappho
Trans. Stanley Lombardo

for me neither honey or the honey bee
will bring as much sweetness
or taste as much of ambrosia
as the tart and bitter wine of unanswered love
that you kiss-fed me

i do not expect my fingers

I do not expect my fingers
to graze the sky



Sappho
Trans. Stanley Lombardo

i do not expect my fingers
to graze the sky
when i reach up
for your hair
as you bend down
over me
but they do

i do not expect my toes
to brush cold death
when you open up
and let me go
as i reach up
for you

but they will


8^th – 9^th March 2006