Emotion Poems
Jealousy
Jealousy is a green tooth
It carves its name while gnawing at the soul
It is selfless selfishness,
Bridging the distance between one and another
It brings bitter nearness, emphasizing farness
Jealousy is a paradox of heat and cold
Its passions kindle the fires of one against another
While cooling what love holds for one’s own
Jealousy is a worm that bores an opening
It is a bond that fills it
It is a space of empty yearning
Full of bursting spite
Jealousy is desire desiring
The self desiring
Another desiring
To be alone.
Jealousy is a green tooth
It devours while
Carving on the forehead
Another’s name:
Yours.
And an epitaph:
Never Me.
Rage
Red, Yellow, Black
Rage hammers on a tack
Red, Yellow, Black
Rage rips the bottom out the back.
Black, Red, Yellow
Fire burns up the fellow
Black, Red, Yellow
Embers burning through the bellows.
Black, Yellow, Red
Blood boils a pool of lead
Black, Yellow, Red
Shots fire; words we said.
Red, Yellow, Black
Who can take this feeling back?
Red, Yellow, Black
Hate heels regret’s loosened slack.
Black, Red, Yellow
Who was the God-damméd fellow?
Black, Red, Yellow
What fire more to swallow?
Black, Yellow, Red
What’s left of me is dead
Black, Yellow, Red
Exhaustion enough instead.
Sport Poems
The Scull
Smooth sailing sculler
Folding unfolding flying
Sifting silent sliding
Feeling forwards backwards
Pulsing power stroking water
Ripping plowing liquid smooth
Pushing boards below feet
Pressing repressing strength
Knife colored oar
Closed open ready
Plop drop silent slop
Slicing open scooping force
Float oar above
Loving freedom moving
Front back
Cake cutting
Crouched arched tight
Bending bones forcing tendons
Curled up in hope
Closed up to open
Legs body arms
Mind form smooth
Linking perfect thought
Imperfect drive.
The Hunt
Hoped hunting hour
Struggle holding
Writhing twisting ‘vading
Wrestled grounded held
Flashing forest
Green gasps
Bursting pine
Breathless breathing
Chasing courses
Exciting exhaustion expects
Blood pumps flooding
Fleet feet flying
Crunching crushing
Branches
Leaves
Whipping striking cutting whirling
Blurry by
Knife stabs scarlet stain
While
Bleeding bubbles up bottom
From
The throat
Dog’s teeth
Ivory
Smoothly sink in skin
Hairy raspy rough
Hunt hog screaming
Wild eyes rolling
Panic thrilling
Quiet dying
Squash
Wrist cocked
Ready locked
Pistol shooting
Fired shot
Crack
Rebounding
Softly squishing
Jumping out
From the wall
Lunge ready
Back
Spider leaping
Always seeking
Return to T
Returned
Ball?
Returned
Off the wall
Hits the back
Bounces twice.
Swimming
Wet Warm
Dry cold
Pushing stroking
Lifting empty
Legs kick
Currents surge
Body waves
Scissored stroke
Scoop water
Back Under
Around
Scoop again
Up out
Breathless fire
Tight chest
Closing gasp
Power
Revolution
Churning
Forward
Skiing
Pull. Glide. Crack
The ski
Slides
Along
The track
Up. Put. Push.
The pole
Puddles
Into
Snowy mush.
Heave. Deep. Out.
The wind
Burns
The face
Burns
The lungs
Reach. Crunch. Down.
The body
Pushing
Poles
Along
Deep
Sweat
Wet
Snow
Sliding
Along
Gliding
Stroke.
Puzzle Poems
The Beetle, or S;znxz
Dusky beetle, carapace dark
Scratching on the desk.
Quick’ning knowledge
Living within
Lightning ‘long the boards.
Sucking proboscis
Curling rubber black
Slurping up ‘lectric life
Out the wall.
The Eye, or Isxid
An eye on the wall
Hangs with floating hands
It speaks;
Lipless. Mouthless. Tongueless.
Yet it smacks:
Clickety-clack.
Ignored, it rests jealous
Once countless herds obeying,
Now neglected for its sisters,
Tiny, small, in pockets hidden.
Its arms move along their fixéd course
Telling the same thing
Over and over
To whomever will watch.
The Snake, or Mx;k
Great black snakes slither across the ground
Their tar-glistening backs raise a rumble sound
Grass, dewey soaked, the slimy blades
Pushed down by tracking through the glades
Snakes support upon their smoothly sliding backs
The world’s traffic thundering ‘long the tracks.
The Hand, or Ig;cm
Legs sprouting from a hand
While arms reach out the back
Grasping fingers over arms,
The bottom descends from above
While feet are fixed to the floor
The Victim, or Ivz
You fill my belly up
Until I’m about to explode
Then you tip me over
Until I can’t contain my load
You drink what I vomit forth
Slurping up my labored birth
I am disgorging
What you are engorging
I am warm,
Never put me down.