GLYPH

I don't want to
go to outer space
while there's still
uncharted inner territory
to explore. How could you

face that distance without
even knowing what's near?
And what's more, why did
you leave me, my dear--
to make it to shore?

I will be fine on
my own, I thought
that was taken
for granted.

Since when
had I shown
otherwise, when
I looked in your
eyes? If you look
in my eyes, you'll
see devotion.

Please, don't
leave me
stranded
on this
ocean.

& AFAR

far (and away we go
and a how we are)
away from here my dear
you are, and near
to me you seemed to be
so recently (it had to be)
there you are
(so near so far)
and here I am
so far (from near)
away from you
(my dear so near) my heart
(and a how we go)
and away we are

AFTER PRAYER

silence settles
in its tendrils
the displacing
effect reveals
certain city
sounds that
are constant
in this era of
spinning rubber
tires against
asphalt or
the variant
hums of cars
propelling them
a jack-hammer here
and there drumming
in the distance as
sirens doppler by
and the very low
steady wish of
the wind

SEEING THROUGH A STONE

a partially eroded curved
fragment of a shell stuck
up along a ridge of fins

scooped a wind scoured
trail along a sinuous
path intertwined among

the braided roads of fate
linked to the rope bridge
supporting one's fears

over the underpassing
rivers of silt piling
up the layers of a life

gone under, the seeing
wall of a long remembered
assembly passed quietly along

MIRROR

When the wood
grain invites you in
do you dare oblige
or meet its stare
and realize that
you invited it
there first

When the woods
invite you in
maybe they're
sitting in your
parlour just to
warm their toes
by the fire

A fair trade
when you roast
off a hank of
that flesh do
you suppose whose
feet get dusted off
at the other's egress

When returning
from a campout
if a book is
missing from
your shelf,
now you
know why.