Upon The Half Shell

we found love upon the half shell

salty kisses, blues and dry white wine

softest flesh and crisp bouquet, flow’red garlands

syncopated sways awash with brine

fuelled on sand and summer, stripped those oysters

gurgled to their laughter, overdosed

love upon the half shell, pearls and promise

in a seaside town where everybody goes

searching for their opalescent wishes

in dishes served quite raw with moody tunes

lucky ones find treasure on the half shell

in a bar beside the seashore at full moon

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In Other Days

Would you hold my hand and lead me through

the glens that we once roamed

In other days, before we met, 

and voices called us home

Would you wrap your arms around me

as once I wrapped you in my shawl

And knowing that we’d meet again

would be best dream of all

Shall we savour moonlit walks once more

while yet our souls take flight

And will patience be our watchword

we two guardians of the night

Unforgotten mem’ries writ in starlight

show our way

Will you hold my hand and lead, my love,

back to heaven’s yesterday

Becomes The Night

(source)

the night becomes you

your silent energy

expelled

in haze

has drifted

whispered

gone

the night becomes me

in breathless mist

we both become

the end of days

anticipate

and wait

our nights’ return

Second Revolution

(Play It Again AM)

– the record is not broken –

– though rift in operation –

– jumps along –

– every groove –

– its own peculiar nuance –

– deny –

– to disbelievers –

– it was ever –

– just a piece of plastic –

– he sang my song –

– self-effacing –

– to newer models –

– deemed superior –

– to me ’twas special –

– he played my dreams –

– in words and rhythm –

– found my soulful heart –

– the record is not broken –

– though he’s quiet –

– residing on some shelf –

– time turns the tables –

– i play his tunes –

– sadly –

– nowadays –

– i play them for myself –

It appears I cannot resist the rhyme even after the free.

Take Heart

take heart from your sleeve

release in mid air

let yourself be 

open

loose-leafed

unbound

let our breaths

flutter pages 

with each glance

 each perusal

disclosure

with no one around

I’ll breathe

your pages

redeem

every word

rejoice with you

swallow you whole

caress

with my tongue

 set free

with a kiss

till I know you

mind, body and soul

take heart

from your sleeve

your secrets

are mine

treasured

as books I have read

your story

my pleasure

your love

my desire

place your heart

on our wings instead

Opposing Stars

Better had we never met

In yonder inn on heaven’s highway

Better yet orbits forget

Be circumspect

Adorn ourselves in pale regret

Forego the passage

Differ both our journeys.

Better yet repay the debt

Unspin roulette

And time reset

We’ll just rewind

Project forfeit

Opposing stars

Spun sideways.

Mayday

If I run away and hide will you find me

In deepest ocean’s trenches, without air,

Flotsam with forgotten, undiscovered,

Adrift with other lost souls dwelling there.

If I send an SOS, will you hear it,

Answer sonic plea to surface sent,

Will you, please, at least, alert another

Before exploding breath in lungs is spent.

If I hear no engine fast upon the waters,

If rescue seems a distant hope far gone,

If none there shall be up above to save me,

I’ll rest down here, learn somehow, to belong.

I’ll move among strange creatures as their shadow,

Learn their ways, survive as best I can,

Never fear if depths are not your forte

But, if you would, I’ll maid to your merman.

With denizens deep down we’ll both discover

World worth hiding in, as all was meant,

Come, my love, and find me in these waters,

If you do, no mayday need be sent.

All In The Stars

There are stars in the sky and they’re shining for you

The way that I wished them to do

And, though some are falling, releasing the spell,

The lights of the others hold true.

There are rays so fantastic directed on you,

That’s all that I hoped they would do

And though you can’t see them, averting your eyes,

Their heat must be felt through and through.

There are dreams in their beams empowering you,

That’s all that I dreamed of, it’s true,

And though disbelieved as some sleepers awake

I’ll keep on wishing and dreaming for you.

 

Up In Smoke

Climbed to rooftop,

found warm chimney,

perched as bird might do,

darted eyes,

questioned skies,

inhaled for breath of you,

Remnant fire,

 cloud wisps gathered,

having heard the plea,

cushioned flight

‘cross endless night,

taken so to thee.

No more lair,

as fox once was,

timid, shelter found,

burrow’d fear

from hostile hounds

hunted to the ground,

till tortured route

to higher plain

lent a diff’rent view

from chimney pot,

where dreams are wrought,

disembodied fox, smoke flew.

 

The Catch

One brought flowers

charmed in sellophane

but love was wanting

resistant to the 

easy grace

his poise

Another loud

no bouquets

but found daunting

too brash, too flash,

empty

but for noise

Other

graced a table

and alluded

to fortune, fame, fast cars

a catch

he thought

The one who won

brought love itself,

exposed, denuded

stripped of artifice

The catch

well-caught.