The Brilliant Ground

The body lurches forward
post-impact
flame attacked
defeated 
and falling
tower to ground

Kings hold court
in a pointed sky 
Barons of graceless report
ponder indignities
in their self-centric cause

Flame thrower, 
abandon fate
take not thy servitude
into hellish repose; Nor
hold the caucus tongue
cut from bloody mouths
wrenched from fast, hard voices
tunnel down

There is
a mother’s love
held in a gentle carry
We will walk there together
kicking clouds into swirls
the yoke in decay
dark tower to brilliant ground

Journey to Avalon

Walk, don’t run
feel the warm sun on your uplifted face
the salt breeze on the beach
a cunning temptress
this one-life Goddess

Water dampened skin
remember the wet?
we float above the bottom
where the dark feeders lie
one toe tracing Wyeth’s sigh

Absolution wave
rolling across ancient sand
washing up anew
the perceived stain removed
then prayed for

the spray is underneath
and inside, above
wearing trinkets 
holding breath against chest
with nails, there is no exhale

the rock rolls away
carried by another wave
revealing an empty cave 
full of miracle and martyrs
and overgrown gardens

Salvation

we are
blown by a window wind
a hundred kites
intertwined
falling, failing, finding
fair pastures
memories
for sale 
discount racks
at
Salvation Army

Passion Psalm

you can drive me 
down the road
to all 
your empty places, the light
of my love 
will 
be there.

you can drag me 
down
to the darkest 
depths 
of your despair, 
the light
of my love 
will 
shine there.

you can fly me 
down
to the deepest tunnel 
in your soul, 
the light of 
my love 
will 
shine through

you can tear me down 
until
I’m worthless to be owned, 
the light of my love
falls
on 
you

you can pull me
to the under
                          ground
Tell me not make 
a sound, the light 
of my love will 
                     be 
                          there

you can
tell me I will never find
all 
the blackness in your mind, 
the light of my love will 
shine there!

I will wrap you ‘round my finger 
never let you go
hold you in
where hearts melt all the winter snow
you’re everyone I dream of
in every world below
If it feels like heaven,
then heaven never 
leave us alone.

Painting by Jim Smeltz

Within Sight of the Rocks

Does it take a lot to kill a man? 
or just a well-placed scratch?
I wonder about the blood; Fascinated
by its air-soaked color, by its loss and rebirth-
gone/replaced/gone 
toilet bowl red
Filled with clean water from the tank
all is better again

Fissures break worlds, cleave them in two
I am over here, my dead future there with you
Will you walk up my street, firm and resolute yet pass me by?
Are you the warning flare in my empty, aging sky?
Remove my dirty water from your tank
should all be refreshed again

On a rocky ridge bullets spray lines across the dirt
searching for soft tissue to subvert.
who will die, who will hurt
who will you take to your church
toilet bowl red and
reborn again