writings
Moon
You were the moon at my breast/On that night we kept time/
With the rocking of the chair/And the humming of my voice/
The song from another world/I’ve been searching for since/
But had just that once/The melody a silent note/
That ties your heart to mine/And sets you free
In your wider world of being/That no longer includes me/
But is alway contained in that one night/
When you were the moon at my breast.
Be the Untidy Wielding
Do not be easy, basic, good-natured, and calm.
The outfits that match, the taste of vanilla.
Avoid being the complacent spring breeze
That stirs the empty swings in the backyard.
Be the tornado that uproots all that is stuck
So you can find your way home again.
Don’t try for smug jars in a row,
The first place ribbon,
A razor straight line, or clean hair.
Be the overflowing suitcases packed in haste.
Be the slip that makes everything fall.
Be the color teal in a wave of pink.
Don’t aim to be the quick answer, a full tank of gas,
Or grape jelly on white bread.
Be the unexpected laughter at a funeral.
Be the quest that strays farthest from the status quo.
Don’t be what is required but not sufficient.
Always be the rocking boat, the simmering rebellion.
Always be the one they will never learn to forget.
Forgive and forget locked in an embrace
That turns into a dance—
Uncertain who is leading whom.
My Tender Rage Is a Goddess
My tender rage is a goddess
Who uses the word fuck
As a noun, verb, adjective.
I bless her daily
With the set of my mouth
Just tight enough to show my lip lines
And make my smile disarmingly uninviting
When met with your unmonitored masculinity.
You don’t even know me,
But my goddess knows you.
My tender rage holds me dearly
In the fold of her slippery black robe.
And she’s coming for you.
The Choice
The price of vulnerability is steep
And my bank account is running to empty.
Grace is reliable but often troublesome.
Wandering a terrible balance of lost and found.
Yet, there is only this choice:
Crouch low in the shadows
And play out my days watchful and wary.
Or take a hard running start
Before leaping off into the abyss.
Reaching for the angels and
Hoping they show up to lend a hand.
