Parable

The Candle and the Moth

The candle sits in
the center of the broad
table.

She lights the flame,
smells the nagging sulfur.

A brief thought
passes undetected, singed
by the fire's tip.

Even in the daylight,
the moth somehow
feels the new flame.

Awakened from sleep,
he finds the shortest
path.

And just before he
finds the burning destiny,
she blows out the flame...

A Typical Day

Seeds of vast change
Swallowed in the hallowed hall
A typical summer day
A typical chair
A typical man
Atypical seeds
Sprouting forth

She sits on the floor
Coloring in the book from the corner store
Crayons of many hues
Tracing her finger over the pictures she has colored
She traces her finger over the page
A typical afternoon

He’s rocking gently in his chair
Typing on his computer keyboard
The cat behind him on the floor is quiet
She seems a little hungry
He thinks it’s a little early for that
Odd

He types some more on the keyboard
He rocks again gently in his chair
Vaguely hears the bird outside

From outside the window
The bird’s eye view
He sees a third person in the room
He’s lying on the couch
Reading a newspaper
With no words
Odd

He feels her gaze on his back
Quickly rotates in his chair
She’s staring at the coloring book
Tracing circles on the blank page
The lines are following her finger
The spiral is falling into the floor
A typical summer day
Odd

He rocks back in his chair
Is surprised by the suddenness of the silence
Looks overhead
At the deep blue midday sky
There are no clouds
There are no circling, spiraling birds
There are no sounds at all
Odd

He rocks forward in his chair
Types a few more of these words on his keyboard
Hears the gurgling of the swirling lines
Under her swirling finger
Feels her sharp gaze on his back
He knows she is looking into the deepening spiral
Yet, he feels her sharp gaze
He read it in the newspaper
The newspaper with no words
He read it in his dreams
Tonight
Odd

He rocks back again in his chair
Sees the birds singing in the nearby tree
It looks like they are smiling and singing
But, there are no sounds
Odd

She is entranced in the deepening spirals
Wonders about the man on the couch
Finds his reflection in the spirals’ light
He is working his muscles vigorously
He can’t get up from the couch
The newspaper is on the floor
All the words have again vanished
The words melted into the rippling waves of the spiral
She reads them as they disappear into nothingness
They have no meaning
The couch is still holding him down
She thinks that’s a little odd
Goes back to her coloring
A typical day

He watches her watching the man from outside
He realizes he can somehow see through the wall
He laughs at this unique moment
Then gasps when he realizes his laugh has no sound
He wonders why there is no sound outside the walls
Then realizes his hearing is still in the room
Is satisfied with this reasoning
Decides to take a short nap
Odd

The man on the couch is still struggling to get up
Flexing and relaxing and flexing some more
The couch refuses to release him
A typical room
A typical day

She is pulled from her trance by the sound
She thinks he called her name
But she doesn’t remember what her name is
She finds her way back to the beautiful swirls
The colors are perfection
The hues are wonderful
This feels like home
She’s staring at him again
Odd

He is awakened abruptly by the smell
Is instantly famished
He remembers his love for baked chicken
He realizes that this is not so typical a day
No one is cooking chicken
Odd

Traffic Jam

Stalled for a moment
No movement to be had
Traffic at a standstill
Might as well be glad

In time, people leave their cars
Begin to move around
Exchanging occasional glances
Sharing moments found

Minutes turn to hours
Impatience starts to bloom
Reminders of life of love
Let anger not consume

Morning Walk

He paused to marvel at all the blackbirds
that had gathered this chilly and early morning.
Nick remembered the robin Julie had nursed
back to life. She was so kind and compassionate
and free. He recalled a life that was full of
joy and hope; it had only lasted a season, a
very brief season of the full depths of love.

Shaken to the core by the sound - Nick doubted
for a moment that it was here and now - so often
he was still haunted by the crack of the gun
in the dark chasms of his memory of that morning
in June, twelve months ago.

They had met online, a dating site of all places.
Julie and Nick seemed destined to live a
charmed and destined life together. But, it
ended even more quickly than it had begun; that
morning in June, Nick remembered, was chilly
as well. Returning to the moment, the blackbirds
flew chaotically away; they had been startled by
the gunshot as well.

As Nick looked at his hand, he was startled
to see the smoking gun. He shook his head
briefly, gathered his composure, and replaced
the gun in the pocket of his jacket. He was
thankful for the chilly morning; it had allowed
him to wear the jacket without worrying about
standing out.

He turned once more, briefly, and looked at
Jane, the blood spreading uniformly around
her head. Nick grinned at the thought that
the blood looked a bit like a halo. He sighed
as he continued his morning walk - another
relationship ended as quickly as it had begun.

Life of a Child

Riding in the balanced flow
Sustained in the fullness of living
Excess avoided in exposure complete
Daily taking as well as giving

All that was lacked was forgotten
Streams of dreams, sweet penny candy
Wrapped in rags of gold and pearls
Riding on unicorns and ponies, dandy

Enchanting and beautiful princess
Magical memories, gentle and mild
Perfection streaming from life’s river
Perfect and wonderful joy of a child

2:50 A.M.

She came by unexpectedly
Made some banana creme pie
I watched as she worked
Performing the tasks with grace

We shared the pie
Shared an afternoon

It was difficult to let fall
The visions in my minds’ eye
They gnawed at my thoughts
Vied for a place in line
And they won out
As I took my second slice

I saw her walking
2:30 A.M.
Wandering the streets
I kept driving
Hoped she hadn’t recognized me
Found another
She probably knew
Small community
Strollers in the night
Satisfaction‘s vendors

I took another bite
Wondered if I could pay her
For the pie
For a blow job

I laughed at her joke
Pretended not to know
Just how far she had fallen
Pretended not to notice
The large bracelet on her ankle
Electronic
Installed by the state

Another bite of pie
Another shameful wish
Another vision, from the predatory eye

Looking
2:35 A.M.
After circling the block
For another chance

She took the rest of the pie with her
My fantasies left unfulfilled
I’d go for another drive
2:40 A.M.
Find one without a bracelet
Offer her forty bucks
Haggle
Protecting the value of my shame
Shunning the nagging visions
That would always return
Until I found another

2:45 A.M.
Time to go home
And sleep it off
Sleep it off

An Ode to True Love

we've both heard the reasons
why we can't be together
'if loving you is wrong...'
well... you know the rest
but you're all i ever think of
your warmth, your scent
your un-copy-able flavor
never imitated
none can satisfy my lust for you
but you

creamy, delectable
a dancing feast of bliss
warmed on the stove
or straight from the can
only your flavors
only your essence
will ever set me free

i know your secret
you're not really corn at all
you are the essence of the gods
my one and only soul's song
my heart's true flame

disguised in a cold metal can
you are not fooling me
i will never forget you
i will never grow weary
of my forever quest
to taste you again

return to the place you belong
replace these empty vessels
beets, yams, spinach
i'll send them away in a moment
when you return home

i know you feel as i do
we are destined to be rejoined
come home to me
sweet can of creamed corn