Dewdrops

Dewdrops on grass like crystal disco balls

strewn by a careless gardener

left there to glister on green grass blades

greet the first rays of daylight

like diamonds scattered on the ground

or sparkling water beautifully spilled

by the God of Small Things.

Fragile II

Fragile as a glass statue on a busy intersection

Fragile as a shade’s protection

Fragile as an idea in its inception

Fragile as a promise built upon deception

Fragile as a woman hiding in perfection

Fragile as this poem’s last section:

Fragile as a heart

After it has known rejection 

Sonnet for Artesians

She yares for his pelf prad, her fleerest kine

To thew her pintles intagliated with his.

Abrades that penster, he is firthed with hircine;

She jounces off his couths and he depones her ploces

Crinited bedizing into virga

Only to agnate and agnate agon

Tope unto both remoras and the lamia,

Thewing from the attar of escutcheon

Connipted they trow and connipted they thirl

Until their plashy is avast dewclawed

In each other’s limbates, into osmic birl

Labroses in entelechy exurbed

            As one, axillaring at each other’s oxteral

            Reduxing one another, connipted vernal

Fragile

Fragile as a dry leaf

Fragile as a spider’s web

Fragile as a strand of rain

Fragile as a newborn’s health

A teenager’s dreams

An unhappy marriage

An old man’s bones

Fragile as you in all your strength

Pepe Portero

Rough leather skin

Firm handshake

Sometimes as painful as that rusty gate screaming in its hinges

With a nod or a grin

Wide as mothers open arms

You’d call us over

Telling silly stories and jokes

But all I’d recall was cleaning agent, damp autumn leaves

The assuring weight of your hand on my shoulder

The cologne you’d wear on Sundays

That friendly, shriveled face

Like a raisin

And the raspy voice

Like iron grinding iron

Never showed, never said

What you used to do with our house in our absence

Never dreamed we were wrong to trust you

Hourglass

Time falls through me

From top to bottom

Thickening at my slender waist

Catch your aging reflection

In my translucent skin

As dust joins dust

On this pile of the past

When all is said and done

And the pile has become a mountain of memories

Please turn me, flip me, swap me, change me

But make sure not to break me

Because my time

Has not yet come

Come to the Table

Come to the table,
All you unable
You cripples and lame
In my Father's name
Come all you weary
You tired and burdened
Feeling unworthy
Come all the same
Come sisters, brothers
All single mothers
and you absent fathers  
Come rich or poor
If you want more
Come all who can
With empty hands

Come to the banquet
The biggest of feasts
You are all invited
From the West to the East
From North to South
Open your mouth
That I may fill it
Beggar or bandit
No need to hunger
Sit down and linger
Here by my side
I've filled the divide
There's no need to hide
Come, let me provide
All that you need
Come from the streets
I know all your deeds
I'll wash them away
(While I'm) washing your feet

Come all you nations
Kneel next to each other
Eat all together
No fights over treasure
Or wars against terror
Come all generations
Join in with creation
In this great celebration
Of Love's renovation
Come to the table
The climax of story
Come out of Babel
To give GOD the glory

Come All You Weary

Come all who labor

Come all you slaves

Who are heavy laden

Within the sex trade

Come all you abducted

Abandoned, abused 

Come all addicted

Who pay to consume

On your computer

Or in some bedroom

Come all you weary

Who carry your loads

Gather all near me

Find rest for your souls

My yoke is easy

My burden is light

Gather all near me

Learn by my side

For I am gentle

And humble of heart

So come all to trade

Your part for my part

Psalm 18 (Ein Lied)

De profundis

Clamavi ad-te domine

Ich schrei zu dir

Wiu du Gott ghörsch mini Stimm

Er beugt sich vom Himmu

D Wält erbebt und Bärge zittre

Er schwäbt uf de Flügle

Vom Wind; er isch vo Glanz umhüllt

Du bisch mi Feus und mini Feschtig

Mini Zueflucht und mini Rettig

Du bisch mi Gott, mi sichre Ort

Mit dir chani über Mure springe

Nur zu dir Gott, will ich singe

S donneret im Himmu

Wenn sini Stimm in Macht erklingt

Er rettet mi im Sturm

Vertribt alli mini Finde

Du bisch mi Feus und mini Feschtig

Mini Zueflucht und mini Rettig

Du bisch mi Gott, mi sichre Ort

Mit dir chani über Mure springe

Nur zu dir Gott, will ich singe

Ich lieb dich, oh Herr mini Stärchi

Good Friday

Stop all the clocks, turn off your phone.

Forget your to-do lists and stay at home

Put out the lights, shut down the sun

Birds need not sing as mourners bring

Condolences to the corpse's family

Let papers print black pages, stating

"He Is Dead" and "Now He's Gone"

Let strong men weep and women mourn

Make mountains wear black snow today

And cement lament in usual grey

As buildings bow down low in sorrow

We ask in solemn horror with those who stood

By the pole that day, that piece of wood

What is it, that makes this Friday good?

Relentless Lent

I've been sharpening my blades

Armed with daggers and a spade

I'm setting out, my mind is bent

On murderous intent

I've been studying your defense

I'm breaking through the fence

Surely this time I'll succeed

It is time for you to bleed

A slow death for forty days

A Christmas Sonnet

Those bright Christmas Lights can't light up the sky

By Darkness controlled black night of the soul

No big Christmas Gifts could be the reply

To the question sole of our own heart's hole

No pleasant moment of christmassy scent

With cinnamon smell makes everything well

All the money spent on food in Advent

Can't disguise Night's Hell nor break the Dark Spell

The Holiday cheer won't last for the year

No old tradition or celebration

Can with music mere mute all of our fears

But first Christmas Night transformed creation:

Bristling with morning, night so full of dawn

Joy for the mourning bringing hope for us all

Baum-Wort

Sprich!

Schrei ich

Den Baum an

Aber Bäume

Sprechen nicht

Sie sind

Wie ich

Und stehen

Stumm dort

Ständig

Am selben Ort

Life on the Hyphen

Please mind the gap!

They yelled at the equilibrist

as he balanced between

eternities.

Walk the line like

Johnny Cash,

high up way above

the solid ground.

They found it exciting.

And what does it all mean?

How can something be

defined by it's failure

to be neither one

nor the other?

Everybody was clapping

by now.

Bye now, he waived.

But maybe there is a continuum

of being and meaning

on the brink of something new?

A link, bridge-like from the past.

Oh! Did you see that?

I can't believe

You've missed it.

Prayer For Renewal

Jump-start my heart

Refresh my flesh

Beckon my bones

Stir up my soul

Move in my mind

About the Meaning of Words

What if words really meant what they say?

If ghostwriters were ghosts writing stories

and skyscrapers scratched heaven's itchy spots?

If cell phones were only used in prison and

'needless to say' would mark the end of a phrase?

What if my words really meant what I say?

Would my love shine as bright as day?

I wish words would mean more what they say.

Daylight Saving Time

Moments

Slipping through my fingers

Time is restless

It doesn't linger

I thought of words

But I did not speak

I though of friends

But I could not meet them

Wedneday

You made my day

But I made nothing of it

What a waste!

How can I save time

When I need saving

Myself?

out of my mind, into the truth

writing wasted words on walls

thumbing through theory

to transcend the train of thought

mesmerized by melting moments

this time my mind is wide open

colorblind and hazy-eyed tonight

i see the world in white

and black but mostly wholly bright

to my shock: "surprise!" the earth

tonight seems paralized in flight

with my consciousness on fire

i clean-cut to the core of matter

shattering clay, tearing terra open

baring the planet's bones

until truth resurfaces in order

to be read and understood

already complex colors rain down

washing clarity away over the speed

limit. my mind cannot keep up

the drill and the earth it spits

me right out with my eyes wide

open and my mind hazy, occupied

with wishing for wiser words

lullaby

let me wipe

away your tears

oh, my dear
let me cast
away your fears
oh, my dear

know i am near
i'm right here
oh, my dear
sleep now
oh, my dear

with heart and mind

you're my security
in my mind, in my mind
you're just what i need
in my mind, in my mind
i know you will provide
all i need, all i need
oh, i just need a sign
for my heart, tired heart
guess i'm just not that strong
in my heart, in my heart
why is that so wrong?
in my mind, in my mind...