And in our beds, ‘Twixt the rustling sheets, We shut the eyes of God And make love to our demons. They keep us warm Until the sun chases away our delight Leaving only shame in its wake. Lord, Give me a moment without fear, and I can tell you a thousand stories. Give me a […]

In the green of your eyes, I saw myself Pressing on the inside of my rib-cage, Swollen beyond the limits of my confinement.  

And you’d barely been married  Before they told you I was coming out The same way I went in. The ruffles on the wedding dress Still scented with the occasion- Nobody came. Chin up, Chin up, You say, And you can’t see my neck is broken. It’s all your fault, But I love you anyway… […]

Backing into painted blue-black From when before I thought I had to cut the cord And run, roots still trailing behind me, Like the friendship bracelets I used to make for those that never really knew me. Wisteria is a parasitic vine that can engulf entire buildings. It takes ten years to blossom, and even […]

Untitled This is obsession: To dig deeper, expose the flesh.   I Want To  Break you open Like a tropical fruit Separate the pulp from rind And lay the seeds on the table One By One. In neat rows, Smooth and polished like diviners stones: Past Present and,  -no, we mustn’t be presumptuous…I think,- Future […]

The Dream In my dream You were ashamed of your cigarettes Your wild, black woman’s hair, almost aboriginal Green eyes that were not actually green, Peeking out of white woman’s flesh. Unwittingly trapped between two worlds Unfazed by your unrulyness, I invited you into my car, And let you drive yourself home, But the police […]

7/25/10 3:05am. Temptation Meditation Its always something or other twisted around the twisted sheets. Hot, Sticky, “Oh, you look tired” they will say, The next day In Church. Ensue the list of explanations. None out of the ordinary Or worth bragging about. Instead of your flesh, [Whoever you are, Whoever you prove to be] I […]

Bone of bone, And flesh of flesh. Made to last, But born to break By the light of the world Hiding under my basket, The virgin, never passed The iron gate To light her wick, Her oil replenished But unused. The bridegroom, long departed. A speck on the horizon Trailed by the faithful, Thirsty for […]

Radio Man sings of bruised euphoria And I hate him. For narrating this string of passing scenes So incisively; For stealing my chance To name my pain So effectively, I pass Inattentively Through small victories: A drive on the highway, another pound lost, a promotion. Surveying the ache for white flags, daily But my hands always come back […]

And then there’s the pain. Your eyes are suddenly overcast. My heart sinks in my chest- An unwelcome reflex. I feel like I’m starting to lose where I end, And where I begin: I am afraid. Terrified, actually, That this, Is going to be just last time: Years, Spent crushed, Under my own, Optimism. Maybe […]