…it’s
becoming a miracle, this fine thread, this latent hope: those curly gravels,
this metal lunch, at pasta for wisdom: to perish with deaths, to arise with
courage, at pride and greed and desperation: as born with magic, our
controversial genetics, to admit particular differences: this sad songbird,
this humming adventure, those vales so determined: at sipping gently, at so
behaved, while adoration waffles about: those inhibitions, this interior music,
those gray anniversaries: to die your arms, to arise with vengeance, while
seated in some hospital: this lovely creature, while falling to pieces, to admit
too much is never enough: our casual cries, while a man studies, if but to
prove worthy of such faith: our black women, stirred into frenzies, and so
relaxed with devastation: our rubescent, mahogany and jasmine queens: to listen
with appreciation, to feign completion, while gazing at white men: indeed,
stories to utter and dimes to spin and quarters for this poet’s opinions: that
trifle word, this trite address, this shallow Christian: at something
core-shaped, at internal theology, to test one in plain view: those reflexive
lights, this illumination, or courage to suggest wrongness: at Love aching, to
witness such destruction, while asking the
impossible: to deny womanhood, to take for flights, to need a man three tiers
into reality: our generational curses, to those that hate, this phrase often
omitted: and time was gentle, those years at youth, while time clutched for
gripping to assail a young lad: at grayer skies, enveloped in patience, but
quite eager for passion: those Shirley dimples, those jasper highlights, at
radical, even demonic suggestions: to touch this island, as one encapsulated,
where, and, therefrom, this sudden appetite…. …at celestial food, at stonefish
breakfast, peering at something deceitful: to waver at Love, to redeem Love, to
intrude upon Love: those endless questions, our new beginnings, while placating
something intolerable: indeed, a glimpse, indeed, a musical, while ruth said
about adoration: this intense woman, those business instincts, to realize we
tolerate something inevitable: that is, this extraordinary person, in this
extraordinary hemisphere, at this extraordinary horizon: (some may notice, and
some may pursue, and some may luck into a dynasty): but yours is gentle, and
yours is complete, and though you wrangle none shall triumph: this casual
harassment, those opaque feelings, that early afternoon fight: where Casanova deigns,
and Casanova complains, and Casanova whines: this endearing effect, this push
down lanes, this incredible affliction: as hating resistance, and hating
impulsive thoughts, while at love so crucial: to request his brains, to redeem
his heart, to tell fever to run along: this Woman’s
Work, this daily machine, our hapless love: hitherto, this captured
ecstasy, our hourly revivals, while guileless with integrity…. I’m losing focus, about something tugging,
but reality is void of evidence: I fawn over lights, to chance one reality,
while alone a back-haven crowd: our bleeding moon, to hate his guts, while we
feel good with secrets: those shattered homes, those fair participants, at
evils too rich to endure: and more be said, this casual passion, needing
blood-work: our subtle clamps, as so determined, despite souls dying: hither,
we exist, and, thither, we evolve, and, hither, we accept incorrigible: this
bright appetite, moving to survive, while Love exhibits characteristics. …if but to attain—this level in ideals,
while stripped of spiteful glances: our perfect pretenses, our dazzling
machines, our caprice with justice: at deep remorse, those years with
mistresses, this public confession…to re-die, to ask for perfection, while
studying some woman’s gait: to have for trysts, those years to flights,
abandoned to something interior: such body parts, such sullenness, such defeat
looking for something better: even as crying, to ask for more, while settling
for participants: to need Firebirds, even Bentleys, or trillion dollar
conversation: to flux by cuff, to mimic a dynasty, to impress with dates,
times, and countries….
