in slivers

today she is not married to these doors, thinks tenuous
music often promises. this was known, no fulcrum,
aslant. how the muse gifted her body, quiet industry, oil
lamp, not frozen. lake-still, her quilt, the burning; even in
the deepest night, of lock and tangerine. how the surface
of a teakettle, a ribbon city starlight. lover dancing life.
plum tomato lady, she cherries crates of blackberries,
whistles, and from his impermanence, artisan silver
song. she sleeps inside its words, its cool chambers, and
then she cannot remember city. rainbows are oil lamps
burning and wildering him with keeps, and she pretends
a hammock of body's paths. contingency eyes lady, today,
immediacy, this wanton today. slipping space, her wanting
discovers she is a plumage of eyes, fragrance allowing
from glowing silken trilling, this melody limned and natural
as center: this river's a circle, a whispered, ever known
skyscape, proper moon lanterns to tenuous greeting, peony
steeping, calm; take him today, the body's explosion.
and the body's a woman, she is ash, tongue; toxicity of
chrysanthemum, a million petals polished rock and pinball
machine hues. polystyrene insulation configured beneath
weaving moments. eden story inside her, aloud within
soupcans, shifting of entry. how her eyes paper, brittle. no,
the movement of exhaust pipe expulsion with unfolding
point, darkest of raincloud formation. an unforeseen, a her,
a blade. today, she is a box, a trickster honey, today, in
loath, in rising throng, she ripens, and may she once
again believe when he invents slivers, frayed, one and
the same, quietly questions, songs enter windows. the
woman with the sharpest razor and this springtime's her
tongue. the immediacy, perfumed discovery. today
the body's a missive of its luck, hush and teller of these
stories, your voice piecework, station. today the you,
the keeper and young, resembles brushfire blossom care.
do not bruise it. lover, his paper pome words. once alone,
becomes alone, needs and unravels a hammock of starlight.















Hummingbird Diwata

Today the sun throws on his cloak of aquamarine plume, polishes his
golden crown. Today he tires of courting the moon, fickle woman with
so many suitors. So much song composed to call her down, there where
hawks perch and where falcon cry pierces the sleek blue gem of sky.

Today the sun descends and his aquamarine cloak becomes a field of
violets, a handful of rubies. There are so many sweet flowers to
soothe the hurt of the moon's constant thwarting. Even the sun tires
of the chase. There are so many sweet flowers, and they open
themselves like trumpets to show him their light, their own little
moons of nectar. He pierces these fresh moons when he kisses. His
darting wings, his flitting tongue become poems to carry upon seawind
and saltwind. Today, he promises them a salve of rain.


















the true color of the sea

sages' gardens, ginger root, and siren
glow of mist, green tongues of light
smoke and portents arousing hungers
magnolia plumed, gold moonstone heart
collecting rain in turtle shell hollows
of shoals and shelter, of stones that sing
of coral, of wine, of luminous, unnamed
















the true color of the sea 2

cinnamon groves, veil of monsoon
moonless midnight's milky stars
the finest gold dust, tinder, mirror
of angels' tears, of devils' blood
of cooing doves, a child's fine bones
of sugarcane and fistfuls of salt
of silk brocade, of laughter, of waiting


















incantation: for the sea

sages' gardens, ginger root, siren
glow of mist, jade tongues of light
portents and smoke arousing hungers
magnolia plumed gold moonstone heart

glow of mist, jade tongues of light
collecting rain in turtle shell hollows
magnolia plumed gold moonstone heart
shoals and shelter, stones that sing

collecting rain in turtle shell hollows
of coral, of wine, of luminous, unnamed
souls and silted stones that singe
of cinnamon groves, veil of monsoon

of coral, of wine, of luminous, unnamed
moonless midnight's milky stars
cinnamon groves, veil of monsoon
the finest gold dust, tinder, mirror

moonless midnight's milky stare
of angels' tears and devils' blood
a vein of gold dust, tender marrow
cooing doves, a child's fine bones

angels tear and devils brood
sugarcane, fistfuls of salt
my cooing dove, my child's fine bones
a silk brocade of laughter, waiting

sugarcane, a fitful assault
pretense and smoke arousing anger
a silk blockade of laughter, weighting
cages, cordons, ginger root silence