What if I offend you
Then anger
Then praise
Should I lift you up here
Or mirror
Or lead
You use me as lifeblood
Your backboard
Your tee
What role ought I pursue
If any
If all
Know with all assurance
You’re a fig
Now speak
What if I offend you
Then anger
Then praise
Should I lift you up here
Or mirror
Or lead
You use me as lifeblood
Your backboard
Your tee
What role ought I pursue
If any
If all
Know with all assurance
You’re a fig
Now speak
Don’t pretend
You matter
You matter
Don’t pretend
What colors
What flowers
What oaths
What wings in hearts and on eagles
What souls
What yeas
What nays
What presence of light and of shadow
I love you out there
Bustin’ back, despite the night
Following your gut
I’ll settle it seems
For any reverberation
That I’d believe again
In my still hoping hand
Knowing the years must grant
The gentle kindness and fun
I’d once claimed as my faith
There is to see here
The outtakes of a woman
Who loves not herself
Well I have these arms
And lightning-summoning lips
That thunder obeys
Mama would say no of you
Too tall and all
The height that is
She would wish a finer dish
In thought and walk
And more clean-talk
Mama’s heart would break in two
To see my lumber
Beside you
As
beautiful
crazy
does
evermore
feel,
guess
how
I
just
know
love
means
nicely
opening
people’s
quirks
reading
someone’s
thoughts
under
very
wild
Xanadu
“You”
zen?
Guess.
Explain again
How I make much
Of you
Traveling
Wandering
Shape-Shifter
I knew
Tell it aloud
How you grew
This thing up
Beautiful
Crazy
Fragile teacup