All Along

He was gonna take
The red ribbon from your hair
The blue ribbon from your heart
He looked himself straight in the whites of his own eyes
And decided he could

Should

For hadn’t he worked hard
Hadn’t some sacred text, garbled
Some silence, repeated
Ruled him worthy
Ruled you less than

Nomad Man

“Darlin’” My Treasures weren’t yours to define
My Triangular Teak three-dimensional lines

My Plush Orange/Grey comfort, my zippy Red Car
You neither valued up close nor afar

My soul, Smooth and Square, and as soft as White Leather
You’ll dream, breathe, and walk each day, giv’n to none better

My Tall, choicest Chairs to join me at my Table
Who’d have known you’d sit dormant…in a basement…unable

My Keys you possess, they are all-heart-shaped still
That you’d give back My Pieces — I have no faith you will

Alias

For some purpose, a scheme most grand

He, needing your needles now, whispers your alias

Loving only his broken-record voice

Revolutions — he cannot keep count anymore

I, with clean heart and tear-stained kitchen floors, no longer live to hear

My blessed middle name upon an Imposter’s lips

You and I, givers

Pawns in a taker’s desperate game

May you win with me

Giving Flowers


Just past the window pane
In the peripheral there
Was
The delivery man with the great gift
Was she giving, getting flowers again?
I wholly hoped the proud bouquet
Would head my way
But I knew
They were destined for elsewhere
Disheartened
The good news-bearer learned
What I've known
The girl next door's almost never home