he swims in Gibraltar
to swim with the sun
upon broad shoulders
urging along a long sea
is to be abroad in the world
of smiles immemorial
eyes as wide as the tide flows
as the blood pounds
as breath takes precedence
upon a happy landing
where tomorrow represents itself
look at sea surface temperature he said
swimming in a winter sea
questioning global heating
is as easy as drowning in cold data
jagged graphs of submerged rocks
from where the safety of land
seems so far away
help i am drowning
not waving
you bloody fools
the depth of the y axis is scaleless
open mic
in those temporary rooms
where the poets sit and while away
the quiet days of vacancy
of a pub’s infrequency
there where the bling on walls
absorbs their eyes
and the sound of sincerity is off
to the toilets of intermission
the poet is lost in the voice
of composition for just one
pierced earring’s nod
spring again
from the breast of spring
that poem bursts a bud again
the words picked over
by a robin jumping
again and again the blossoms
come pink in snowfall
filling the dimpled tenure
of my smile
again i say please & thank you
like the child i am again
taking a long slow breath
taking it all in
yours to keep
we thought the portcullis was a pineapple cutter
the spikes for party cheese
but of course
not one would deliver even a single apple
for although the drawbridge was down
they feared payment would be in kind
if the drawbridge were pulled up short
who would sing of faith’s demise
the darkness of the light
there was not one light
when we saw one light
and by that one light
we understood the darkness
doh
the child asks
why are they called leaves
is it because they leave
every autumn
but they return
every spring when
their pretend name is bud
but jon doe told me that
their real name is …
well you tell me his name
and i’ll tell you theirs
you can call me jane doe
