THE DARK
I'M RIDING A RUSTY DREAM,
HEADING FOR A DUSTY SUNDOWN,
HUSTLING SHOWDOWNS WITH RAINBOWS
IN HAZY RODEOS.
FORGOTTEN WISHES STILL LIVE, BREATHE
LINGER ON MY LIPS
AND HEAT THE GLACIERS OF MY MIND.
I'M IN A SILVER THAW.
I HARDLY RECOGNIZE MYSELF THESE DAYS.
AS I OPEN MY EYES
IT ALL BECOMES SO CLEAR.
THE ONLY DARK THERE IS IS THE DARK I CREATE.
DECEMBER BIRD
WHY WAS THAT BIRD CRYING
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT,
IN THE MIDDLE OF MY DREAM,
IN THE MIDDLE OF DECEMBER?
ITS SO FAR OUT,
JUST BEYOND REACH,
JUST BEYOND VISION,
YET ALMOST CLOSE ENOUGH TO TOUCH.
IN THE ELEVEN O'CLOCK, DARK AND DAMP,
ONE HOUR BEFORE MIDNIGHT,
DEEP IN DECEMBER,
I HEARD A BIRD CRYING AND I KNEW I WASN’T ALONE.
DESPERATE
IN KEEPING WITH AN OLD FELINE TRADITION,
I DECIDED TO HAVE A WARM BOWL OF BEER
BEFORE STRETCHING OUT ON THE FLOOR
FOR A CAT NAP
BUT ALAS,
SOME SILLY ASSININE HUMAN
HAD TAKEN A TABLESPOON OF "PAL"
AND STIRRED IT INTO MY FROTHY HOPS.
BEING A REAL TIGRESS,
I DECIDED TO TRY TO DIGEST
THIS PARTIALLY DOGGED UP CONCOCTION ANYWAY.
YIKES! THERE REALLY IS NOTHING WORSE
THAN A DESPERATE CAT IS THERE?
-- EXCEPT A DESPERATE WOMAN.
DREAMS GIVEN
A WHITE CAT IS A BLESSING TO THE EARTH
IN SUMMERTIME;
SHINY, BRIGHT AND ALMOST LUMINOUS
AGAINST A RICH CARPET OF GREEN GRASS.
WHITE AND PURE
IT CAN CURE WITH A PURR
AND WARM A LONELY HEART.
A WHITE HOPE IS A SMOOTH HIGHWAY
TO THOSE WHO TRAVEL ON WHEELS WET WITH RUST,
BUT A WHITE DREAM IS TRUE SALVATION
FOR IT MUST COME TRUE.
IF I CAN GIVE ANYTHING TO YOU
I WILL GIVE YOU MY WHITE DREAM THAT YOURS MAY COME TRUE.
FOLLOWING MYSELF
I HAVE WALKED A FEW ROADS AND SEEN MANY THINGS
BUT I HAVE NOT UNDERSTOOD MUCH OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN.
I HAVE SEEN SUNS RISING HIGH
LIKE A WINDOWLESS PLANE CLIMBING JACOB'S LADDER,
AND I HAVE SEEN SUNS SINKING LOW
LIKE A TWILIGHT SPIDER ON THE CURTAIN OF DUSK.
I HAVE PEERED UPWARD
FROM UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS OF LIFE
AND GAZED DOWNWARD FROM MY DREAMS.
WHEN I SEE YOU LOOK AT ME
YOU SEE ME, BUT, YOU DON’T REALLY SEE ME.
I AM ONLY THE ESSENCE OF MY WORDS
THEY ARE ME AND I AM THEM.
AS I WALK THROUGH THIS UNIVERSE
HAND IN HAND WITH MY WORDS,
SOMETIMES I THINK I HEAR SOMEONE FOLLOWING ME,
WHEN I TURN AROUND I SEE IT IS ONLY ME
FOLLOWING MYSELF, I REALIZE I HOW TOTALLY LOST I TRULY AM.
