Your Mirror

Your mirror tells you lies of omission
'Cause it can't quite capture what I see when
My lips are on your neck and my eyes an
Inch away from the wonders of your skin.
No, your mirror doesn't show you how the
Thousands of soft hairs sway slightly under
My breath, like blades of soft tall grass as we
Watch the wind bring in the distant thunder.
Your mirror cannot show the stunning sight
That I behold in the moment before
We kiss--our faces close, your eyes closed tight,
And your lips a new country to explore.
     In your mirror you become brilliant light,
     But in my arms you become pure delight.

Heartbeat

The way she danced to my heartbeat made heat
And steam rise to the heavens, and my pulse
Pumped breakbeats that shook the walls and made feet
Move with the power of pure white impulse.
And she shined singularly on the floor
Moving like melody to my rhythm.
Our eyes met and she saw I was the core
Of the night's strange sonic algorithm.
And so she took my hand like a clever
Thief grabs jewels, escaping out the door.
Outside, my heartbeat was loud as ever.
Frightened, she wasn't dancing anymore
     And my whole world is rattling apart,
     'Cause I don't know how to turn down my heart.

Pet Sounds

I call you 'honey' and you call me 'pet'.
Those soft sweet terms of endearment flowing
From our mouths in whispered tones that have yet
To tire as our affections keep growing.
When passion overwhelms your history
And past heartbreaks seem only to abet
The rough new thing that is our mystery
I'll just ask you to keep calling me 'pet',
Because I'm not entirely sure that
I qualify as human anymore,
Curling up in the spot where you just sat
After I've lapped my shame up off the floor
     So if you hold me, I will be your pup.
     'Cause I love you, and that's pretty fucked up.

Jill 1

Every time I hear the word 'NO', I get
A little bit more desperate to hear
Someone say 'YES'. I feel the growing fit
Tug on my mind, the pressure in my ear
Building from being denied what it needs.
I start to consider asking someone
Who I know won't deny me, and like weeds
The sickness spreads through my head. I'm undone
Quickly (my defenses mere illusion)
When I reach out to him. I'm disgusted
At the pride he takes in our brief fusion;
But he said 'YES' and I'm maladjusted.
     Now I'll say 'YES' to these pills and this gin.
     To sleep, and to never hear 'NO' again.

The Poet's Hypocrisy

I can create a lovely song of joy
To describe how I feel when you are near.
I'll scribble notes like a nervous schoolboy,
Then sing them out for everyone to hear.
A seduction in verse, employing all
Of my verbal tricks, every metaphore
In my arsenal firing up the tall
Towers of your heart, knocking at your door.
And you reply, with composition and
Skill, that my efforts have won your day. You
Sing your song of joy, beautiful and grand.
But that is not what I want you to do.
     Actions, not words, are what keeps my heart fed
     Don't tell me you love me, show me instead.

Winning Strategy

Dreams are coming true everywhere I look
Ambitions are fulfilled so often that
The cries of victory flow like a brook,
Bringing nourishment to souls in combat
Those glorious heroes defeating all
The limits of this world with style and flair.
Dreams are coming true, from heaven they fall
And yet I find myself in this nightmare
Bloody and bruised and begging to be done.
Outwitted and outmatched, I am ruined.
I search my soul for strength and I find none,
Eternally damned in the way I've sinned.
     I want to give up and lie on the shelf
     Unable to stop defeating myself.

Our Night

We merry three, contagious in our glee
Race through the streets, wild animals at play
And bystanders just stare, amazed at the
Lovely spectacle, pure joy on display.
We merry three, chaotic harmony
Bursts from our lips like birdsong in a storm
And if we asked nature, she would agree
We play the kind of play that can transform.
We merry three, we know what we could be
If our embrace crossed the threshold of close
If my hand came to rest upon your knee
Within each other's eyes we would expose
     The secret dreams of you and she and me
     Into the carnal night, we merry three.

Athens

You see the way the system keeps us down,
And so you raise your fist to smash the state.
Your protocol is flawless and the ground
Is thick with all of your comrades. The wait
Is over, time is now. You face the force
Of what you would destroy, with uniforms
And shields, with tear gas and batons. Of course
They are greatly outnumbered, and the swarms
Of your righteous revolution prevail.
And once you've won, and once the state is smashed
You find that you are lonely, old, and frail.
Merely existing in the world you've trashed.
     Your push for change was not guided by love
     You rose against. You did not rise above.

Nature Abhors a Vacuum

I am the lonely void that's found inside
The heart of a hard working man, who makes
His way through life trying not to collide
With his desire, so fearful of mistakes
That he knows he can't avoid. And so with
Every passing moment he does his best
To deny himself the beautiful gift
That waits at his feet if he would just rest
If he would stop striving to be so pure,
To ignore the lies he's heard his whole life,
Give in to true love disguised as lust's lure,
Stop struggles that only service his strife.
     For when you walk the wrong path righteously
     Each step still leads to pain and misery.

I wanna write like John Darnielle...

Every day I laugh until I cry,
Tears falling down my face and over my
Wide smile. Every day I wonder why
I am so lucky that my heart could fly
Right out of my chest, exploding in glee.
Look deep into my eyes and you will see
A soul with burdens that pale next to the
Unimaginable size of what we
Have experienced. Even when I feel
Sadness, anguish, despair, or pain I steal
The smallest spark of good and I reveal
The truth that should be known by all who heal--
     Even at life's darkest, when all goes wrong,
     Breaking makes us heal, healing makes us strong.