∴ ‘neath clouded skies
a fortress stands
wallows of longing within
to roam once more
yet your lingering
upon parole’s denial
despite innocence to redeem
a spirit adrift
in the quiet present
where true freedom awaits
on butterfly wings ∴
Tag: narrative
later dins
∴ hole in th wall Thai
seating for nine
eleven with a squeeze
clatter of pans
patrons slurping & munching
heavenly dishes, khao soi my fav
young child takes advantage
acoustics in th bathroom
belts more or less accurate
classic hit
rock & roll all nite
envy of her parent’s
child-rearing
unawares
her restaurant audience explodes
APPLAUSE and LAUGHING LAUGHING LAUGHING ∴
alcohol
∴ at thee downtown Almost, Nowhere pub
perhaps you’ve strayed in before
we indulge ourselves for dins
overstuffed burritos with
GuacomoleChristmas-sauce-sourcream delight
a feast that may rend us to bits
margaritas flow, seemingly never cease
satisfying our craving for salt-rimmed glasses
remnants of which have just previously been baked
onto our skin
after many hours and then some traversing
not well-waypointed paths
since late last afore nighty
in the Promised-Not-To-Say
unconcerned with appearance, yet
i scrub dried blood from my skin
exchanged my boots for sandals
another trek of discovery checked off
and a toenail, perhaps a casualty
i feel it twinge, but haven’t glanced downward yet
still, there’s matters to attend to
nourishment and libations, an alcoholic balm
for a subtle pang whose location eludes me
rising for a bout of darts, i discern
a weightier drag in my aim,
and my toe, now numb to sensation.
the bartender’s pour has been generous
my companions deny such effects
i glance over at her
a shared chuckle escaping her lips
approaching, inquisitive of her tale,
my speech falters o’er my initial words
and now both feet feel off-kilter
yet she minds not
“i’m the late-mid and i get off at eight” ∴
no school today
∴ no school today
dawn’s defiance
a radical rebellion
just past oatmeal
pre-bus ride
to the threshold
we go
all clothes discarded
in revolt
craving freedom
no school today
no confines
no curriculum
no teachers
grasping bare truth
she stood firm
a bold proclamation
yearning for the refuge
of her own pages.
with a nod
and a wry grin
unadorned
my little rebel child
slipped
into the cocoon of her blankets
nestled with a tome
no school today ∴
merged with the expanse
∴ i admire you like the sun
she declared
as she dipped below the horizon’s edge
i cherish you like the moon
she expressed
as she began to wane in the night sky
i adore you like the stars
she confessed
as she shimmered, distant yet radiant
i revere you like the cosmos
she surrendered
as she merged with the expanse at the break of dawn ∴
brocade
∴ in a Brooklyn pier
below roaring traffic
a dance troupe emerges
painted in vibrant chalk
casting spells with limbs
defying gravity and stone confines
a narrative of chaos and order
ghostly traces
in an ecstasy of motion
brocade vignettes
now transcending
Brooklyn’s hold ∴
twisted
∴ in the backcountry’s tangles
time’s course twisted
minutes stretch
into moments sans end
against elemental force
survival insists
challenge meets, resolve persists ∴