A True Friend

O careless, careless hands
creased in worry
yet worry bring

in all permutations
have i not saved you
in dark waters
pulled you drowning
to breath
comforted through lessons learned
and trials walked beside your path

once careful, careful hands
crisp with catching
worry not
as you droop down
he remains your true friend

Birdsong

from his bathtub
he listens to birdsong
beyond closed windows

muffled bursts of sunrise
scrub away the bruises
long to ease his shoulders
shadows flickering as cars break the light

he hums himself a birthday
a conjuring of youth
murmurs her name
scent of blueberries and forget-me-nots
in the bubbles about his knees
smooths back his hair with water
and sits forward dripping

he whistles a response to the
trickle tickle of birdsong
and waits for her name to replay

Pink Moon

fair moon
i gaze on troubled water
even beauty marred if i distract from the wave
the approach

fair moon
celestial eye
ravaged by the waves
greet me through the water
where not even breath can stir such waves

welcome me as pieces
of a puzzle you once played

his eyes upon the field

hymn perterritus
healed the break
wounding our friendship
i no longer dance
i no longer sing
i cut snowflakes from the dandruff of day
and call the scattered paperwork
to hunt you down

but then distracted by the hawk on my fence
his regal brow
i forget you altogether
as full as that yellow chest
as purposeful as his eyes upon the field

Always

forgiven, always
though faith dislodges
forgiveness, always
i won’t let the tears slow me down
I’ve known the steely eye
the throwing horse
the shuttered brow
and i will not offer these to you
but carry on as we normally do
core shredded by dogs

Rise

green whether weeds or flower stalks
the fields nod confident to the whispering wind
yes i will meet every challenge you give
i will fall when you say fall
unbidden rise again
and i
need no hand to rise
but my own