ratava .ii
oma .i
beds of the rainingyn lands omerec emorhc a morf
tsaf oot puc citsalp eht deniard i
love, the other weather where the blankets cover
over heads
wolg yssalg cibucib ’txen
noonretfa tsugua eht hcneuq ot
wisps of winds gniknilb seye-thgirb ni gnirettifl
nrom tsugua eht gnirebmemer
and the when of currents moor eht ssorca gnitrifl
.uoy htiw tas i )sruoh owt rof( nehw
vexes droughted grounds, with brings hope
dna
llef dna dehcnerd sdrow ruoy ,looc
ssalg eht tsniaga
,srae detautafni no
seasons change with, ecnecsednacni gnirettahs
detaropave ,elbat eht ffo
condensing into we,ytinav eht no gnitcefler
.tfel uoy
where srekthe aengables s-enot channel htrae dna slwahs ikahk fo
tcane-er dluoc ew hguoht i tub
like the folded hands
spuc gniknilc
ecnad detaes ,latnemitnes ruo
spil fo sdnuos dna
deksa reven i neht tub ,thguoht i
gnippis
uoy
gnippird dna ,dehcnerd
tsal t’ndid secnuo ytnewt
when the other weather ecnedaced diuqil htiw
.ot meht dehsiw d’i sa gnol sa
at the altarthen warm is love and bright are days
becomes a sun in springtime ria ni tnlands edive amrahd together smiles at eachother.
sllems dna
i. amo
ii. avatar
rehtaew rehto eht ,evol revoc steknalb eht erehw
i drained the plastic cup too fast
from a chrome ceremony sdnal gniniar eht fo sdeb
to quench the august afternoon
next’ bicubic glassy glow
remembering the august morn
flittering in bright-eyes blinking sdniw fo spsiw
when (for two hours) i sat with you.
flirting across the room stnerruc fo nehw eht dna
cool, your words drenched and fell
and
sdaeh revo
,sdnuorg dethguord sexev
on infatuated ears,
against the glass
epoh sgnirb htiw
off the table, evaporated
shattering incandescence ,htiw egnahc snosaes
you left.
reflecting on the vanity,ew otni gnisnednoc
but i though we could re-enact
of khaki shawls and lenearth nahc tone-sneakers selbag eht erehw
our sentimental, seated dance
clinking cups
i thought, but then i never asked
and sounds of lips
you
sipping
twenty ounces didn’t last
drenched, and dripping
as long as i’d wished them to.
with liquid decadence rehtaew rehto eht nehw
sdnah dedlof eht ekil -ratla eht ta dna evol si mraw neht syad era thgirb
dharma evident sdnal em initair gnirps ni nus a semoceb and smells
.rehtohcae ta selims rehtegot
iii. eucharist
every time we are, it is every place we go it sits (departing) every time it rests
htiw evol ni nellaf ev’i
and waits a day for our return
.srewofl dna ,sepytehcra(
in this place, every friend
.seohs dna striks ,kcitspil
a delicately made vessel
,evol tsap fo seiromem
the meal isn’t on the plate
.sgnileef rats-gnitoohs esoht
but in eachother
.senobkeehc hgih ,spil ,seye
common room confessional and sometimes-chapels in our chairs
sdnah gnidloh gniklaw dna
with cups that sip away our sins
gnittis dna
and bread to eat away our fears
gnihtyreve dna
you and i are all we need and it is here, amen
amen.
.uoy )tub
tsirahcue .iii
si ti ,era ew emit yreve stis ti og ew ecalp yreve stser ti emit yreve )gnitraped(
i’ve fallen in love with
(archetypes, and flowers. nruter ruo rof yad a stiaw dna lipstick, skirts and shoes.
dneirf yreve ,ecalp siht ni lessev edam yletaciled a
memories of past love,
those shooting-star feelings. etalp eht no t’nsi laem eht eyes, lips, high cheekbones. holding hands and walking
rehtohcae ni tub lanoissefnoc moor nommoc
sriahc ruo ni slepahc-semitemos dna
and sitting
snis ruo yawa pis taht spuc htiw
and everything
sraef ruo yawa tae ot daerb dna
but) you.
deen ew lla era i dna uoy nema ,ereh si ti dna
.nema
floppy red draped from her hips (her sister Rosa looked down on her, behind a veil, her face so white) and the words come out in drips
htiw evol ni nellaf ev’i .srewofl dna ,sepytehcra(
when in the morning, waking
.seohs dna striks ,kcitspil
to a breath
,evol tsap fo seiromem
under a mutter
.sgnileef rats-gnitoohs esoht
lips grasp for another
.senobkeehc hgih ,spil ,seye
and pointed towards the ceiling
sdnah gnidloh gniklaw dna
trips out of bed, (reverse of
gnittis dna
last night. beneath
gnihtyreve dna
a tattered curtain)
.uoy )tub
decorates eyes for a wedding, they’re so in love
embraced by a you-mold, i subtly changed my shape to include the presence of eyes, arms, words. . .
spih reh morf depard der yppofl nwod dekool asoR retsis reh( ,liev a dniheb ,reh no )etihw os ecaf reh spird ni tuo emoc sdrow eht dna
when i woke, the place where you had pressed against my cheek when i wrote,
gnikaw ,gninrom eht ni nehw htaerb a ot rettum a rednu
a smudge of ink
rehtona rof psarg spil
left on my hand
gniliec eht sdrawot detniop dna
and when i left, something on my tongue so bittersweet
fo esrever( ,deb fo tuo spirt htaeneb .thgin tsal )niatruc derettat a
yesterdays and yous, and evidence of negative space
rof seye setaroced evol ni os er’yeht ,gniddew a
the bitter cold- the kind that drinks the warmth from your coffee, colors red onto your face, seeps into your holey shoesthat wasn’t what shook my trembling hands.
,semitemos sessik wolb t’nac i are you bitter, mother branch are you safe, darkened room, sgnul ym rof yrros m’i ,semitemos for weeping such a cost? a coffin like the ground? ria ni ekat ot noitaripser yb fi dna a leaf’s a love at last sight, a bed is but a seed’s rest, ,rood ruoy edisni ,hgis i a leaf’s a love at loss a bed is not a sound. klaw ton did i fi sa seert fo ffo sevael eht dloc eht ni ereh ,gniyd saedi ekil are you blind, old man winter, are you tired, empty road taoc ym fo gnikat segap tuo-nrot eht ekil pruner of all hands? of traffic’s rumbling drone? -uoy rof dnuorg eht hcaer ylno lliw the cold’s a crying forest, a passing car’s a past away ,fael on ma i tub etaf erofeb sknilb the cold’s a woeful land a passing car’s gone on, ,tuo-nrot egap ro alone. fi yrros m’i os ,drow ynnuf a si htaerb a ehtaerb i ,nottub taoc a ekil nrow november yawns at dusk, and november yawns at dusk, .noitavreserp-fles fo eohs a ekil nrow til dawn’s warm hand till dawn’s warm face .dloc eht ni enola s’ti touches her shoulder, brushes her shoulder. reluctantly, she wakes,
reluctantly, she wakes
realizing
realizing
she’s one year older today,
she’s one year older today
and so am i.
and every time i wake, i’m also one year older than the day the trees began to cry and this place became colder.
i can’t blow kisses
sometimes, ,moor denekrad ,efas uoy era hcnarb rehtom ,rettib uoy era sometimes, i’m sorry for my lungs ?dnuorg eht ekil nfifoc a ?tsoc a hcus gnipeew rof and if by respiration to take in air ,tser s’dees a tub si deb a ,thgis tsal ta evol a s’fael a i sigh, inside your door, .dnuos a ton si deb a ssol ta evol a s’fael a the leaves off of trees as if i did not walk like ideas dying,
here in the cold daor ytpme ,derit uoy era like the torn-out pages taking of my coat ?enord gnilbmur s’cfifart fo will only reach the ground for youyawa tsap a s’rac gnissap a blinks before fate but i am no leaf, ,no enog s’rac gnissap a or page torn-out, .enola is a funny word, so i’m sorry if
,retniw nam dlo ,dnilb uoy era
worn like a coat button, i breathe a breath ,ksud ta snway rebmevon dna worn like a shoe of self-preservation. ecaf mraw s’nwad llit it’s alone in the cold. .redluohs reh sehsurb
?sdnah lla fo renurp ,tserof gniyrc a s’dloc eht dnal lufeow a s’dloc eht
,ksud ta snway rebmevon dnah mraw s’nwad lit ,redluohs reh sehcuot
sekaw ehs ,yltnatculer
,sekaw ehs ,yltnatculer
gnizilaer
gnizilaer
yadot redlo raey eno s’ehs
,yadot redlo raey eno s’ehs
,ekaw i emit yreve dna
.i ma os dna
redlo raey eno osla m’i yrc ot nageb seert eht yad eht naht .redloc emaceb ecalp siht dna
now i cry with God, paling is my artform sounding up to His, weakness under strength thunder swallows heartbeats storm drains swallow tears
,doG htiw yrc i won mroftra ym si gnilap ,siH ot pu gnidnuos htgnerts rednu ssenkaew staebtraeh swollaws rednuht sraet wollaws sniard mrots
i saw a tree undress for sleep,
srewofl on rof
a stoic beauty underneath the leaves
sesuoherots era
slow revealed in staggered fade,
solis eht ekil
falling
,niarg ruo rof
around a wrist and tracing lines all rough and darkened, pressed against the sky simple, naked gesture names a reach
(then rest)
Awakened by the cold of day she poses her arms with just enough grace shivering in slender dance that betrays her strength to stand still a silent structure much more pure her silhouetted form against the wind makes my footsteps
srewofl emos nehw noos oot rehtiw nosaes fo tuo dna smoolb eht llaf ,dniw yb desruc dloc ro drow ro thguord ro taeh ro )lla fo tsom( emit ro
:deirt evah emosdnah s’tsirofl a htolc larutan ta hctam on si ssarg ni smool rof .daerht gnivaw fo sdlefi dna
seem so
when just enough grace sustains her reach
vain
and the beauty of autumn is underneath.
,peels rof sserdnu eert a was i you died too soon sevael eht htaenrednu ytuaeb ciots a (we would say) ,edaf dereggats ni delaever wols and no more gnillaf are your petals senil gnicart dna tsirw a dnuora and for no flowers yks eht tsniaga desserp ,denekrad dna hguor lla are storehouses seman erutseg dekan ,elpmis like the silos hcaer a for our grain.
for no flowers are storehouses like the silos for our grain, when some flowers wither too soon and out of season fall the blooms cursed by wind,
)tser neht(
or word or cold
but we, weeping, try
or heat or drought
to bring you back
or time (most of all)
fruitless is our hand: ecarg hguone tsuj htiw smra reh sesop ehs our vain attempt ecnad rednels ni gnirevihs to change the season dnats ot htgnerts reh syarteb taht withers like the grass, llits again. erup erom hcum erutcurts tnelis a
-some have tried: a florist’s hand at natural cloth is no match for looms in grass and fields of waving thread.
yad fo dloc eht yb denekawA
hcaer reh sniatsduestteecuaorhglihsgrueohne tsuj .htaenrdendinwu eshi tnm tsu ntiaugaafo myrotuf aeb e spetstoof ym sekam mees
hcaer reh sniatsus ecarg hguone tsuj nehw .htaenrednu si nmutua fo ytuaeb eht dna
os niav
evoba dnats i i miss the late night air and the morning breeze
dna krad eht ni slewov pu-til ees nialp teiuq-ecno a no
around cafe scents eno-on ot srepsihw ekil i miss the oaken leaves and the red sunsets
meht raeh i taht noissecnoc a evol terces a ot
behind the clouds, wisps, snrettap ot klat ot i miss the hum of cars and the sound of your voice
rednow ym htiw stuohtiw ym dna ?i dluoc woh
over locusts’ hiss eil i dluoc ro i miss nehw t dna
the cycle of the days and the end of all this.
dna sdaor no pu-ecaf seye ym llfi fo stnemalfi htiw
i stand above in the dark and see lit-up vowels on a once-quiet plain
ssim i ria thgin etal eht ezeerb gninrom eht dna stnecs efac dnuora
like whispers to no-one that i hear them a concession to a secret love
ssim i sevael nekao eht stesnus der eht dna ,spsiw ,sduolc eht dniheb
to talk to patterns with my wonder and my withouts how could i?
ssim i srac fo muh eht eciov ruoy fo dnuos eht dna ssih ’stsucol revo
or could i lie face-up on roads and fill my eyes with filaments of
ssim i syad eht fo elcyc eht .siht lla fo dne eht dna
esuoh a edisni stcelloc tsud spotniatnuom eht nopu wons sa hsa ot hsa ,tsud ot tsud gnirps ,efil ot htaed
sesnes eht ot ylevol si htmraw sti htiw sesaelp thgirb sroloc ,stnecs dna tub ,sexaw ti sa thgilnus eht nothing escapes your dusky eyes on a winter’s eve ,yrosulli si tnemevom and the starry skies sift through dark mirrors casting gemstones in your stare, :tnemom eht syarteb ti rof your eyes recalling fallen snow from clouds above yks eht tsniaga desopatxuj all aglow like neon lights, lit up by the moon dnand a ,tncity angerp si dnuorg eht nights. Luminance dare not escape your dusky eyes, nor beauty, slatep eht era tnetop and even my heart fails to fly away.
dub eht dniheb dekcut ssenkrad otni desserp dna segap eht neewteb sdrow
dust collects inside a house as snow upon the mountaintops dust to dust, ash to ash death to life, spring
is lovely to the senses pleases with its warmth and scents, colors bright the sunlight as it waxes, but eve s’retniw a no seye yksud ruoy sepacse gnihton movement is illusory, gnitsac srorrim krad hguorht tfis seiks yrrats eht dna for it betrays the moment: ,erats ruoy ni senotsmeg juxtaposed against ethe vobsky a sduolc morf wons nellaf gnillacer seye ruoy the ground is pregnant, ytic dna and noom eht yb pu til ,sthgil noen ekil wolga lla .sthgin ron ,seye yksud ruoy epacse ton erad ecnanimuL potent are the petals ,ytuaeb tucked behind the bud and pressed into darkness words between the pages
.yawa yfl ot sliaf traeh ym neve dna
.ii
.i
dnuorg eht no stips yks eht
,i dna uoy
dnuorg eht no selttar liah eht
sesuoh owt era ew
elttar osla swodniw eht yaw eht
seitilaer ruo fo egdir a no
raef rieht sekovni rednuht fo dnuos eht nehw seihposolihp no dednuof Sun fades fallen snow enap hcae os dna erauqs dna ,elttirb era ew rays strike a lonely blow eye na si nus eht ni sesoppo dniw taht nwonk si ti dna covered in soft cold once, mrots eht ni tub ytiralucidneprep lla now the ground gives itself away. .rae na si decitonnu tsomla tub sullen out with color now ria eht fo secnaun eht once was silk, light with snow Now the earth reaches through, Awake.
i.
ii.
you and i,
the sky spits on the ground
we are two houses
the hail rattles on the ground
on a ridge of our realities
the way the windows also rattle
founded on philosophies
when the sound of thunder invokes their fear wons nellaf sedaf nuS we are brittle, and square and so each pane wolb ylenol a ekirts syar and it is known that wind opposes in the sun is an eye ,ecno dloc tfos ni derevoc all perpendicularity but in the storm .yawa flesti sevig dnuorg eht won but almost unnoticed is an ear. won roloc htiw tuo nellus the nuances of the air wons htiw thgil ,klis saw ecno ,hguorht sehcaer htrae eht woN .ekawA
iii.
lanterns flicker dancing tongues speak out into the night people move about inside songs are sung as light. you and i, we must construct such a glass around ourselves so we may too may dance about unafraid of weather.