THERE ARE TIMES
I MUST BE
HIDDEN AWAY
BY THE SUN
AND THE CLOUDS
AND THE SEA,
IT’S PART OF MY SOUL
THIS SALTY AIR
AND FRAGRANT BREEZE
THE LONELY HOWL
OF THE WIND
OFTEN RECINDING
MY PASSION
INTO GRUEL,
ONLY REMINDING
OF THE TERRIBLE
BINDING
THAT LANDS MY
SOUL TO CRUEL,
THERE IS NO
WAY
TO ESCAPE
THE PAIN THAT
LIES SO DEEP
INSIDE,
AND OFTEN
THE LAYERS OF
LONLINESS
PROVIDE
A PLACE TO HIDE,
BUT THE
SUN KNOWS HOW
TO DRAW ME OUT
AND THE WIND
BLOWS IN
MY HAIR,
THE ENORMOUS
STONES AND
ROCKS OF
GHOST TREE
LAND ME
IN THE LAIR
WHERE I WANT
TO BE
ESPECIALLY
TO OPEN UP
MY HEART,
IT’S A PRIVATE
AFFAIR
TO LIVE
IN THERE
WHERE I CANNOT
HIDE
AND BURY
THE PRIDE,
THE ENORMOUS
GAME
THAT COMES
FROM SHAME
AND A BIG
REMORSE
FOR PRETENDING,
I WANT TO
KNOW
WHY I CANNOT
GROW
AWAY FROM
THESE DREAMS
THAT INSIST
ON THE SCHEMES
CONTINUING
THE CHASE
I MAKE
TO ERASE
THE PAIN
OF THE BLAME
CALLED LIFE,

AND THEN THE
WAVES CRASH
BELOW ME,
AND I LISTEN
TO THE
HOLY CINDERS
THAT FLY UPON
THE BREEZE,
AND DESPITE
MY SORROW
AND THE GAME
OF TOMORROW,
I CANNOT CHASE
THE GODDESS
WHO WAS THERE
WHEN I WAS BORN,
AND WALKS ALONG
AS THE ARTISTS
SONG
BECOMES A
MEMORY,
CLOSING MY
EYES TO THE
BLUE OF THE SKIES,
I PICTURE
A NEW DAY
ONE OF TOMORROW
WHILE A GULL
SITS BESIDE ME
AWAITING A SMILE
REMINDING THE
PLEASURE
AND LAUGHTER
BEGUILED,
WHILE GHOST TREE
ONCE MORE
EVENS THE SCORE,
HOLDS ME IN
BONDAGE
ALWAYS BELIEVING
NEVER DECEIVING
MY TENDER
SWEET HEART,
KNOWING FOREVER
WE NEVER WILL PART,
I RISE AND APPEAR
ON THE WAVES
OF THE SHORE,
READY
AND WAITING
TO CRY OUT
FOR MORE, FOR NOW
IS THE MOMENT
OF LOVE…

©JW WINSLOW 12/1/2021