WE ENTERED
THE GARDEN
(MY FRIEND
AND ME)
ANXIOUS TO
ADMIRE
AND EXPLORE
AND SEE
THE LUSH GREEN
MEADOWS
THE OLDEN
ROCK WALLS
THE SPROUTING
HYRANGEA
THE CROW’S
MATING CALLS,
DODGING SHARP
LEAVES
FROM THE TALL
HOLLY TREES
WE SOON FOUND
A SIGHT
AND WERE
BROUGHT
TO OUR KNEES,
NOT REALLY
OF COURSE,
BUT TRUE PURE
REMORSE
ACCOSTED THE
EYES
WHEN RIGHT
BY SURPRISE
WE CAME UPON
THE KINGDOM
OF MOUNDS
AND SCURRYING
CREATURES
MAKING SUCH
SOUNDS,
I JUMPED BACK
THINKING
THIS CAN’T BE
RIGHT (I WAS OUT
HERE SO RECENTLY
LATE LAST NIGHT)
BUT SURE ENOUGH
THE INVASION WAS
REAL, A MASSIVE
PERSUASION
OF PILES AND SOIL,
WITH HOLES AT THE TOP
NO WAY TO STOP
THE TREND
OR FIND ANY END,

THERE COMES A POINT
IN ELUSIVE GAMES
WHERE ONE MUST
GRAB THE RING:
DEDUCE THE
FEELINGS OF
EMPTINESS
FIND A GOOD
WAY TO SING,
THE YEN FOR
YOU CAME
RIGHT FROM
THE START
I WOULD NEVER
DENY THAT
AT ALL,
THE PIERCING
CRY OF ECSTACY
WAS ESCAPING
FROM MY HEART,
I WANTED SO
TO BE AWARE
TO KNOW AND
FIND
AND LAUGH
AND CARE,
SO WHEN YOU CAME
TO OPEN THE DOOR
SMILING
CHANTING
WANTING
MUCH MORE
IT WAS THE
FATEFUL TIME
FOR US TO BE,
TO SLASH THE RULES
AND FIND THE
TOOLS TO DANCE/
BY CHANCE
IT WAS NEVER
THE USUAL
VIBRANT CONNECTION
CEASING TO NOTICE
NO IMPERFECTIONS
BUT HAPPY INSTEAD
WERE WE
TO JOIN OUR FINE
BODIES IN MYSTERY,
WE MADE SECRET
BONDS
FROM THE REST
OF THE WORLD,
PAYING THE PRICE
NEVER
THOUGHT
TWICE TO WONDER
WHAT COMES DOWN
THE ROAD
MAYBE ONCE
BE ASUNDER
IF ONE PART DELAYS
THE OTHER ONE PAYS
REDUCING THE
DARKNESS TO LIGHT,

THE WIND BLOWS
AND ALL AROUND ME
I SEE GREEN:
THE TREES AND
BRANCHES
THE VINES MEANDERING
ABOUT IN MESSY BEDS
FULL OF ANCIENT HYDRANGEA
AND PERHAPS A STRAY
MONARCH
IS FLOATING IN
THE RAYS OF SUNSHINE
THAT ENCOURAGE
WILD STRAWBERRIES
AND IVY CLIMBING
OVER THE NEIGHBORS FENCE,
IT WAS A SURPRISE
THIS PLACE
WRAPPING ITSELF
AROUND A POET’S SOUL
UNAWARE OF HOW
DEEPLY THE CHANGE
WOULD COME UPON ME,
THERE WERE ALWAYS
CURIOUS ROOMS
AND CROWDED FRENCH
ARRANGEMENTS OF
FRESH BUDS
IN A CAJUN VASE,
IS IT MY MEMORY OR MAYBE
IMAGINATION,
THEY FADE TOGETHER
YOU KNOW,
AND WHEN I FOUND
THE HOUSE
OF BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
IT WAS AS IF
SOMETHING MEANT TO BE
HAD OCCURRED,
THE PICTURE IN MY MIND
WHEN I DREAMED OF
WHERE I WANTED TO LAND
HAD BEEN MISTY AND
FOGGY, WITH A HIGH
WALL OF WILDFLOWERS
TENDER PINK ROSES
AND GLASS DOORS
TO EXHIBIT THE SPLENDOR
OF NATURE,

IT WAS RIGHT AFTER DAWN
WHEN I SET OUT TO WALK
THE BEACH ON
NEW YEARS DAY
MANY MANY MOONS AGO
SO CLOSE
BUT FAR AWAY,
I WAS SEARCHING
AND YEARNING
EXCITED AND
CHURNING
TUMBLING MY MIND
IN A DIFFERENT PLAY:
WONDERING WHAT
WAS IN STORE,
DIGGING MY TOES
IN THE SOFTEST
WHITE SAND,
HOPING TO FIND
SOMETHING MORE,
AND SOON THERE
WAS MUSIC
ALIVE IN MY HEAD,
IT STARTED BEFORE
WHEN I WOKE
IN MY BED,
NOTHING UNUSUAL
MOSTLY THE NORM
I HEAR THE STRONG
MELODIES AND THE
WORDS THEY PERFORM,
PERHAPS IT’S A GIFT
AS SOME WOULD SAY
I CAN CAPTURE THE SOUNDS
IN A DIFFERENT WAY
LIKE MY OWN LITTLE
PLAYER
GIVEN FROM GOD
THE MUSICAL PRAYER
WHILE MOSTLY AWARE
OF OTHER THINGS
MOVING IN TANDEM,
I WALKED ON THE SAND
SPLASHING AT RANDOM
FOR MILES AND MILES
NOT ANOTHER SOUL’S
SMILE
(NOR WINK DID I SEE)
THE FIRST DAY WAS
ALL MINE, AT LEAST FOR
THE TIME, THE QUEST OF
MY HISTORY,
THE SONG THAT I HEARD
GOING BACK
WORD FOR WORD
WAS ABOUT THE GENIUS
OF DREAMS
A MAN WHO CHANGED FATE
FOR THOSE WHO
WOULD WAIT
TO HEAR ABOUT
BRILLIANT SLY SCHEMES,
HIS LEGEND OF MIND
FOR ALL OF MANKIND
WAS A STORY THAT
PROMPTED MY HEART
AND MADE SUCH
A SPARK
THAT I STOPPED FOR
AWHILE ON MY STROLL,

SHE BELIEVES IN ANGELS
AND SPELLS OF MAGIC
POTIONS THAT CURE
ALL THAT IS TRAGIC,
FULL BLOWN MOONS
AND CHILDREN’S TUNES,
AND SWEEPING
ROMANTIC
PROSE,
SLICING ENORMOUS
CHUNKS OF LOVE
EVERYWHERE
SHE GOES,
SHE’S INSPIRING
UNTIRING
WIRED FOR SPEED
WHEN IT COMES TO
CARING AND FILLING
THE NEED,
HOWEVER,
AS WITH
ALL GOOD THINGS,
THERE COMES A
SHOULDERING
EVER SO BOLD
THAT YOU CANNOT
MISS THE MESSAGE TOLD,
AND WITH ONE
PHONE CALL,
THAT WAS THE CASE:
SHE WAS FLOATING ABOUT
IN A PAINFUL SPACE,
UNABLE TO FIGHT
AND CONTINUE THE RACE
AS OTHERS WATCH
IN HELPLESS
CONCERN,
WE FINALLY LEARN
WHAT SPIRIT LIVES
IN THE HEART THAT GIVES,
A FIRE THAT
CROSSES THE LINES
TO WIN AGAIN
AND AGAIN,
AND AGAIN,
A WOMAN IMMERSED
IN HER PRIME,

I WAS MAKING IT RIGHT:
THE POLE FOR THE BITE
OF JUICE THAT HE
LOVES, SET ASKEW
BY THE WINDS AND
THE RAINS
DRIVING THE TRAIN
OF WEATHER
RELENTLESS AND TRUE,
HE LANDED SO CLOSE
I WAS SHOCKED
TO SEE
VIOLET FLECKS
OF COLOR BLENDED
AND MENDED INTO
WHIRLY GRAY WINGS

THE ORDER OF THINGS
HE DELIVERS AS SUCH
WHEN VISITING
HIS FAVORITE MEAL,
THEY ARE QUITE
TERRITORIAL
IN THE SPEEDY MEMORIAL
BUZZING AND SWOOPING
FINALLY RECOUPING
TO DIVE
AND THRIVE
AND BE SO ALIVE,
HE BARELY PAID HEED
TO MY SILENT SWEET DEEDS,
WHILE I PEEKED IN
PURE AWE,
THROAT TIGHT IN
THE CRAW,
BREATHLESSLY HOPING
TO WATCH,
SO HE GRANTED MY
WISH
AND DOVE INTO
THE DISH,
LONG POINTED BEAK
IN ACTION,
I GUESS HE WAS
HUNGRY, FOR HE
LEFT ME TO PEER
AND OBSERVE
THE SWERVE
AND TRACTION,

UPON SETTING OUT
TO INVESTIGATE
TRAVEL
AND INSTIGATE,
DIG DEEP
AND EXLORE
I FIND THE
GEMS OF MYSTERY
AND PAINFUL LONG
HISTORY
ARE KEY TO
ANSWERING THE DOOR,
MY PATIENCE
GROWS SHORT
AT THE SILENT
RAPPORT
OF PEOPLE WHO
TALK IN CIRCLES,
I LISTEN INSTEAD
TO THE MUSICAL
HEADS,
FOR THEY ARE
THE KEY TO
MY HEART,
MY SOUL SIGHS
AND BLEEDS
AT THE BEAUTIFUL
NEEDS
THAT EXLORE
AND FINE TUNE
LIKE A DART,
AS A LILTING
GUITAR
SOUNDS FROM
NEAR OR
SO FAR,
THE PASSION
STRIKES SUCH
A FANCY,
I FALL RIGHT IN
LOVE
WITH A MAN
AND HIS GLOVE
FULL OF MAGICAL
TUNES AND FANTASY,

HE IS THE MAN
THAT I SEE IN MY DREAMS
OFTEN A PASSING
FANCY, IT SEEMS
SOMETIMES A REALITY
NOT OFTEN ENOUGH
BUT WHAT KIND OF
STUFF IS YOUR
DREAM ANYWAY,
A CONGLOMERATION
OF SENSATIONS,
TALL, SMALL
BIG, GENTLE
SHY, GRUFF,
SWEET, SENTIMENTAL,
TOUGH STUFF
FLIRTY, WIERD
A STUBBLE BEARD
PIERCING EYES
SMILING ONLY
TO SURMISE
YOUR MOOD
OR IF THE DOOR
IS OPEN
TO A PLAYFUL ROMP
TOWARD THE BED,
HE’S WAY AHEAD
OF ME
AND ALWAYS WAS,
FOR WE OF THE
FEMALE SPECIES
PREFER THE
FOREPLAY AND
A TOWERING THESIS
OF LOVE AND
PROMISES,
COME ON,
DON’T DENY
THE FAIRY TALE
WINGS
ARE PART OF THE
PIE,

IN THE CORNER
BEHIND THE FERNS
IS A MIRROR
PLACED BY CHANCE
AND CIRCUMSTANCE
TO REFLECT THE
PRIVATE GARDEN
DARK AND LIGHT,
DAY AND NIGHT
IT JUST IS,
WAITING FOR A
COMPANION WHO
ARRIVES EARLY
EACH MORNING
AND SCOOTS QUICKLY
ACROSS THE FLOOR
TO A SOFT GREEN
SPACE FILLED WITH
SHOOTS AND BUDS
HIDDEN AWAY IN THE
QUIET, WAITING TO
HAVE A DAY
IN THE SUN,
BUT NOW HE’S BEGUN
TO BOUNCE
AND TAP
AND POUND,
THINKING THE
REFLECTION HE SEES
IS THE DOORWAY
TO HEAVEN,
WHERE ALL THE
SWEET LOINS OF
PLANTING AWAIT
FOR HIM ALONE,
I HEAR HIS RADICAL
NOISE EVERY DAY,
A CROSS BETWEEN A
PING AND A PONG,
RADIATING SLIGHTLY
ENOUGH TO BE OBVIOUS,
I PEER OUT TO WATCH
AS HE FLINGS HIMSELF
TIME AFTER TIME
TOWARD THE IMAGE
HE BELIVES IS A SECRET,
A HAVEN TO BUILD A NEST
AWAY FROM THE REST
WHERE NOBODY WILL
HARM OR ALARM HIM,