30 Poems in 30 Days (Redux)

[Moochienanu]

2-18

Imaginary lines

Life is full of lines
Ones which can be crossed,
And others which never should be
Without consequences.

Stare at the floor
As you move through
And look for them.

Some lines are marked with red tape.
These lines come with rules
That need to be followed
Or find consequences.
They tell you what to wear,
When,
Where
And why.
When there needs to be order,
In a disordered world,
These lines are drawn.

Other lines keep you with others
That are doing the same thing as you.
Follow the person in front of you.
When they take a step,
Quickly shuffle and fill the space.
People will come and stand close behind you,
Wanting to not miss out.
Don’t step away or you will lose your spot.

There are still other lines which are so much less tangible.
But that doesn’t mean they don’t exist,
Only that they are less noticeable.
These invisible lines
Are the ones that sneak up on you,
Honed specifically
For a single person,
You,
By another.
A set of protocols which take place
Even when you didn’t realize that was what was happening,
Over time
And with trust...

So,

Don’t dare to raise your eyes from the ground...
Because,
If you do,
And you see the lines
For everything they are
And everything they can be...

...


...Don’t ever chance looking away.

 

[Moochienanu]

2-19

Eyes Blinking


Dark caress
Of a sky
As dreams,
Like soft, cottonwood flurries
Drifting to the surface
And swirling in an unfelt breeze,
Fall upon the drifting mind.

Vivid colours
Float in the air
Moving memories,
Like a rolling field of flowers
Feels the tangle of berry bushes growing into it
And smiles to itself,
To the front of minds.

Soft murmurs
Of your voice
In the still, misty morning,
Like a response painstakingly written
With calligraphies so intricate
And sent with care,
Filling me with desire.

 

[Moochienanu]

2-20

The Vase

I painted a small vase
A few months ago
At a ceramics place
In a style and colour
I was unsure of, but
Ended up
Very much ‘me’ once fired.

The reasoning was,
If I had something
To put fresh flowers in,
Perhaps I would be gifted them
More often
Than twice a year.

Today, I walked downstairs,
And the vase
Wasn’t on the sill empty
As it has been since I brought it home;
It had been placed with
Old jars
Unused and under the sink.

On my way home today,
I plan to buy
Flowers for myself
Because a lesson was learned:
I can, and need to be
My own happiness
Sometimes.

 

[Moochienanu]

2-21

Tomorrow and Today

He found me
Tomorrow
One year ago,
Back when I didn’t even know
What, or who I was
And He was there
When my world seemed to fall apart
And my mind was full
Of lies and hurt.

He found me
Today
This morning,
Now that I know who I am
And what I want,
He is there
To remind me of what is important
And keep me striving
To be better for myself.

 

[Moochienanu]

2-22

Smoky fog

There was a fog.
Not just the smoke
That hung low in the air
From the fires both above and below
Creating a camping smell
Which left the state upset
With filling their lungs.

There was a fog.
Not just in the mountains
Which you ride to elevations
I’ve only dreamed of
Hiking to on an overcast day,
With a layer of ash hanging thick
Smothering frail life.

There was a fog
Filling minds
Dense and smoky
Without a light to lead by
Or a path for feet to follow,
Through debris so thick
Machetes swung couldn’t clear.

There was a fog
Which didn’t stop
A hand reaching through
To hold another,
to start fanning away the thick of it,
Beginning to disperse
With each moment spent.

 

[Moochienanu]

2-23

Dance With Me

Move across the floor,
One gliding movement
To hold me closer,
My head to your chest
And slow considerations
With each breath,
As fingertips skim
Curves graceful
Back and forth
In a swaying feel.

 

[Moochienanu]

2-24

Sleeplessness

Bourbon soaking
Through tongue to thoughts,
Thick thoughts,
Like syrup to run in
Or even walk slowly
Down the side of the honey jar
Sweet, sticky somethings
Feeling full bodied
Pressed against the backs of eyelids,
Scratching to the surface,
Erupting like lightning flashes
Escaping into darkness
And sitting inside
Right on the cusp
Never falling,
Always teetering.
Push past and find another cliff.

 

[Moochienanu]

2-25

Carnal

Ravage me.

Cover me in memories
I can see in the mirror
And remind me of each
Sweet taste you offered.

Pull deep on that hunger
Which leaves me devastated
Over and over,
Laid out in your arms.

Move my mind into a space
Where all I can think of
Is a deeper thrust
And right now.

Don’t make me wait.

 

[Moochienanu]

2-26

Overtired

Called Oh-Tee in the household
Where screaming children,
Red in the face and tears streaming,
Would throw themselves,
Prostrate upon the ground,
Flailing limbs and wailing
When the time had passed,
a nap no longer an option,
And toughing it out through the tantrum
With bedtime the only sight in view.

Now called exhausted in the same household
Where our own children,
Running us ragged with their nudging,
Incessant questioning of every choice,
Arms aching with holding,
But also aching to hold
as soon as they’re put down,
And Bodies not made for it,
Bent for hours into hunched pretzels
For the love in their eyes
When you agree to make a fort
To read an endless number of
Toungue twisting books to them.

 

[Moochienanu]

2-27

Prepositions buried Inside

Among time
Between reaching Out
and Through each
movement In and On
moments During
become flashes Into
After and ever Since.

spinning Around the Before,
From Above,
Up and Down,
the melody Of the clock,
constantly Under,
Despite the harmonies
Of our bodies
Following Near,
then Along,
Until Inside.

At the apex Of the expanse,
Across mountainous regions,
Between crevasse,
and Towards a new magic
Beyond imagination
jumping Out Of the page
Upon which it was scribed.

every second spent
Behind glass
To better see Throughout and For,
shining bright,
Like a new discovery smile,
driving About
Without believing anything
Including this,
could be so sublime.

glide Off,
hand in hand,
But when the ground rises Up,
To meet In that place
don’t forget the touch,
crawling Under
Except more Of a graze now,
with the weight added to this distance,
Plus causing a closeness enviable
with a press.

By one another,
In any Concerning fashion,
With all Of you Against all Of me
Within that early light Of morning,
Over and again.

 

[Moochienanu]

2-28

I do know.

As the day comes to a close,
I see my chest open
And heart lying on the floor.
You’ve massaged,
Used every ounce you have,
And every moment to spare,
And got it beating again.

But the thing is,
The closest I seem to be able to place it
Is still on the floor in front of me.
I realize I’m on my knees now,
The floor hard beneath me
Where I seem to have fallen hard.
Bruises, to become echymosis
On every boney prominence
That hit.

You’ve come down here,
But I can’t seem to focus
On anything past this
Beating blob of flesh in front of me,
Between us.

What I decide to do now
Might mean the difference
Between putting this bloody mess
Back on my sleeve
And marching on,
Sitting here longer with you
And it between us,
Or placing back
In this open thoracic cavity,
And sewing it away for no one else
To peek,
Ever again.

I need to choose
Wisely.

 

[Moochienanu]

2-29

Thunderstorm

Lightning struck
The moment you kissed me like that in the hall,
The taste of the espresso from moments earlier
Almost as bold on your lips,
And the movements of your body,
Sending electricity coursing through me.

Thunder rumbled
The moment you spoke those words to me that first time,
As you pulled me closer,
Dragging your lips across my collarbone,
Whisperingly growled against my skin,
Shaking something deep inside my core.

Then the rain poured down,
And I was yours.

 

[Moochienanu]

2-30

That Next First

I can almost see
That next first smile:
The way it reaches your eyes
And with that sparkle,
Melts me instantly.

I can almost feel
That next first touch:
The way it starts soft
And firms with a craving
I constantly dream of.

I can almost taste
That next first kiss:
The way our lips meet
And then part with a hunger
That fills my mind.

I can almost hear
That next first sigh:
The way you seem to tug
And draw each one out of me
Like a force unfathomable.

 

[Moochienanu]

3-1

Hide With Me

In a chilly room,
Under cover,
Secrets are shared
In hushed thoughts
Between palms.

Sunlight streaming
Through blinds drawn,
Illuminating a
Scene unseen
Lasting forever in memory.

Seek out hidden treasures
Known to exist
But never imagined
And find me
In your arms there.

 

[Moochienanu]

3-2

Pluck and Drag

Bathe and shave everything
As close as possible
So the stubble
Isn’t felt.

Scents of sweets on skin,
Soft dessert cover
For your nose
To consume.

Toes and fingers dipped
Colourful, shiny, sparkling,
Long, and shaped
To drum on table tops.

Fear behind eyes,
See-through glass panes
Under harsh lights
Open mouths dancing.

 

[Moochienanu]

3-3

I’m haunted by you

The shivers start
Shaking my body
As soon as the feel
Of your fingers
Touching and moving me,
Leaving dark traces,
Greasy lines both
Stark and smeared
Against my fair skin
Starts to imbed itself
When my eyes close.

You move through me,
Every bit touched,
As you press and hold
Me closer in this darkness
With the words whispered
Against the flesh of my neck
Causing the sound
Anticipated to erupt
Into the crisp air,
Falling around us
As it’s replaced by silence.

 

[Moochienanu]

3-4

Sister Sister

They’re so different
And yet the same,
How they talk about themselves
And don’t really listen
To me.

One so smart,
Trained in science,
Achieving academic success
Despite the pitfalls
Of health issues
Sent her way by
What she believes
A loving deity.
She has always been self-centric,
Which works for her
Because she can talk
And talk
For hours about herself
And her needs,
And I get to hear how
I am a really good listener
At the end.
I’ve never even hinted
At one of my personal problems
With her
For fear of dealing with
Hearing about how any change
I might enact
Would effect her.

One so beautiful,
Freckled and fair,
With auburn locks
And aspirations to ride
Large beasts eternal.
She is good with older kids,
Still stuck in her own teenagedom,
And now able to drink
To excess nightly
And pour hidden insults
Over her sweet
And understanding husband
Who is the picture of stoicism.
I told her once
What was happening inside me
Because I couldn’t stop it
From spilling out
As soon as she asked
The seemingly benign,
“How are you doing?”
On a day when that truth-filled answer
Was all I could produce.
But she hasn’t ever followed up
And I don’t dare bring it to light
Myself
Ever again.

 

[Moochienanu]

3-5

Handwritten

Lines to paper
A swirl and curl
When the end of a g
Or a lowercase y
Finds itself
With a need to keep
The nib pressed close
And not lift away

...but,
As with everything,
The letter ends.

 

[Moochienanu]

3-6

Drifting Off

There is a point
As eyes close
And the river picks us up,
When my body and yours
Dissolve together
Making distinction between
Where I end
And you begin
Nearly impossible

Nearly impossible
Is how in instants
Unseen before,
Your softening body
Becoming ours
When I nuzzle further
Into the embrace
You have wrapped me in,
With the current of sleep
Tugging on us
Together

Together
As one floating off
Breathing syncs
Becoming deeper
And even
Without thoughts,
Only dreams
Of future memories
We lay beneath
Patchwork

Patchwork
Of gliding images
And feelings
Shared with the press
Of our skin
Warming through layers
And arriving
To a place where
There is a point

 

[Moochienanu]

3-7

Fallen

The clouded mind
Damp and heavy
Full to saturation.

Feel the first drop
With a splash
On exposed skin
As it answers
Each question
Proposed
With a cool,
Wet reply.

 

[Moochienanu]

3-8

Morsels

Single step from light into shadows,
Keeping close to walls
For fear of eyes feasting
On flesh before it’s ripe.

Inky streets click under heels,
Learning how safety in numbers
Never stuck to ribs
As well as a deserved snack.

Somber clouds of breath
Hanging low above heads
Concealing precious secrets
Of victimless crimes.

Tenebrous glances exchanged
With hidden meanings
Deep, under every word in
Brooding conversations.

Lean in to the darkness,
Caress the beast inside
Letting fangs slide over and into
The willing and breathless.

 

[Moochienanu]

3-9

Crumbling Guise

This
is something I’ve worn before:

The facade
that fools many walking through my life.

Something
slipped off deftly by competent hands.

A warm palm
placed firmly on my thigh during a drive.

A soft kiss
planted affectionately on my forehead while held close.

A smooth whisper
telling me that everything will be alright.

This,
You,
Us,

is something I will always cherish.

 

[Moochienanu]

3-10

The Drive to You

A fog slowly unraveled.
In the semi-darkness
Of early morning,
Covering the lows of valleys
Up to the tops of the surrounding hills
Like a cup filled to the brim
With a captured cloud.

As the sun starts to rise,
Causing diffuse brightening
Through the atomized water
Of a new day,
It burns through the haze
Effortlessly,
Leading to a clarity heard in words
Sang through eyes locking
And lips meeting.

 

[Moochienanu]

3-11

Our Path

Foot falls, one in front of the other.
Bare feet
Feeling the ground
Of soft, chilly grass,
wet with morning dew
Giving way to
Spongy forest floor.
Heel toe,
Heel toe,
Over and over again
Is never enough.
Down this path
Together
Hand inside another
Shoulders rubbing
Glancingly at each other
Like a cursory exchange
Across a room
By future lovers.
A skipping beat
In four feet and two hearts,
Thump-a-dee-thump,
Thump-a-dee-thump,
Feeling stronger, calmer
With each mile placed behind.
Wishes granted by the distance,
The top of time, space, privacy
All made available
For plucking off bushes
Along the way.

 

[Moochienanu]

3-12

Snowflakes

With a new, tarnished reputation,
The crystallized water falls.
Each droplet
A unique shape
Due to the freezing of fractals,
Magnetized molecules
Falling and accumulating.

Some stick to each other,
Wet, thick,
Forming dense,
Fast-flying flakes
Which blanket the earth
In ethereal stillness.

Some are lighter than the air they move through,
Floating in flurries
Which skitter with the wind
And get swept up in the movement
Of nature around them,
Piling in alcoves,
And never really coating the ground.

Some mixes with melted brethren,
Descending from the sky
As a slushy slurry
Of half-melted precipitation
Which leads to frozen toes
And soaking socks.