a thousand rivers, a thousand floods

how fitful and frenzied this foolish fall in the temple yard of flower blooms that grows in rows between the tombs that mark the place of moments waste and words of love unsaid, but true melt in my mouth like sugar cubes. caged within my mortal ribs i drift and haunt the bottled lights of boulevards the shady elms of avenues o'er wriggling worms on the tar and under the evening hues of a painted sky, deep and blue belly of the midnight vault dripping with stars my thoughts unbound sail to her and my love, as yet undone. when winter falls, the earth will rise with teeth of ice and tongues of snow to swallow this maze of dead end streets where cold winds blow and lost i go. through clouds of steam through swirling veils of sleet and ice she may perhaps see me pass strange blue eyes in disguise a reflection in frosted glass. will she ever know her breath alone thaws my frozen blood and when, in a dream she comes to me a thousand rivers flood? words fail me again and again rivers of words dammed within small talk rituals of nothing saying and then gone just like that. the floods have passed the rains have stopped this plain is bare and dry the only stream that flows tonight flows from my weary eye. but i have only myself to blame if only once i could say to her yr absence is my bane. i write these words february fifth two thousand two and every day before and after. and when we meet again who knows when let us not part before i ask her please take this folded sheet read this crumpled slip of paper which bares my foolish heart. Written February 6th, 2002 © on Feb 06 2002 09:47 AM PST   0 • 8