Sparrow
Blue black brown of you
Grey against sky
Not a tremble in your wing
Steady air slim in flight
I fight the image of you
Broken on the gravel road.
September 23, 2000
i.
eyes in eight pieces
marbles rolling in sockets
follow her exit
You strum and hum and weave and low
Body in position twisting around a guitar
Your fingers move across like a lover
Your face made up for ecstasy
Stringing girls all in a row
Cockleshells and marigolds
And clematis
The pink faced waitress lets the chocolate eyed businessman linger
His fingers hot on her arm, he hands her the check
She pauses, looking at his hands
soft and smooth and gentle
A lift of her head, she is fastened by his eyes to the spot
She cannot move her head or her eyes or her breath
It sticks in her like an intoxicant
He breaks the moment with a shy nod and smile,
Lifts his coat and case, looks back to nod once more,
While she swipes crumbs off the counters and
Fishes paltry tips out of beer-filled ashtrays
5/30/1995