Sunday, April 21, 2013

Lurking

Indignant, indigent, and indistinct,
A man waits on the sidewalk, watching you.
You watch him back, his eyes a blinding blue,
His hair like cartoon lions, badly inked
(You noticed suddenly now, when he winked),
His face a mass of contradictions, true
As dying, false as winking. What you do
Depends on how fast you can move. You blinked.

Escaping, you find haven in a store
That sells lace undergarments, mostly black;
You look at what's left on the clearance rack:
Do you want those? You were all right before,
You'll be all right again. Try to ignore
The beggar in the window, staring back.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Don't Say

I don't say I respected you before,
But things grew worse between us yesterday.
There are some other things that I won't say.
It looks like you thought you'd even the score,
Although I'd say (and I could say much more)
That matters haven't changed much anyway.
Proportion and good sense are kept at bay.
Should I speak further? Curse you? What a bore.

I've said it all, but maybe not enough.
You bubbled endlessly about the past,
The future, and your heart. That wore thin, fast.
I will say that when everything got tough
You did give up. You'd make a powder puff
Seem strong, unyielding, hard. That's what will last.