Her Presence Everywhere

Don’t argue. Didn’t do it for the praise,
Did I? Took care of her, a goddam saint —
I never claimed I toiled without complaint,
Did I? Sometimes I yelled, and on some days
I almost — no, not that. There was always
Some other way. I acted with restraint,
Always. I know you think that love is quaint,
But true love’s not just one of those clichés.

I love her even now. Although she’s dead,
Her memory’s not fading. I took care
To understand her presence everywhere
Is meaningful only inside my head,
So please don’t argue about what I said,
Not now. Not ever. It’s a lot to bear.

Beast

The wolf is slavering, aware of you
As something tasty, a fine piece of meat
Too feeble to cause trouble. What a treat!
He’ll tear you limb from limb until he’s through,
When he might kindly leave the residue
For scavengers hoping for something sweet.
I’ll watch them grinning, gnawing on your feet
And murmuring to friends, “Pull up a pew.”

Some beast is always ready, always glad
To make a meal of any easy prey,
Good food, prepared the good old fashioned way:
Raw, torn by canines driven nearly mad
By fragrant flesh, the best they’ve ever had,
I guess that’s all I really want to say.

Danger Pay

I should get danger pay for loving you.
It’s not the thunder — I’ve been hit already
By lightning, nearly pulled down in an eddy
(Love is the undertow), and I’ve come through.
I was unconscious, but now I’ve come to,
Gawking vacantly at your mani-pedi,
And sniffing your perfume (unduly heady),
Writing mean sonnets. This is what I do.

Take this one to remember who I am:
The all-heart, no-brain, it’s-a-sunny-day
Fool optimist who got no danger pay,
Only to drown myself in blood and jam.
I’ve watched you, standing in that pentagram
Like some dark wizard, in your bright array.