L'Hiver

When the frost begins to flow like a river,
You put flesh on the bones of my suspicions
About where you are hoarding
The last vestiges of your warmth,
Some days it is so cold,
But begging for the Solstice does no good,
It only means it’s time for another haircut,
Before the impinging days of Christmas
Make us fat with want,
The only respite is to cut the bois d’arc,
Stoke the fire again,
Sit at the warm hearth,
Rekindle the flames of an old book,
Then lose the sense of buyer’s remorse
That got us in this predicament,
If only we could go back
To the gifts we have returned,
Reclaim those artifacts of our life
That seemed so artificial at the time,
But those ancient histories are buried
In the last vestiges of your heart,
Where the frost now flows like a river.

La Mort de Claudia

Drive me up the wall;
In your Dodge Lancer
At the Kwik Shop
You get yourself a beer,
The back seat's full of panties,
All kinds, patterns, colors,
The slant six coughing onto the street
Heading out to Dodge City,
Running down the Santa Fe,
Watching the blades of the Tallgrass
Catch the wind,
Dodging ring-necked pheasant at dusk,
Skirting the south edge of Hutch
Past the salt mines and Cosmosphere,
Driving into the stench of oilfield residue,
Got to get there,
Where the Koch brothers make nitrogen,
Got to get there,
Where the wind towers at Spearville
Blow their red-eyed spewage to Johnson County,
Got to get there to meet up with McGill,
Who tells lies up on Boot Hill,
That it’s his kin that lies there,
Stop in at Doc Holliday’s Liquor Store,
Shell casings in the parking lot
From yesterday’s high noon,
Pick up a bottle of Cherry Boone’s Farm,
Then it's out to the Clutter Ranch,
Leading Herbert down the stairs to
Room 204 at the Dodge House,
Lying in the Jacuzzi,
Hand dripping blood
From the quill pen,
Looking like Marat,
Were you so unhappy
That you could not deserve
My kindness?

39th. Street

Sunrise on 39th Street,
Buffalo Cat Woman got a new gun
Between her feet,
Bums down at the med center
Watchin’ out for the heat,
It takes a long time
For the sun to come out
On 39th Street,
Where Frick and Frack’s
Is “Sorry We’re Open”
Buffalo Cat Woman
Just standin’ there hopin’
That this is just another sunny day,
That all the other Cats will
Come out to play,
Over at Otto’s Malt Shop
Where you never see a cop,
Just some Cats doin’ Baqua Zhong
Until the Family comes along
Tells them to move on down,
Move on down 39th Street
Where they belong,
Passin’ by some folks who cry
For justice for white mice,
Where another Cat plays the toodeloo
Over red beans and rice,
Buffalo Cat Woman’s got plenty of advice,
To give you,
When the sun comes up,
On 39th Street.

A Visit From Narrow

There she sat, full and radiant,
Her effulgence cascading around her,
She averted her eyes
Lest they pierce to the very soul,
Her reptilian skin
Bare on her back
Felt like soft leather,
She turned her face,
Eyes now softened with a beguiling smile,
Enticing conversation,
Inviting arms reaching out,
Their patina enhanced by the soft veil,
She detaches herself, standing up
Offering the Ganesh Temple Mandala
In the form of a huge tea vessel,
Full knowing her powerful vision,
She sets it down before embracing,
She lives vicariously
On your doorstep,
Outside your window,
Under the plum tree garden,
Surfacing to bring you enlightenment,
To protect you,
To show you The Way
That you so squanderously ignore.

Black Widow

There was no need for you to be afraid
You were safe and sound beneath the green overhang,
Content to hang there upside down, waiting
For that small vibration signaling the noon meal
That keeps you in your hourglass figure,
Instead you felt the vibrations of the chain saw,
Prompting you to take action,
Hitching a ride on the freshly sawn cedar,
Your long, high-heeled legs now
Inching up my arm toward
Something you haven’t had in a long time,
So stand there in your silken red dress,
Your shiny black hat,
Your hungry mouth,
But remember this, little lady,
After we’re finished,
If you kill me,
You have to eat me.

Moonlight Meditation

Part I
When you wake up at three in the morning,
Lie on your back and close your eyes,
Visualize two breath channels,
One on each side of the spinal column,
Breathe lightly saying to yourself,
“Breath in, breath out,”
Thus removing extraneous thoughts,
Be conscious of the breath moving into
The left and right channel,
How it moves toward a point in the abdomen
Where the two conjoin into one channel
That flows back up to the top of the head,
Breathe in abdominally,
Pulling air into the channels
Down to the dan t’ien where they conjoin
Then breathe out,
Letting the breath flow up the Central Channel
Out through the top of the head,
Giving the appearance of smoke or mist.
Part II
After you have practiced this for a while,
Become conscious of the moon and the stars above you,
With your eyes still closed,
Visualize points of light for stars,
A subtle but bright glow for the moon,
Watch the movement of these points of light
Which are eidetic, flowing and changing
Clouds of swirling light
Nebulas, Constellations, Galaxies, and Moonglow,
Part III
Breathe in the light from these luminosities
Realize that it has taken
Eons for this light to reach you,
Breathe in the light
Begin to fill your body with it,
From the tips of your toes
To the top of your head
Repeat this part three times,
Until you are completely filled with light.
Part IV
Let your body float with the light,
Especially take note of the changing moonlight
How it brightens and lessens,
Feel your body becoming lighter
First in the feet and lower legs,
Then in the arms, neck, and head,
Finally feel the lightness in the legs, hips, and torso,
Visualize your body lifting up off the surface,
Visualize yourself floating into the sky
Flying among the moon, the stars, and galaxies,
Fix your gaze on the moon
Allowing it to become brighter and brighter
As you are drawn to it and absorbed into its light.