wintersong

The Song We Sing
(for A Dove)

If in time
walking dusty trails
they do not end in verdant valleys
mad prophets spewed in frothy promises
if hope is but a burning trail
and faith
dry weeds tumbling
in the wind
the song we sing
is but a mute refrain
echoing through dark valley’s desolate shame
for there above
the bright sky glitters
taunting rhapsodies…

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

Dove Feathers
(for a friend)

They come
morning and evening
spring to fall
two at first
then four, six, ten
Their dawning coo awakens day
after a night of mourning dreams.
Content with subtle robes
of gray-brown drabs
until
two by two
they whistle the wind
with wings flaming white-fire
leaving behind
a multitude of feathers.

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

Rivers Blue-Green
(for my family)

sitting by a river flowing
blue-green
and diamond dusted
searching ragged ghosts of memories,
old sins
like beggars
once sanctified by apostolic virtue
or baptized in others indiscretions
creep
fog haunted
through trees
and hills
and mountains
layering each level
with a mystic mood
enigma to a simple man like me
if they can change
green to blue
pale-blue
rose-whitened
by sight through smoke
why must remorse now flow
rivers
blue-green and dusted?…

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

Dream Master

Peering into the cold
gray illusion
night ushered in
unheralded
shivering from the clammy dreams
darkness spread on me
I burn with hope igniting dawn
robing the pale sky
pink
and blue
tattered with gold,
bright suns shadowing earth
to highlight day with meadows of buttercups
bowing beneath rose crested mountains,
moonbeams dusting the forests
with silver shafts.

What more could one fantasize
were he the dream master
of infinity?

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

Night Dreaming

Hot August night
Neil Diamond serenading
The lady spreads her
purple glow
across the void
Dust
from the wand of some nostalgic faery
sparkles brighter than stones from
Solomon’s vault
You are there
hugging your golden dreams
ubiquitous longings lingering
from your border birth
And you
your tongue shooting
poetic meteors
to awe
all tender hearts
Another night
long before this love
embraced the glow
a man child
wove his dreams
among these stars.

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

Moon Rise

Moon rising over the mountains
silhouetting the rim
blazing the sky with a velvet glow
enticing by being
to revel in its warmth
with a ravenous desire.
You are the reason
night enslaves the heart.
The peaks cannot hold you
nor the sky
only the fondling clouds
can mark your flight
and magnify your beauty.
You are the glory
I am the summer mist
absorbing light to bathe the earth
with radiant tears

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

The Doves

Where doves soared in sensual grace
rapturing space with wings fashoned for symmetry
two by two
four by four
eight by eight

configured as one,
the crows now caw their cacophonic cries
rupturing sonata harmonies,
meadowlark and mourning coo
robin and wren.

Why do they invade
not one morsel do they take?
Must all things beautiful
fade
unable to suffer their own power?
The air is free!
Infinity beckons…

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

The Same Dream

The Same Dream Both dream the same dream-
a lover with passion eyes and petal heart,
star child whose steps imprint the sand,
one who hears the voice of ancient lore
wind-whispering through trees
warbling morning bird songs,
a soul that yields itself to harmony
while cacophonic concourse clatters all around,
someone whose grace exceeds their needs
whose vision soars the snow capped peaks
to measure shadowed valleys,
someone whose weakness
defines their strength.

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

A Morning Moon

morning moon lingering
sea pink cloud-flowers
cortege its passing
below a ragged mist floats upward
fingers caressing golden firmament
unable to turn back dawn
that once proud orb
ruler of night
slips from sight

chalices we drank
sighs wind whispers wafted
pearls we plucked from aqua seas
furrow deep in pillow-flesh
and fade to sleep…

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

Evergreen

In evergreen
the breeze blows sweet
the breath of innocence
from creatures
flesh and flora,
wings spread
flowing on currents
inhaled by time
exhaled by eternity,
the sky and the forest
the bird and the unicorn
measuring the depth of dimensions,
fables blown on the kisses
of children.
The deserts glow from the sands
of rubies
brilliant
hypnotic moonshine velvet.
The scorching winds of shame
of rot
of putrid decay
stagnate some ancient city
forsaken by its King.
In evergreen
the hand reaches outward
to stroke the beauty
within.

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

Whispers

The evening sky
wraps itself around my dreams
melancholy clouds hugging layered hills
purple and blue
magenta too.
Above
big birds spread their wings
to sail a steel gray sea
like ships of plunder
homed to their safe harbor.
In time
an errant moon slips
from behind the last pink cloud
softly
silently
shimmering night.
What shines among the plunder most
are treasured eyes
whispering wordless wonders.

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

Darkness

Sun setting sanguine in the west
eastern dawn yawns
a pastel world awakens
rose-mist hugging the earth

light and substance simultaneous act
ever ending beginnings
why then should I despair
this passing darkness?

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

Voyages

Voyages of the heart
uncharted seas
dark waters only Gods would said
or those who hear the siren’s song on winds no canvas measures.
Is it madness
or a harmony
composed of all the elements
that blend to fill the void
with scenes of wonder
far beyond the grasp
of mind
or our frail logic?

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

Twilight Dreams

soft pastel hues that
cool the blazed horizon
lingering there
between sweet candy-word’s
pink blushing sighs and
night time tremors.
The gold still lingers
from a noonday sun
wooed by knight’s dark pageantry
where legends joust
and dumb beasts bare
vain burdens.
Twilight dreams reveling in
past promise’s haunting refrain

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

Wounded Heart
(for Mary)

She smiles
and with a gleaming in her eyes
that tutors precious stones
she unfolds galaxies
in black and barren fields
with words that linger in the wind
until swept up in Seraph serenade.
And from an innocence
born of tortured worlds,
bullwhips slashing viperous stings
insults, rape, violations,
she spreads a robe of billowing hope
above the desolate lands
to heal her wounded heart.

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

A Fond Release

I stood among autumn leaves
Flecking green grass
Amber, brown, blood-red
Scattered by impertinent winds,
Too languished by time to cling,
And on that field
Red earth scabs surrounded a gapping wound
Opened to heal that process born
Three score and six ago.
And as the dust returned to dust
I watched a black hawk revering sky
With one lone cry.

I stayed long after tenders
Closed the wound
My sight transfixed on floral metaphors
Bandaging the scab,
Each petal symbolizing one chance flown
To share an intimate fragrance.

There is perhaps
A sad glory in death,
Like blazing leaves,
A fond release from bonds
Too tenuous to trust
By timorous souls.

I heaved a weary sigh.
A gentle breeze swirled about my body
Wafting its way to the prairie
Tinkling leaves, touching trees,
fondling grasses,
Currenting birds in flight…
Perhaps a gift in death
He never had in life.

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

NIGHT SERENADE

Billowy clouds
ivory and peach
slipping across dark satin
moon glow irradiating
forests and fields of fantasy
rosebuds
White Shoulders
membranous folds
velvety moist
throb a diaphanous glow
climaxed
in galactic throes

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

TICKETS IN THE SAND

Beside the brook
where silver waters lulled our naked forms
and called the drowsy deer to drink and graze
the faded stubs, dropped days before
to Greystoke and Ghostbusters
brings to mind untreasured gifts
and memories of love’s sad symbols:
a crown of thorn’s dead blossoms bleeding
on the table;
bell of clay
unhung, unrung
beckoning to a bridge beyond whose portals
hamlets wait for sound.

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

BENEATH BIG FOUR

We ruled kingdoms
beneath Big Four
sovereigns of mystical domains,
wispy clouds sailing a bright-blue sky
playing hide-n-seek
with snowcapped peaks.
We taught the babbling brook
to leap with laughter,
built our castle in sparkling sand
then flagged it with a golden leaf that sailed
too soon
from some proud world beyond.
and when we tired of gathering stones
and playing tag with butterflies,
we climbed to heights beyond conception,
to where silver water flowed
from deep within a glacial heart.
We bathed in icy pools
joined bald eagles screeching joy
and there
upon a bed of green-green moss
we soared with them
replenishing valleys below
with lover’s sighs
winnowing on winds of wonder.
and when dark satin
slipped across our satiated forms
I tucked away this fantasy
in moonlit dreams.

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

DISTANT SEAS

This evening
sunset molds the rugged heights to face and form
and spreads a golden sheet across the snow
while campfires curl their smoke to join the glow
like memories intangible
slipping soundless on the breeze
from distant seas.

Another world
another time
an ageless voice spoke promises of love
morning bird songs waking us from sleep
ice-diamonds glinting on brown skin
springtime rivers raging in the flow
of white-hot suns with sanguine settings
flesh
cocooned in cloud-webs fondling the forest
whispering the mysteries of moonlight glow
and shadows.

In the evening
sunset molds the rugged heights to face and form
and spreads a pale-gold robe across the snow
while autumn leaf-boats sail the languid stream
from distant seas
to distant seas.

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

LOVE IN TIME AND CIRCUMSTANCE

Time and circumstance
rulers of love
opening the door
to who and when and where
flowing from thorn to rose to fragrance
blood from touch
folds of velvet ecstasy
aromatic dreams
castled against our proud will
or fondest fantasies
but when death closes the door
their rule shall be no more
and love’s eternity
will choose its pleasure…

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

When Madness Ruled

Remembering a time
when madness ruled our hearts,
and we searched sanctuaries for our souls.
To touch,
to feel,
to fill the void of unlived years
with promises not spoken,
we flashed like comets in the sky,
following paths of infinite domains.
We watched our trails burn bright,
and fade,
leaving dust for worlds to come…

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

Self Image

Creating images in the sky,
each day passing by
in concert with the clouds.
Sometimes they form and hold,
eternities,
and some...
some days they wrestle with the will,
resisting form,
restless as wind;
evanescent substance,
chasing the moon’s silver splendor
and all its visions.

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

A Most Unusual Couple

Rue and Henny
they be the dangedest couple I’ve ever seen.
Nothin’ separates ‘em.
Almost stride for stride
ever’where they go
or one scratchin’ Dixie
t’ catch up t’ th’other.
By nature
they’re jist plane C.C. hoppers,
one roost to another.
Fidelity’s jist another word
for nothin’ left t’ loose.
(Apologies to the Rhodes Scholar).
But Rue and Henny
they don’t see it that-a-way.
Rue, he gits mighty ruffled
when he spies some h---- cock
spurin’ his way over.
N’ Henny wings it away
as fast as her two legs can dig earth.
Geesh what a fuss for fidelity!
Course, I can see Henny’s point
since her back is clawed raw
from the days she laid still
for jist about anyone.
So mostly now-a-days
ya spot ‘em far off somewhere
side by side
a scrapin’ earth for a morsal
n’ danged proud t’ be doin’ it
t’gether.

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

Buttermilk Biscuits and Red Eye Gravy Blues

Okay momma, ya like those buttermilk biscuit
and some red eye gravy too,
ah say some bu-tter-milk biscuits
and some sausage gravy ooh,
We’ll now big momma
tell ya jis what ahm gonna do,
yes, jis fo’ you.
Ahm the right kind of instrument
ta fit inta yo’ plans,
Yes momma yes,
jis watch this instrument
fulfull all yo plans,
Ahm a pot bellied Franklin
gonna cook at yo demands.

I am hotter than hades
Lord God Almighty, yes I be,
Ah say ahm Hot-TER than HA-des
and gonna cook and cook fo’ you,
bake you buttermilk biscuits
an’ lip lickin’ gravy too,
ooh momma ooh,
Ahm cookin’ jis fo you,
mah short order days are thru.

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

Errant Muse
(for E.B. and J., thanks!)

Morning yawns to
serenades
composed by errant muse
known but to God,
melodies
soloed by voices sailing the wind
on harmonies of dream whispers.
The ear is often deaf
to sublime themes.
Such mundane instruments-
tuned
to ignoble certitudes
bondaged by dirt!
This song is sung with stars and suns aligned,
fondling the precious parts
of moons.
The instruments we are
are promises above
beyond
earth’s vain illusions.

wintersong ©
Copyright 1998

wintersong - page 2

wintersong - page 3