under
my clothes bout my love bizness
friends be doin that.
BLUES HAIKU
this is not a fire
sale but i am in heat
each time i see ya.
HAIKU
i am you loving
my own shadow watching
this noontime butterfly.
BLUES HAIKU
i wuz in Kansas
dorothy and toto wuzn’t
a jacuzzi. sky. you.
HAIKU
i am looking for
you to banish all sermons
a fine hail of touch.
HAIKU [
for Nneka and Quentin
]
i listen to this blood
breathing roses in my veins.
i grow with laughter.
HAIKU
these waves boisterous like
Che’s mountains smell of mania
howling in my veins.
HAIKU [
for Louis Massiah
]
your leonine eyes
squatting in Du Boisian blood.
violets and steel.
SONKU
what is love
you asked
i took you
inside be
hind my eyes
and saw me.
BLUES HAIKU
legs wrapped around you
camera. action. tightshot.
this is not a rerun.
BLUES HAIKU
is there a fo rent
sign on my butt? you got no
territorial rights here.
BLUES HAIKU
my face is a scarred
reminder of your easy
comings and goings.
HAIKU
derelict with eyes
i settle in a quiet
carnival of waves.
HAIKU
the i in you the
you in me colliding in
one drop of semen
HAIKU
i taste your sweet salt come
your face a revelation
of bedtime fairy tales.
HAIKU [
for Queen Mother Moore
]
they smell like rust
these truants shouting magic
obscure men in heat.
HAIKU
a tint on the tongue
an echo in the fingers
i dust off your cough.
HAIKU
my teeth can write your
name in hieroglyphics paint
your sound graffiti-like.
HAIKU
i have carved your face
on my tongue and i speak you
in my off-key voice.
SONKU
my eyes look
and i don’t
see me i
turn around
to find you.
SONKU
when i die
i shall take
your smell
inside me.
HAIKU
i am a small piece
of yellow flesh taking shelter
like a leper.
BLUES HAIKU
his face like chiseled
china his eyes clotting
around rubber asses.
HAIKU
to be lifted in
smoke to be cast in iron
remembering the fire.
TANKA
woman without heat
blankets herself with eyes
avoiding the cock’s walk.
a woman in seclusion
dreams of secreting milk.
HAIKU
it was nothing big
just no one to put suntan
lotion on my back.
HAIKU
the sea murmuring
dialect remember che
alive in my veins.
SONKU
what i want
from you can
you give? what
i give to
you do you
want? hey? hey?
HAIKU
i hear your breath
in the faraway room
breathing castanets.
HAIKU
i smell you on my
skin ravishing my veins
i see your sweat running.
HAIKU [
for Joe Barry
]
when i imagine
you i recall a river
flowing with eyes.
HAIKU
red orange breasts sweet
as chocolate touch my lips
wild bones up for sale
HAIKU
and i am flesh burnt
red charcoal black gift wrapped in
philadelphia blood.
HAIKU
this poem is for me
who could not speak your death
still i laugh and spin
SHORT POEM
quite often without
you i am at a loss for
the day.
HAIKU 1 [
for Bill and Camille
]
but i am left with
flesh that hangs like yellow sails
hear my voice knocking.
HAIKU 2
my bones migrate in
red noise like pinched wings
they stream white ashes.
HAIKU
do you want ashes
where your hands used to be
other faces will come.
HAIKU
if i were an old
woman all my veins could hold
my laughter in check.
HAIKU
you are rock garden
austere in your loving
in exile from touch.
TANKA
to surround yourself with
arms that will not hold you
to dream yourself home
where the road is dust
and dissolves in purple.
SONKU
to worship
until i
become stone
to love
until i
become bone.
HAIKU
[
for Bill and Camille
]
my bones hang to
gether like pinched dragonflies
shake loose my skin.
In This Wet Season
HAIKU [
for Sophie and Val
]
in this wet season
of children raining hands
we catch birds in flight.
A POEM FOR ELLA FITZGERALD
when she came on the stage, this Ella
there were rumors of hurricanes and
over the rooftops of concert stages
the moon turned red in the sky,
it was Ella, Ella.
queen Ella had come
and words spilled out
leaving a trail of
my clothes bout my love bizness
friends be doin that.
BLUES HAIKU
this is not a fire
sale but i am in heat
each time i see ya.
HAIKU
i am you loving
my own shadow watching
this noontime butterfly.
BLUES HAIKU
i wuz in Kansas
dorothy and toto wuzn’t
a jacuzzi. sky. you.
HAIKU
i am looking for
you to banish all sermons
a fine hail of touch.
HAIKU [
for Nneka and Quentin
]
i listen to this blood
breathing roses in my veins.
i grow with laughter.
HAIKU
these waves boisterous like
Che’s mountains smell of mania
howling in my veins.
HAIKU [
for Louis Massiah
]
your leonine eyes
squatting in Du Boisian blood.
violets and steel.
SONKU
what is love
you asked
i took you
inside be
hind my eyes
and saw me.
BLUES HAIKU
legs wrapped around you
camera. action. tightshot.
this is not a rerun.
BLUES HAIKU
is there a fo rent
sign on my butt? you got no
territorial rights here.
BLUES HAIKU
my face is a scarred
reminder of your easy
comings and goings.
HAIKU
derelict with eyes
i settle in a quiet
carnival of waves.
HAIKU
the i in you the
you in me colliding in
one drop of semen
HAIKU
i taste your sweet salt come
your face a revelation
of bedtime fairy tales.
HAIKU [
for Queen Mother Moore
]
they smell like rust
these truants shouting magic
obscure men in heat.
HAIKU
a tint on the tongue
an echo in the fingers
i dust off your cough.
HAIKU
my teeth can write your
name in hieroglyphics paint
your sound graffiti-like.
HAIKU
i have carved your face
on my tongue and i speak you
in my off-key voice.
SONKU
my eyes look
and i don’t
see me i
turn around
to find you.
SONKU
when i die
i shall take
your smell
inside me.
HAIKU
i am a small piece
of yellow flesh taking shelter
like a leper.
BLUES HAIKU
his face like chiseled
china his eyes clotting
around rubber asses.
HAIKU
to be lifted in
smoke to be cast in iron
remembering the fire.
TANKA
woman without heat
blankets herself with eyes
avoiding the cock’s walk.
a woman in seclusion
dreams of secreting milk.
HAIKU
it was nothing big
just no one to put suntan
lotion on my back.
HAIKU
the sea murmuring
dialect remember che
alive in my veins.
SONKU
what i want
from you can
you give? what
i give to
you do you
want? hey? hey?
HAIKU
i hear your breath
in the faraway room
breathing castanets.
HAIKU
i smell you on my
skin ravishing my veins
i see your sweat running.
HAIKU [
for Joe Barry
]
when i imagine
you i recall a river
flowing with eyes.
HAIKU
red orange breasts sweet
as chocolate touch my lips
wild bones up for sale
HAIKU
and i am flesh burnt
red charcoal black gift wrapped in
philadelphia blood.
HAIKU
this poem is for me
who could not speak your death
still i laugh and spin
SHORT POEM
quite often without
you i am at a loss for
the day.
HAIKU 1 [
for Bill and Camille
]
but i am left with
flesh that hangs like yellow sails
hear my voice knocking.
HAIKU 2
my bones migrate in
red noise like pinched wings
they stream white ashes.
HAIKU
do you want ashes
where your hands used to be
other faces will come.
HAIKU
if i were an old
woman all my veins could hold
my laughter in check.
HAIKU
you are rock garden
austere in your loving
in exile from touch.
TANKA
to surround yourself with
arms that will not hold you
to dream yourself home
where the road is dust
and dissolves in purple.
SONKU
to worship
until i
become stone
to love
until i
become bone.
HAIKU
[
for Bill and Camille
]
my bones hang to
gether like pinched dragonflies
shake loose my skin.
In This Wet Season
HAIKU [
for Sophie and Val
]
in this wet season
of children raining hands
we catch birds in flight.
A POEM FOR ELLA FITZGERALD
when she came on the stage, this Ella
there were rumors of hurricanes and
over the rooftops of concert stages
the moon turned red in the sky,
it was Ella, Ella.
queen Ella had come
and words spilled out
leaving a trail of
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