The bravest woman I know

To the woman with no means
Who spends her time
Cleaning

Cares for all littlest
Both furred and skin
Breeding

Bringing lively heartbeats
Into tearful world
Dreaming

Paring back overgrowth
Give wings to spread
Believing

Turning the other cheek
At the partnership
Leaving

Turning new leaf
Love a fortune
Receiving

Three love

Can't take my eyes
Off the game
Playing singles
Staring at opponent
Seeing double

Affected by one
On the sidelines
Waiting to notice
The score

The faults
The bad calls
Only chatting
To a friend

Watching them
Taking my eyes off
The ball
Shooting past head

Then a slam
Unattainable
In a game with
Naught but love

Higher love

I fell in love with nature
Not for its own sake
Or higher cause
Tickets to posterity

Simply to save me

She was a portal
I climbed through
Out of the capsized
Sinking ship

Took me by the hand
Showed me how to swim
Not for glory, accolades
For my own benefit

Opened my eyes
To all the life
Beneath the surface
I could not see

Though I hold on
To air, words, hands
In her presence
Not to tarnish

The moment

Having dived for riches
Striving to pluck my heart
From the seabed
She reminded me

Just breathe

Saving faces

Peculiar how we save a face
In our memories
Some change
Some stay
One could remain
Just a passerby
In the grocery aisle
But instead became
Ingrained in our hearts
The eyes, lips, soft lines
For a time
Then painstakingly returns
To its place again
Passing us by
Gathering supplies
To meet with other faces
Besides mine
A nod, a smile
A backstep out
The revolving door
Of our lives

Love crush

Think you're flying free
But really, attached
Grounded
Just learning
To spread wings

Until when
One touch
Caving in
Any thought
Of leaving
Ends

Instead sowing seeds
Raising up anew
In case we meet
Again
Caleana Major – large flying duck orchid. Kingston lutruwita / Tasmania.

Starling

A flighty little meeting
Sitting in the eaves
Between two blush breasted
Birds tending nests
Pip the willow wicks
Between their beaks
Stripped ready for next
Round of eggs to brood

Starling, like me
Cannot live alone
Dedicated to keeping
Warm prickled skin
As feathers come in
Giving out always
Longing to take warmth
Within

Can I call you?
Darling, dear?
Babe, beautiful one
Eyes like heavens above
Always mothering
Pieces of me changed
Blood runs through forever
Changed by love
Looking through mirror
Can you see
Scars formed catching
Those fallen from nest
Now they are free
So are we

Smitten

How appropriate a word
Cuteness pervades the look of it
Sound dances on the lips
Dazed awe
Paralysis of mind
Body and soul
A heavy weight like a Great Dane
Sitting on your chest
Adoringly
Lying by your side
With a big heavy paw
Holding you down
Not fighting it
Only getting up
To eat and carry out
Most necessary duties
If I must
So as not to disturb
The dreamlike state
Once bitten, twice high
No other word describes
Smitten by the sight
Of you

Singing the sundown

Everything is going
The same way as the sun
Round and round
Counting its days
Swinging up and down
Lamenting the place
It puts us on the
Dark frozen days
Wishing to be near
To warm us
Knowing it prevents
The wonderland
From freezing over
At your time of year
If all I had were lips
I would speak a warm fire
Into existence
Warm frosted toes
Hold them in the glow
Resurrect solar flares
For the night
Singing up the sunrise
Whistling pot of coffee
Sing song greeting
To all little creatures
Singing lips till supper
Until yours meet me

Our mirror world

In stone quiet hours
Retreat to cosy corners
As real as anything
That happened in
The liquid light
Smallest words powerful
Take over all evidence
To the contrary
Beggars become pleasers
Rigid made into teasers
Doors as hard as
Bruised knuckles
Swing open
With a breath
Sand between toes
Curling fingers glow
A wet coat smell
Pervades with a kiss
The salty taste
Lingers longer
Than the night
As we curl
Like a shell
And miss
Image credit: Suzy Manigian