March 2017 – Iron Haiku

freshly turned earth falls
from the back of my shovel
burying the light
–
overcast skies-
a tenuous flame
turns to smoke

the heat off your skin
bending the air and making
my resolve waver
–
desert sands-
shimmering water
in the distance

my head on your thigh
searching for divinity
in a sunflower
–
crimson booms
stain the pallid
melting snow

endlessly sifting
the detritus of the day
while sleep eludes me
–
an unkempt sky –
wind driven surf
pounds the shore

you are my center-
the sky above my head and
ground beneath my feet
–
autumn leaves-
take from me the
very air I breathe

melting chips of ice
droplets chase my finger down
the small of your back
–
a distant tor-
morning dew bends
the desert grass

a guttering flame
struggling to hold the wick
before going out
–
roiling clouds-
searing winds blow
the grasslands ablaze

the hum of the road
whispering it’s lullaby
rocking me to sleep
–
empty conch shells-
a rush of warm surf
overcomes me

out of the darkness
a stream of purest light fills
this damaged vessel
–
rising sap-
new buds sprout
from broken branches

the scars on your soul-
mementos of battles fought
but never quite won
–
broken silence-
the distant crash
of rutting bucks