Beneath

as I drive away
another grain of sand falls
in my life’s hourglass
–
walking the shore
the sand moves
beneath our feet

a bottle of night
lost in the depths of the shelf
mislabeled as ink
–
owl’s wings, silent
across diamond
pierced ebony

feeling the glass give
reaching in through the mirror
to pull myself out
–
glassy water
ripples spread
across the surface

joyful innocence
unencumbered by malice
that’s yet to be learned
–
the parched forest glen
desperately awaits
the lightning

loving you out loud
and I’m not even a bit
apologetic
–
trumpeter swans
building their nest atop
a beaver lodge

a clandestine tryst
made all the more exciting
by the recklessness
–
high desert sun
entwined eagles
fall to the earth

hatred is poison
turning ignorance and fear
into pure evil
–
meandering river
crocodiles wait
just below the surface

no matter how far
the vanishing road takes me
I always return
–
nirvana awaits
yet I’m not
quite ready

twisted roots reach out
from the dappled forest floor
to steal my footing
–
mangroves
arise from the bayou
on tangled bones

tiny little lies
the mortar between the stones
of my foundation
–
morning
glistening on
silken threads