Calls

a thick veil of clouds-
the lullaby of crickets
sung beneath the rain

predawn fog-
a vixen’s cry
heralds the sun

Shadow

long evening shadows-
the sun half hidden behind
a stand of live oaks

sleepless-
my mind puts flesh
on the shadows

Coffee

old invitations-
coffee’s brewed in the kitchen
if you’d ever show

rising steam-
cozy dreams
of coffee shops

Cemetery

blackbirds in the trees-
pebbles left on your headstone
in remembrance

knees in the soft earth-
I clear away
the weeds and leaves

Heat

atop cotton sheets
the drone of the ceiling fan
keeping me awake

sleeping dogs-
paddle fans spin
in lazy circles

Penance

another meeting-
I know your failings so well
as I do my own

rain slicked neon-
another club soda
graces my glass

Religion

knelt down before you-
my voice offered as a sign
of my devotion

scorched copper sky-
blood I’ve spilled
on your alter

Night

walking to the car
mercury vapor street lamps
spilling blue green light

drizzle-
moths dance
in the streetlights

Loneliness

reading into my
masochistic tendencies-
our old love letters

grimy windows-
a metal fan
stirs the air

Summer

chocolate ice cream
slowly melting in the heat
of the summer sun

amber skies-
an ice cream truck
around the corner