Sleep – Page 18 – Iron Haiku

the scent of your hair
lingering on my pillow
greets me when I wake
–
freshly cut grass-
dandelion seeds
caught in your hair

on a raven lake
the moon lies sleeping under
a blanket of stars
–
soft lapping-
the moon unwound
beside me

my view, distorted
looking up from the bottom
of this hole I’ve dug
–
a rimy pond-
peering up through
frozen cataracts

becoming August
fevered skin, heat lightning, and
the promise of rain
–
an azure pond-
fish break the surface
amid the evening rain

swallowing my doubts
returning day after day
in case you wake up
–
patchwork sunlight-
I brush the sleep
from your lips

a sprit of fire
shining brightly in the night
dowsed before it’s time
–
all at once-
the dancing flame
now only smoke

entwined in the sheets
last night you were in my bed
complicating things
–
a cold rain-
leaving alone
at closing time

grey curls of wet smoke-
the kiss of embers linger
on her ruby lips
–
midnight sweat-
a lazy ceiling fan
stirs the air

waiting for the thaw
beneath fallen leaves and snow
a box turtle sleeps
–
frosted windows-
deeply burrowed
under blankets

a torn cap worn low
collar turned against the wind
shrouded in darkness
–
a squalid doorway-
scant shelter from
the bitter cold