In the night the air is heavy

yet how it sings, the traffic thinned still whisks
the rain off the slick black back of Portland Avenue
like heavenly music and heavily through the window glass comes,
my own gut like a fine guitar reaches out
its fleshly grain all a-quiver; the night is dark, dark
and deep as the earth how will you know above
from below?
there are scarce lines here with heaven reaching down
each molecule of air, moving through this breath, incarnate
enfleshed
holy angelsong,
oh peace upon this earth!

All Hallows Eve

I have no use for these sentiments
that coil and clew like dew beads
of beetle black, raised from a breath of th'eve
even your gran knew this is not right

now beat a gramm'ry liturgy, with grass blade
aspergil what rises from the midnight dew
all the spirits of the dead set to humming
with their sweet chirrups the damp air resonating
around a candle's light together recite
hallowed be this night.

To a Pine Seed Bug, October 23

The sun's adieu is hard
on you, your steps slowed,
you carefully claw along
this southern wall, raw wind
falling across your narrow back
and blowing a faint scent of evergreen
to me,

in the wet cold, as dull leaves damply
flop to the frost-wracked garden. Tell me,
What will you do with your mottled dun crust
to escape the autumn's lust?

Morning

This morning overcast I can’t
Tell where the city’s smoke starts and
Clouds begin, where the sun’s best effort
Meets a pale end and all the forms of night
Still light as fog creep across my heart

And how could I describe in these words
What each of us know, as the city bus lurches
And we draw to us the comfort of our coats
The comfort as of the darkest sorrow’s vein of hope
How could I describe in words, why try
As though you don’t know your own as I.

When we pulled over on account of the romantic landscape

we stopped the car
and looked at the meadow with its wildflowers
like stars the earth sweetly wove into her hair
our veins were woven together where our hands silently met
and we opened our doors to play this scene we had rehearsed in dreams

the air was hot like a slap
and left our ears ringing with the buzz
of countless insects rising from the field in waves
like the heat of the black asphalt at our backs
the heat of this incessant romance, almost a choking
each molecule of air cased in sweat
sweet as it was, we left it at that.