Kintsukuroi

Cracked indigo bowl
A caring soul restored it
With veins of bright gold.

Touch

The ragged edge of loneliness, broken

By strangers’ gossip of sex and God.

Fertilized by dust spores of desire,

Womb’s fruit waxes tender, smooth

In the fullness of the day’s empty hours.

Sing in me, O muse,

The sound of an earthworm’s progress

The sight of a mosquito’s eye jelly

The taste of an oncoming storm

The touch of a mysterious stranger.

Invincible

The dead are mighty,
For only the living can be wounded:
Fingernails ripped off
Tongues stapled to a wall
Hearts attacked
Spirits sundered.

Elan Vital

Swallow your own death in the morning

Over easy with salt and pepper.

By nightfall, you'll have digested it fully

Death in every cell, a vital nutrient.

The Law of Karma

Sin is not just a demon crouching at the door;
It's a stain on your soul, treasured
By zealous memory, a captive longing
To be consumed by the chemical burn
Of enlightenment.

A Dream of the Beloved

The transcendent rapture of cleaning the dishes
Together. Holding hands, we enjoyed
The supreme bliss of aimless chatter
And shared soft kisses as the neighbors pulled into the drive.

Such was my one dream of the beloved.

Love, a Ghost

The first time I saw her, it was too early. 

The second time, too late. 

How could I be so inspired 

By love's hungry shadow?

Dark Illumination

For Masters Kong and Lao

The clever-tongued thief of virtue

Grabs you with his rhinestone coat

A rich beggar snatching coins from passers-by.

His light is outshone by the hidden virtue

Of a hooded lantern, invisible from without

Grown brighter and brighter from within.