Kumquat Lover

He ignores me.
He's involved in peeling his kumquat
carving the rind into
a 3-D spiral form in the shape of a geisha girl.
Because, he says
"aren't kumquats from the Celestium... I mean the Celestial... you know what I mean..."
waving his hand in a gesture
whose uncolored vastness was a clear indicator
that he did not know China from Japan
the Middle Kingdom from the Floating Kingdom
mandarin oranges from kumquats
or me
from the geisha of his dreams.

-- a word salad poem
Collection available! Knocking from Inside

Creating Characters in Poetry

Another guest post at Write Anything.

Collection available! Knocking from Inside

Crooked Wings

It's said, the swallows come to Capistrano
every year to see out winter's cold,
an advent that's been noted in each anno
domini the Mission bells have tolled
since 1812. Their nests, like little huts
of mud, accumulate among the vaults
the quake brought down, above the fallen struts.
They're not concerned by geologic faults.

I fear this state lies too far from the sun
for swallows. Other harbingers must bring
the welcome news that winter's finally done.
The crooked shadow of an osprey's wing,
a feathered scimitar, curves down and by
carving a slice of summer from the sky.

Collection available! Knocking from Inside

Burning Mountain, Shattered Land

Stand on the slope of a burning mountain
with all of your hope held in your hands
Woman whose heart is brighter than fire
Woman whose home is a shattered land

Stand on the shore of a drowning country
while the tsunami swallows the strand
Woman with bones full of stony courage
Woman whose home is a shattered land

Stand at the edge of the reaching desert
watching the wells filling up with sand
Woman who knows all the lessons of hunger
Woman whose home is a shattered land

Stand and wait for the hurricane coming
out of the ocean to your island
Woman as strong as a live-oak forest
Woman whose home is a shattered land

Holding steady while the earth is shaking
Still I see where you make your stand
Woman who carries the seeds of the future
Woman whose home is a shattered land

--image courtesy of Magpie Tales
Collection available! Knocking from Inside