If he’s truly gone

He fell from a tree

Night-vision just finally darkened black

That might happen, if it’s true,

When he would move forward to a new branch

.

I found an opossum on my lawn

& if he’s truly gone

His odd defense

Odd Lazarus gifts

Of cessation, resurrection.

Odd mask of death did drop?

We’d ask if his time was up.

Give him a kick

“Wake up”

It could be I got bit

Three times by a recluse spider.

Here in the sub-tropics

Where recluse spiders are a risk

But I’m a bit of a recluse, too.

I like the dark,

My own time, & whiskey.

Oh, the friends and kin they call me;

They go “Cool Guy!”,

Man, they might “Night Falls” me.

When there’s three red moons on my arm,

They all do enthrall me,

Almost with their own flow chart.

It’s dangerous art,

Three red, full moons on my arm.

lovers, when asked about lovers

all I can muster is, "Is it likely

I even have likers?"

.

But I've known you like me,

& I'm too fond of you.

I'm too fond of yr. brilliant squinty eyes;

It's faceted blue apatites,

Aquamarine, no, blue topaz,

Wild emeralds, a hell of a violet spinel,

No, tear sapphires, for real,

No. Aquamarine.

,

I'm urged to end virtually all this spelunking business

What? My time's up? (& dearly departed?)

I just did "eyes", I just got started.

She won't remember when without a word we wandered dark collegetown neighborhoods.Where were the dogs & cops? I wondered.We were thrilled for the night still.

Still, there were all the satellites. And very still, there was that light in a candlelit

picture window. It gave a silhouette, a shadow, she was readying a bed.

Buffing up a sheet, she showed us, (my sister Janny and me)Her heartstopping Beauty;

A silent ballet shadow show that we acknowledged, her walk-stopping

ethereal naked lines.Then we continued on, still wordless.

Then, getting stiller yet.

I bet, when it's time to settle up

& I’m front & back up against the barricade,

I bet, I dare to gawk and glare

Past the barricade.

.

I’ll scarcely be scared

Or ever

The least bit biblically

Humbled by heaven.

.

I would

I could not certainly see

The foals and fawns there,

Pups, piglets,

& All our infants.

Eaglets soar there

.

Uncharacteristically,

I would not mind waiting.

still

g.r. melvin

Stoicism is a prison

Though I break out

Though I break down

Through the pull of a merciful act

Then I’m old and too weak to hold back

I can imagine a troubled

Panicked angel tangled double;

One cat caught in a grate

A girl unfair in a wheelchair

Nears and dares her balance, her endurance, her tolerance

Strains all of her weight

Shows the pain that she’s used to on her face

Then relief, and they’re both free

She and the cat both refuse to

Cry more,

Like those that might see.