Winn-Dixie

I couldn’t help myself--
Standing in the grocery
Behind a balloon of a man,
I rasped a heavy sigh at his
Lethargic attempt to unload his cart.
Then, as he slowly lifted his eyes toward me,
With his jowls swaying like limp flags,
He told me to go fuck off,
And in that moment I thought of you.
I shall be home in fifteen minutes,
And after I put the ice cream in the freezer,
I’d like you to help me make one man’s wish
Come true.

If I Were Brave

If I were brave, I’d tell you that
You terrify me.
I would stand with a strong chest
And a steady voice, and
Explain that within your 5’4”
Lives a being that knocks me breathless,
But every time I gather enough courage,
You smile wide, look me in the eye,
And I lose myself all over again.

When You're Eighty

I think you’ll be beautiful when you’re 80:

When you’ve been transfigured by decades of
Breathing the aroma of love and pain and the
Small melodramas of life,

When your hair has been washed white
And your delicate hands curl, exhausted from
Seizing the moment,

When your grey eyes deepen,
When your voice softens,
When your heart and brain reconcile,

And when I stoop with reverence
To place a warm kiss upon your wrinkled brow.

You are lovely now,
But I think you’ll be beautiful when you’re 80.

Envy

Laying across a plump scarlet couch,
I watched auburn hair move pendulum-like
Over a milky shoulder.
The walls rolled like waves,
Crashing and bending with
Each snap of her hips.
The room, lit by a television,
Danced and flickered a dull
Pulsing blue.
I traced the outline of her
Tattoo with an outstretched finger,
Wishing I could be that
Permanent.

Doubting Thomas Confesses to a Lover

She told me
she has
serious
doubts
About her
ability
to love.
I told her
I felt the
same way
whenI read
Scripture.