in the garden of sun
she held me by
her golden rays



she guarded the entrance
with poison tipped
at my heart



he bore a present
of withered roses
but still she took it



despite the cracks
the wall still protected
her hidden love



he peeks through
and sees the mysteries
behind the wall



on her doorstep—
remains of the blood
he sacrificed



she leaned into the wind
hearing a voice
that wouldn’t go away



the wind carried her
to a salvation
she didn’t seek



she cried
into the sea,
gasping for air



in the wind
her dress hugged tight
but no one saw



the wind
outlined the golden
geometry of her form



weeds grew
to seize the life
from city walls



black hole
in the hopes of a people
without a leader



their hands
tangled like weeds
without the comfort of land



she spreads her desire
unable to latch
to his slick heart



he entered
her doorway
like a key
that wouldn’t fit



too many stairs
before the hallway
that leads to heaven



everywhere she looked
there were more eyes
staring back at her



he walked
the hallway
like a plank
on a death ship



the roof
contained the strings
that moved him on
like a puppet



he saw the end
of the tunnel
but it was all black



missing a leg
he greeted the visitor
with a bizarre smile



he wore breeches
two hundred years
too late



the red of her desire
spurred him
like a bull’s horns
never could



after he entered
the land
he heard a piano tune
but couldn’t
find its source



she prayed
to wipe away
the disease
with her apron



looking at
the baked result
she folded her hands
in somber
satisfaction



just a little more
and her prayers
would no longer
be needed



the man slumped,
knowing that a pretty suit
was not enough



darkness entered him
just as he stepped out
the revolving door



suit threadbare,
he returned
from his last sale



fire ate through
the oxygen
until it entered
his hopeless lungs



the Hindenburg
blew a hole
through his imagination



stripped of its coat
the boat had
nowhere to sail



in wreckage
the survivors
search in vain
for the remains
of gold



though the wind blew
the boat drifted
without sails



the skeleton
of the ship
inspired
his long walk



he carried a shovel
to bury the ones
who didn’t survive



the car
flew through the air
not reaching
its rocky destination
below



as he fell
he dreamed the car
was tethered to land



in a scene
that would be repeated
another car
drove over
just behind



he drove
into the sky
hoping to be free



he limped
from the wreckage
dragging his shadow behind



in the rock
he saw a smile
at his misfortune



he climbed the rocks
to pray
to the priestess
far away



the sun
had already set
leaving him to drift
in a shadow world



the land of nightmares
so close
he could feel it
so far
he could never return



a wall decorated
with the skeletons
of those who tried before



the spirit smiled
at the dead land
and the things he’d done



he wanted to return
but there was no way back
from where he’d gone



she wanted to join him
but his spirit
blew her away



the piano
played a tune of justice
but he could not find
the pianist



in the fading light
the sun melted into
his wandering spirit



what were
the symbols above?
she could not decode



her face
was full of light
but still
the darkness in her eyes



from the cracks
dripped the blood
of life
she gave away



the wall
contained a black hole
portal
to a world of shifting dreams



the ancient etching
contained the lines
of never-ending lust



rose petals
littered the floor
long after the party
had ended



Year: 
2013