At home with the enemy
I do love him when he’s had a meal, shower, shave, lies down, shuts up
Watches the TV
Then you can see little glimmers of feelings (that are normally nowhere to be seen)
Flicker across his brow
But as they say, the magic’s gone now
He just wants another beer, a burger,
Or some other kind of urge or
Coffee maybe or a snack with the drink
For chrissake—I’ve had it up to here with everything
Now he wants a children’s juice—pursing his lips like a chimp
Gimme the remote, what’s wrong with the sound?, step back you’re blocking the speaker
Step back, I’ll step out big time, disappear into the night….
So where to go?
“dinner ready yet?”
“on the table”
“can you bring it in here?”
“I’m in bed already”
Now he’s lying there, sleeping, just lying there, silent, unmoving
What about me? Me just trying to make this somehow seem like life.
But morning returns again, coffee sloshes about his unshaven cavity
Puffs of deodorant waft round the bathroom, the keys jingle from gravity
He’s left. Total quiet.
O, my heart and soul, so silent in joy, so free
How wonderful at last to be alone, just you and me.
Sleeplessness
Splitting head, sleepless eyes, the moon above
My Un-holy Trinity
Here I stand waiting for conscience
To reach his mind at last
This conscience like his cock
--almost always on the ready
just never really on the go
--never needing anything—the lazy!
I cannot change the faces of the Moon
Inner quiet of the soul-- a boon--
Do I love you—are you truly mine
Or is it just an urge to…rhyme?
Once again across the silence and the dark
Thru the vacant room’s emptiness
My lovely lady toward me walks….
Come, my sleeplessness.
***
Hey you layabout, take-it-easy miss
You’re the writing whizz girl
But when it comes to dirty dishes
Suddenly the emperor’s pet princess?
Getting the dishwasher sorted—a royal highness?
Believe me, someone can take your spot, lazy lady
Maybe best of all a country girl should come and be my missus
…but how I miss you so….your rhymes are like a brandy
Get a move on lazybabe
Get your hands wet in the drink
Start with the plates and take in hand
The fairy soap above the sink
Get down and scrub that floor
….then scribble full your poem box
Magical girl, O, beauty I adore
Please launder too, my socks.
Trans. JBS March 2012