We brandish
a tidal wave of tiredness and emotion
gazing into eyes that’ve long belonged
somewhere else:
learning loving as a process,
like birth and death.

Between you and me
there is no beginning and no end
we are an old testament of swirling cloud,
thunder spat from God’s lips
to land sizzling on sticky summer tarmac;
we’re as incomprehensible as nature
with nowhere left to go
between the inhalation of our breath.

In this English autumn we’re
escaping to lost continents
returning to deserts of our imagination
where a brown river flows, as it always will.

Between the presumption
of others & the declaration of our piece
we are enamelled jewels hanging on the living breath
of the universe, as it lives us.
We are lost in the mesmerism of our love
like opiated Emperors sensuality dripping from our fingers
a perfumed bath of opulence to drown in.

In struggling to resurface
we try to obtain reality, but fail
leaving shell shocked dependants
& past loves writhing at our feet.

We are blind in our splendour
omnipotent in our need
& naked for the first and last time.

I am your fragile angel
super- annotated, unsedated maelstrom
blessed with arms of steel;
a sweet smelling woman -child
breathing soft moments into empty places
a justified enigma that you’ve searched beneath the stars
to find.

You are my super hero
grafted onto staunch reality, entertaining winter’s greyness
garnished with a brilliant mind;
a sweet smelling streamline of surgical precision
creating waves of seismic tremors,
yes, you appeared to love me
in the nick of time.

We are the fantasy
courtly love in children’s armour, deifying human harshness
synchronising body’s ritual
testing taste buds for a meaning
riding high on intellectual freedom
yes, we are reaching for a vision
uncluttered by the skeins of time.

Earth returns to earth
sun arcs open sky
land lost in flat curves
plagued with rauque voices
sleeps a child’s fever.

As for you
renewing faith in freedom
summer gardens, soft silence
last chances;

as for you
who holds me hard in moving current
arms locked, hearts breathing
re-invents the lost reason,
here I cry these errant phrases
just for you.

It’s just the same love story
badly written found anointing crystal mornings
two beats, two bodies rapt emotion
mind recoils from trembling love songs,
distant hillsides, phantom futures:

as for you,
of all the problems ever chosen,
soul exiges perfect endings
dark and swollen, carved in colour
humming feelings;

as for you
who came from nowhere
brought such blessings
handed back the lost reason,

today I talked in lovers clichés
today I walked with angels kisses
today I knew what I’d been missing
today I cried these errant pages,

just for you.

Love trips us
slides beneath tight skin
shoves us sprawling on the pavement
pupils bright in concussed eye
we scan the newly vacant sky
bewailing our own inadequacies .

What is that glance that seals the contract
turns Queen to harem slave
knocks six foot hunk to snivelling boy
tears up all our smart hatched plans
leaves us blowing bubble mouthed
at another dead end wall ?

Love rips through cultures essence
has wise man snuffling painted fool
hangs happy in imbalance
each face and body superimposed
there’s always one who loves too much
one whose heart grows cold .

Nothing new we coin between us
it’s all been said and done before
but we live in hope of some super stroke
that will whitewash our delusions,
till we’re vac packed in cocoon bliss .

Like the alcoholic with his wine
the world is grasped through a strangers thighs
there’s no escaping hangover time
with a quintessential twelve point plan
for I was born woman and I’m looking for a man

to hold my hand .

You’re calling me
intent on holding hard
the core you cannot see ,

bright beeches glisten
earth explodes in springtime treasure
river’s stillness combing morning light

and you’re asking me to meet you deep in hallowed night
where the angels cry their pleasure .

Secrets we have never shared
darkened shadows mute and rubbed
but never once caressed by countless lovers gasps ,

you’ve seen your Self in midday sun
reflected in my darkened eyes
and you knew I was the one .

Soft seducing words to rock my vows
as I drop my stone whole hearted in another’s pool,
you’re terrified to hear the chant of wedding bells

that we once knew .

Crow cries out his warning
as you wax my dreams with rich creamed promise ,
but you know the chance has flown

to ride the wind , search out where we’ve sinned
unite in honest freedom let our bodies sing ,

for this time darling, we are only human .

This is where I say
that you appeared again
your eyes as green
as willow leaves

& you did return
sprouting the same old rhyme
till my brain reeled
and my empty mouth

turned dry.

I felt like time had lost the key
to a distant past a different me
held in thrall of a lovers tryst
like Psyche.

The wind has changed
ripped away our hoard of glee
leaving us branded promises
inconsistent memory;

lost loving.

Sea funnels tidal
over breakwater
moss green like
undulating hillside

No beach, just slab
of sand shingle bitter
sweet hugging cliff
in effort to exist.

Horizon spreads out a
blanket of movement
sends waves of nausea
sleep I could sleep

in this deep rotting grace
let fish nibble my feet
simply slip away, hair
tangled weave, water

my last true lover.

Sun glints Spanish gold
underwater sandbanks slide
beneath tanker and tug boat

& the wind farms flap their
Maltese crosses in unison.

The last of the tourists shiver
don wet suits link surf boards
head into the green murk flip

back on white water till the sea
falls a globe of blood fire to die
as the oyster catcher cries his lament

for another lost summer.

Sea a black scarf
wrapped around the harbour
it’s cold tonight, so cold
the wind is taut
& moon hangs silent
huge immobile willing.

Sea sends whispers
of how it should be
sailor’s ghosts ride high
their songs mixed with
mermaid’s breath
the slink of seal at rest.

Sea calls to me
I’m immune caught up
beach sweeps a canvas
of wind ,water ,longing
connection to every other,
footsteps follow I turn

sea is a black scarf
enfolding me.

I’m trying to rearrange
bulldoze flowers from their peaceful niche
nobody explains that life’s a euphemism
a pre-planned cosmic game
where your score is ever faltering.

So you think I’m something strange
a poltergeist that flies through see through night
shifting bedclothes mouthing unyoked truism:
& your tongues so white from truth
you spit the words that sword me.

There’s nothing I would change
it’s perfect synastry to see the cracks beneath the pavement
I paint the starry heights while blighted by the darkness of our cataclysm
with nowhere left to be, but wipe our hands
on pristine stains that snare us.

I’m trying to rearrange,
bulldoze hieroglyphs you wrote on tainted sea
nobody explained that life’s a euphemism,
if something in your eyes records a record that I’ve missed
it’s too late now to kiss the faded see through borders

of what you meant to me.