Shoulda been a tattoo

I feel like
an old shirt
kept at the
bottom of
your drawer
that you
don't want
anymore
but can't
throw out
A.S.
9/6/09

Seaweed behind the Ears, Longin fo da Beach

Barefoot through the thistle yo
Like Ceasar?
No, more like Cisarro

Kicks on fire
bustin out the blisters yo
ridin the tides

I'm Yemayah's daughter so
flippers to the side
Tails to the west

when I'm in water
I'm lovin every aspect
A.S.
8/23/09

First Digit

One knuckle
first digit pointer
to be exact

swollen craggy
like driftwood
I banged it I think

or maybe it's
arthritis
striking early

whatever it is
I type this now
with my middle finger

finally center stage
at last while poor pointer
watches from above

How hard it is
not to use you
especially in school

where I need to
coat you in oil
rely upon your agility

Shoulder moans in sympathy
listen while the haughty
forearm muscles balk

look at that crumpled digit
so swollen unable to heal
sending cryptic smoke signals

to that befuddled brain
ouch my finger what shall I do?
tape it, xray it, kiss it

do something you fool!
there is no finger prince
or pointer fairy

This reminds us of
the time when you fractured
your arm and failed to call 911

Well, maybe not as bone
curdlingly painful, but still
a cry for action

Ok I'll call the Doctor
better to know
sacrifice time to save a finger...
A.S.
8/17/09
12:24pm EST

Voudou Hairdresser

Voudou hairdresser
messes with your head

twisting the tendrils
waking the dead

she straightens you out
then plaits each strand

carefully placing
her silent demands

behind your ear
she tattoos a bee

the buzzing won't stop
so she combs it all out

carefully she pockets
the strands that fell out

for you may leave
but you'll never shake free

she's woven a doll and
stuffed it with hair

if you squint in the night
you may see it there

hanging from a tree
covered with fleas

you'll get no relief
except from a breeze

so careful my friends
when it comes to your hair

there's plenty of
voudou hairdressers out there
A.S.
8/5/09

Loud Silence

Silence is filled
with life

little sparrows
flap their wings

neighbor's car passes
republican sticker grimacing

wind tussles the trees
sounds like rushing water

my inner ears
creak and click

clock in bathroom
ticks like a metronome

mouse rotor clicks
as I roll it along

again the rustling wind
in the distance a whistling child

ten minutes past six
distinguishable only to me

the breaking pieces
of my heart
A.S.
8/2/09

Riddle Me This

It's quiet here
still I try to
hold
the slippery rock

it pushes through
my hands
like a toe
through a sock

There's the laughter
of the children
two houses down
the way

the rain dripping
from branches
and my cat's purr
though it fades

Like a flacid
muscled swimmer
trying to climb
a rope

or a tight mouthed
corrosive sinner
who tries to
give up smokes

I ride the teeter-totter
never could ride a bike
but the roters are all rotten
so I fight I fight I fight

It's a silly enterprise
to hold what I cannot
like steam the
thoughts must rise

I'm not
I'm not
A.S.
7/29/09

Musings on Assertiveness

Some people
respond well
to assertiveness

Please do not
speak to me
that way...

it's strange to see
others warm
to me

after I have
slapped their
wrists

I suppose
some people
need to be

knocked back
into consciousness
out of their dazed

sleepwalking
through their
dream of self
A.S.
7/28/09

Mind Loops

Mind creates loop holes
and ties self up in knots

not me
not you
not now

Be careful what you
wish for

or where you thoughts
might rest

the universe
she listens

she'll put you
to the test

A.S.
7/27/09

Pretty Pretty

Ok pretty pretty
come here for kiss kiss

one on your nose
on paw tips

our cheeks brush twice
long strokes done just right

you slept through the night
til that birdy took flight

to the window
you rushed

warble warble
manic bird

your song is absurd
five thirty just ain't right

go now
take flight

my kitty
slept through the night

it ain't right
ain't right...

A.S.
7/25/09

Surrender

Resentment is carcinogenic
a sand trap
an excuse not to grow

Forgiveness is an elixir
a summer wind
a journey on a Hawk's wing

Resentment tamps down growth
immobilizes self reflection
catches in the throat like a hair ball

Forgiveness strokes hair off forehead
unclenches heart
allows one to expand

If you can not let go
pray for the one you resent
eventually things dissolve

we are all one.

A.S.
7/22/09

Silly Head

Sometimes things look
different

than they really are
ask the clouds

they'll tell you
dragons play guitar

even a folded sheet
in shadow becomes a dog

or a stick in road can stop you
for fear of flattening frogs

the mind's a merry prankster
even awake it plays

imagine it in dream-time
when you let it roam

then it is a dancer
forever free to roam

A.S.
7/20/09

Leaning Tower of a Poem

Crouched inside her
ready to leap

its buried
too deep

its buried
too deep

tell me your secrets
unhinge the beast

its buried
too deep

its buried
too deep

crack your cosmic egg
there's nothing to lose

except for you
except for you

paint your masterpiece

it's up to you
to break through

No wait
remember me

give it over
I'll set you free

what to do
what to do

dig deep and find

your treasure's mine
treasure's mine

together we walk in beauty
lighting each moment
with the luminescent light

of the now
of the now
A.S.
7/19/09

Nourish My Fibers

This tree
is feeling her rings

roots are planting
heavy not winged

Still reaching outward
and welcoming in

wise contemplator
much thicker skin

my plumage it changes
from Summer to Spring

Just decorations
certain to Fall

In Winter's dear stillness
I stand through it all

Grown heavy my eyelids
drink water through days

I nourish my fibers
eating healthier today

I wait in the shade
or bathe in the sun

Ever patient
my branches are waiting

some day you'll come.

A.S.
7/17/09

Erosion

Erosive waiting
wears away
thin husks of hope

Erosive doubt
rusting my
cavernous mind

Erosive thinking
peels away
paint from

my masterpiece
cracking the canvas
stunting the flow

bummer...
A.S.
7/9/09

In Session

Just a
symptom

Of your
transference

why do you
wait to express?

My thoughts
are helium balloons

I digress
I digress
I digress

surveying
the situation

check myself
for missing gear

avoid bumps
and bruises

or hurting you,
my dear

You did it with
her

now you do it
with me

Jump now
you fool

leave the parachute
to me!

Wait a minute
sailor,

who's Captain of
this ship?

I think it's my right
to navigate this trip.

Not every thought's
a process

not every switch
must flip,

sometimes you
must contain them

curtail your
clever quips.

perhaps it was
reaction

maybe your
theory's sound

but my heart's
my truest compass

sometimes
up is down.

A.S.
7/8/09

God's Time

Won't
somebody

make me
your project?

Sick
thoughts

tongue in cheek.

Not for
the dishonest

perhaps a thief?

Who would steal away
from self

to control another

an astronaut elf

A sculptor

a farmer

a mother,

a lover

It isn't like
I want to be
planted

just cultivated.

Arrange my branches

Allow me to scream

and howel too

Just someone
to listen

maybe it's true

How does one grow
when not reflected

how to be sure
that it's not

all affected?

I've waited so long,
how can this be?

For sound or charm
elusive, that's me

I'm ripe now
I tell you

come shake my tree,

the rotten and pungent

come first

help me

break free

Then come the buds
soft on the vine

watch them all
flower

I tell you
it's time.
A.S.
7/5/09

Rivulets of Self

Clenched fist
coffee stomach

Heels dug in
eyes pried open

a drive
with testimonials

I listen
try to hinge

my hope
upon

your story.

I pray all
day long

between customers
for

humility

patience

God speak

rivulets of
self

running into
the sea

of humanity

Trying to
connect.
A.S.
7/5/09

Always Tomorrow

This
sickness

cleanses
memories

squeezing
brain

into
ringlets

night-time
symphony

old faces
haunt me

why
in unison

compulsive
munching

always
tomorrow

today
underwater

learn
to swim

surfacing
slowly
A.S.
7/4/09

Damp

Damp
air

compression
drums

inner
pressure

thy will
be done
A.S.
7/4/09

Broken Net

Crunched inside
accordian
taunting music croons

Because you
wouldn't hear us
we've attacked your lungs

wheezing
popping
hissing

you are our
circus
bum

Trying to escape
will only
make you spin

a car upon
the ice
spinning with the wind

You face the
same direction
yet we really

shook you up
eyes are wide
open

In case
you'd care
to duck

Time a
broken net
no one will escape

Tie it round
your neck girl,
wear it as a cape
A.S.
7/3/09

Face the Glass

When Courage
enters
the space

Fear
bows down
and hides her face

Rise my
child
it's time to fight

For out of
darkness
there must come light

Here, she beckons
face the glass.

Fear let out a tiny gasp

Honesty
is your sword

First take stock,
and then
move forward

From this place
devise a plan

Steady girl,
I know you can.

With open eyes
in comes the light

just ask the
stars, who
guard the night

Take this
compass
I call it Clarity

These ingredients
will serve you
well

Stand tall
my darling
and break the spell.
A.S.
06/17/09



A.S.
6/17/09

Rantings

Burnt toast
artificial
skin

haunting
day glow
teeth

fifty
dollar
torn tee

do something
more with
your

disposable
income
please
A.S.
6/14/09

One Choice

Two young boys
play around

peering into
my windows

treating my cottage
like a doll house

My wheels
grind gravel

they turn
and freeze

tow haired deer
caught in headlights

I ask nonchalantly
did you find your helmet?

I saw it behind
my chair

beside the pink flowers

This morning I knew
I had spies in my midst

Yes, Amy...

they call me by name

I wonder should I have
introduced myself

as Miss Summers
Ms. Summers perhaps
would invoke more fear

Did you put
this rock in my path?

No, Yes the braver
of the two answers

waiting, hoping for
some gossip

to bring home
to his Grandmother

he hopes to invoke
some sign of impatience

Will you help me
move it? I ask calmly

I can't lift it
I have a bad arm

I flash them
my scar

hoping to elicit some
pity or mercy

Can we come in
and see your place?

The No boy asks
as Yes boy rolls the rock

We already seen it
the Yes boy admonishes

Their drunk Uncle
lived here before

he was evicted

his stale cigarette smoke
lingers behind the

fresh paint.

I'm tired, I tell them
Maybe another time

The house is too messy
I add for good measure

not really caring if
it is believable.

Thanks buds
I say

remembering that
one of them is called

Trever, or Travis.

I need to go in now
and feed Leroy.

Whose Leroy?
The No boy asks

It's her indoor cat
Yes boy offers.

I unlock the door
and they follow me

onto the porch

I close the door
behind me

They stand in the driveway
exhilarated

Not old enough
to disguise their
spying well

I pat Leroy's belly
Next time maybe
I'll let them come in

I pause, but they'll
have to remove their
muddy shoes.

Suddenly I see
myself alone
at ninety

offering the neighbor boys
cookies in exchange for

their youthful smiles
and endless questions

What price happiness?

One choice can effect
so much.
A.S.
6/13/09

Off the Books

It's in the bones
a stiffness

Perhaps if I
were like you

Trust fund
days open like
a fan

There would be
more breath

A lithe spirit

Me, I'm
bogged down

by the weight
of carrying

someone else's
dreams

for fifteen dollars
an hour

off the books.
A.S.
06/13/09

Worry Doll

and those are
my fears...

I whisper into
the worry doll's ear

She is charged
with listening

and then carrying
my burdens for me

Did I make you
my worry doll?

through encrypted
messages

decipher my fears

my history a
bottomless pit

Too steep to climb

What a charge
to carry so much

sorrow

How heavy
it must have
been

Not knowing
where to put
it down

You carried
it upon your
back

Perhaps we
could have

dug a hole

built a nest

fueled a fire

put it to rest.
A.S.
6/13/09

No Such Necklace

His eyes
on her hands
as they
open the
case which holds
the necklace
with two
interconnected
hearts

I ask
May I help
you with that?
Even-though
I know she
is capable

He offers
she is just
looking
and preens
her like a
bird pulling
a seed from
the center of
a flower
from her
hair

I persist
You can try it
on if you'd like

she smiles
back at me
and takes
the necklace
from the pins
which hold it

He fastens it
around her
delicate neck

She is petite
while he stands
like a redwood
towering over
her

Each movement
of his limbs
a serenade

It suits you
I say

Get it
he cajoles

No, she says
smiling at
me

I know why

She already
has it

Two connecting
hearts

The bell on
the door
blesses them
as they walk into
the light

I have no
such necklace.
A.S.
6/13/09

First Drops

First drops
splink

blanket
the day

with fuzzy
moments

of introspection
A.S.
6/13/09

Poet in the Woods

If a poet
read her poem
in the woods
and nobody
hears her
is she really
here at all?
A.S.
6/13/09

A Dash of Dill

A dash of
dill weed

Who else
would
offer
this simple
kindness?

Fresh cherries
grace my lunch sack

Time to
sip fresh
coffee before
I go
into the world

alone again
I hold

my own hand.

A.S.
06/11/09

3 short poems including "Astral Cat:"

To Ask

To ask
for what
I want

without
attachment
to outcome

yields
sweet
surprises.

A.S.
06/10/09

My Crazy Garden

I'm a crazy
garden
of wild flowers.

A.S.
6/10/09

Astral Cat

Paw prints
on the roof

Bast Cat
bats her

cosmic egg

I keep her
brother

prisoner

in my cottage
by the forest

where he
looks out

upon the trees.

He grins
at me

I am not a prisoner
Mama

The body is
but a shell

The wind rustles
the leaves

he dances with
nature

without
leaving the sill.
A.S.
06/10/09

My Fate Your Palms

You never
knew
how you

held

my fate
in your
palms

I never
told you.
Internally

I waited
for you
to massage

my heart

back to beating
in rhythm
with your own.

Harmonic
convergence
of souls...

How silly
of me
to expect

miracles
A.S.
6/7/09

Emotional Bypass

Serrated edges
catch things
so it seems

So rich
clogged up
with possibilities

Tired of talking
eye to eye
head to head

Smooth stones
allow water to
soothe

without
making
a sound

A.S.
6/7/09

Humili-tea

Hones-tea
a pinch of
candor

extract of
truth
sans the guilt

too bitter
spoils the
potion

best drank
with
friends

who prefer
organic
products
A.S.
6/6/09

Coiled

Shrinking
sinking
feeling

coiled
never
striking

now at
last you
return

only to
reveal
your child

your wife
has
usurped

my throne
made of
lofty dreams

it scatters
feathers
which make

most
chuckle
except

for me.
A.S.
6/5/09

Choppy Waters

contagious
thoughts
multiply

Ten of swords
never turn them
inward

Tara stands
facing mountains
New beginnings

Alone in my boat
with my swords
learning how

to wield them
while not
upsetting

the balance
A.S.
6/4/09

The What If's

Hey you
slow down

Translator, Here!
Who are they?

They're What If's

My goodness
how odd

Hair glows
of fungus

Be careful
they rob

Moon Boots
made of magnets

They'll pull you
right in

They're cunning
the What If's

Why, they're building
a camp

Burn the fields
if you have to

Trust me
they're tramps

A.S.
6/3/09

Pulsing

Illuminated hand
grasps for
elusive muscle

cavernous hole
misplaced keys
i could see

but this,
How could
a light-worker

lose her heart?
Maybe it reabsorbed
from lack of use

Perhaps a match,
foggy lenses
there's an echo

so cold
yodel
couldn't help it

the acoustics
Hel-lo
any body in here?

Hmmm maybe it's
these bandages,
Uncoil them

from my eyes
ahhh now
what's this?

why it's me
all tangled up
in nots

have not
want not
why not?

a bakers
string knotted
round my core

hand roped behind
my back
I am knitting

a prayer shawl
with my fears
unravel this mess

maybe underneath
all this sinew
it waits for me

pulsing

A.S.
6/3/09

Chipped Tooth

Enamel worn away
each tooth
a prayer flag

body barks
limbs play
concerto in B minor

Each day
closer to the dirt
Seismic grumbling

caught between
elements
floating best remedy

moved away
my yesterdays
present for tomorrows

A.S.
6/2/09

Love Mutiny

Love Mutiny
Telescopic Scrutiny
Turn the lens

Try to Focus
Blind Dissection
is Hocus Pocus

Raise the veil
Disturb the matter
tidal wave

climb the ladder.

Separation Anxiety from Self

To be
the light
upon the leaf

pollen in the air
cat paws in the dirt
wind caressing cheeks

separation anxiety
from self
I take in

light, by cones & retina
atmosphere inhale and ex
my cheek, caresses the wind

constant struggle
containment in body
always a tight fit

A.S.
05/31/09

Magnetic Pull

False Quiet
Internal ringing
interferes with

the birds are
singing
being present

soul is bleeding
set your compass
heart is leading
A.S.
5/30/09

Upside-down Bur qua

Hazy Light
perceived
as darkness

lenses foggy
perhaps it's
madness

hope floats
suppose I'll rise
day is young

at least I'll try.
A.S. 5/29/09

Ruptured Spirit

Hits me like a mud pie
rolls down the face
but avoids the eye,

mine is a frozen cry,
swollen yet crystallized
an arthritic yelp

A calcified scream
scar tissue
the broken bone

tied to a sheet of metal

A.S.
5/28/09