Oh heart, you must be,
and release again.
Your only good is in loving,
and so loving, you must keep.
Oh heart, you must struggle
and keep your weary eyes awake;
you serve no one in your sleep,
and in sleeping, no pleasures take.

______________


Dare I put my heart to sleep?
Lay its weary head to rest
upon its throne, and silent, keep
a vigilant watch, that none might test
the chambers in which
my hopes retreat?

Are dreams the guardians of my heart,
or captors fierce, to stay me alone--
Do I vanquish love, and to my imaginings, hide
in worlds of flight and fancy, as life
half-lives me by, a minor shadow
to my hooded, dreaming eye?

Rejoice in what I have given you, and for what reasons.

This Jewel City

This jewel city
thinks more of itself
and more of those shoes
and less of now
this ocean city
sits on the beach
in a magazine
washing down
last night's taste
with fruit intoxication
this breezy city
drives 120mph
over thin snake canyons
in sunglasses and
$50 conditioner
there's no room for sunblock
unless you're over 30
and then you better look 20
otherwise, this frenzy city
will overlook you
unless you go to
the black hole bars
and sidewinder streets
to buy or sell
this front of the line city
doesn't look too close
at its cracking streets
and earthquake dramas
and red carpet beggars
dazzling lightshow cameras
propped up behind glass
let's overlook
the creeping black soot
the crawling asphalt dreamers
and smoker's cough

On Love IIV

I am shameless, drunken in love with you,

though I pretend this love is something false;

but I've never known such a breathless make

as the mist you cast on my poor, sweet self.

I've never known such a shivering truth,

nor a harsher lie, that some worthy act

might come of this, and the world might grant me

just one wish, that neither our hearts defy.

I don't know your love, nor dare I to ask

for curtains fall, and there are years between –

but I would save my hope, and save my dreams

for only dreams are what love asks of me.

It is in that glow when I look at you –

so dream I shall, of love that would be true.