The Red-winged Blackbird Clings To The Cattail It Perches On, Calling Out In That Short, Piercing Chirp

What do the living Do with the dead? What do we do?

What do we do when Someone vanishes?

What do the living Do when consumed With such a void? Death Is for the living

I slip into my skin Like slipping into A favorite sweater I am the nurturer Inside my own body A home and hearth Tranquil and secure My body is a warmth I am warm here I am so very warm

This dreary morning January rain Falling onto icy snow Makes my eyes feel Heavy and tired

Roads caked with slush Cars splash through Brownish gray waves And I fall Down into the sludge

I sink like this month This month of melancholy I am crumbling Into these dirty waters Let me sleep in them

Let me sleep until This downpour lets up Until then I am fatigued These rains Beat me into submission

Ungraceful am I For grieving so publicly Bereaved, forgive me

The snow fell on the earth Drew its blanket over the ground It brought with it the cold bite And I felt it all around

Winter sang its song of sleep As it darkened the skies But who sings for those animals Who never reopen their eyes?

Frost colored my hands Despite the fire in my heart I mourned in my blues and blacks Watching the life depart

They say no man is an island So I am no man I am merely made of sand In an unknown ocean I am just a bit of land

Anyone can visit me As long as they don't stay Or they would be deserted too So after a couple of days I would have them washed away

On my island there would be a tree My only bit of company I am happy to be alone With the salty breeze Over the island that is me

I am a wave The one you felt On the shore I crashed over you And became water Once more

You are the sand The earth That I long for When I am Out in the ocean With no oar

We are the gulls Look how far They soar Floating on the wind The whole sky To explore

I knew a man from Salem Who lived in a very old home "My partner died last year," He told me, "And left me there alone."

"Come live with me, We'll fall in love slowly Like sleepy winter mice." I had to admit it seemed Like a dream That might have been very nice.

His smile was kind and shy, His eyes were soft and sad, They pleaded with me for comfort, An ember, A life we could have had.

Armenian princess I don't want to go to Hollywood with you I told you I don’t want To walk on the stars Or hold hands On any boulevard

Black haired goddess No we won't be beautiful I don't want to meet your parents Don't explain me To your sister I will not come to your house I won't visit her

My green eyed friend We will not be a team You won't act in your plays While I write my dreams You see something in me That isn't there Go to LA and let me be

He said I wasn't the center Of the universe but I was a star He never orbited around me And I was strong but never asked

I was no galaxy I had no planets

But he was an asteroid that Got caught up in my pull He could never look at me Or be close enough to touch

I was too bright I was too hot

And I could not be cold or dull I was a wildfire untamed So I was just one burning star Among the infinite others