08/29 When You Care (Reprise)

"hey lady"
we can hear
your scream,
drowning,
barrels of heavy,
scalding water,
while you rage
at the green,
once forest,
coughing on steam,
rising from your hands,
as you pray,
forgiveness,
beneath the surface-

when you care.

08-28 The Other Boy

there's nothing more I can think of to say to you...

the words I have left,
are all fingers,
playing a piano three doors down,

you don't want them anymore,
but I think you need them,

because we know hurt,
there is no innocence in our play.
because we know

you must love me.

for the show to go on,
for the band to return,
for the song to end,

you must, but you can't,
and I can't,
but

listen to these keys,
not because I love you,
but because, we know,

you taught me how to sing,
sparrow, please,

don't forget how.

08-27 His Mother Is Crazy For Chai Tea

crazy.
right?
the word,
rolls off of his tongue,
drops ice into the hot,
carefully constructed chai,
tea,
innocent,
curling into the couch,
watching, not listening,
hearing crazy,
(pause)
defenseless I flirt,
clenching the mug,
(this isn't a story, a symptom)

does he know,
I know his mother?

08-26 The Boy Next Door Forgets To Knock

doing what I can,
are you,
going to break it in your hand,
should I,
why can't I turn my back,
around,
spin the bottle on the ground,
kiss you, maybe, when I've found,
doesn't seem to rhyme,
me,
now I know it is me,
what's a guy,
supposed to do,
to me,
climb,
another wall, another boy,
another midnight Cinderella ball,
another wall, I gotta dance,
some other boy, accidental,
romance,
now it's serious,
doing what I can,
babe,
doing what I can,
maybe,
when I wake up,
I might break up,
doing what I can,
maybe then

I'll miss you,
when I dream.

08-25 Once There Was A Way

I've been only waiting...

to hold you?

want to?

can I?

take your,

damn you,

and your,

straight-out singing,
guitar weepin'

nowhere man jiven'
lyric time-keepin'

boots.

first few words,

thirty five years and a penny,

got a quarter for how many,

yesterdays you bricked

across  my cheek,

damn you,

all together now.

should I, could I?

can I? 

will I take these...

08-24 Hot Damn

pink shirt,
hot damn,
short shorts,
torn jeans,
river running,
marble tumbling
cream swirling,
sugar sprinkling,
toes.

grass,
shaking,
standing cedar,
fir bowing, aviators,
blue sky, crashing,
vultures,
up.

wind blows boulders between my ears.

8-23 Welcome back, lover

remember this,
his lips hummed,
low into the sky,
a one a.m. whistle,
to the dipper,
and I,
winked overflowing,
blue aroma of wine, smoking,
unfurling, curling,
into a past-lazy half smile,
before turning the lights off-
whispering,
remember this