Monday, September 25, 2017

THE SKIN OF HER NECK ~








Many Times






There is the absolute way

Of doing it, and we have done it

Many times and again —

How I will come to you

How you will meet me

The early morning sun

Perfect on the bed, and

Stripes in the Mexican blanket

Like blood, the sea, yellow iris petals —

And it is a silly lovers ritual of ours

I hug you and you hug me and step onto

My boots, and I walk you and me around the

Sunlit room, the sway of patchouli in your hair

And your face smooth against my lips

Like the inside of your hands






Day And Night







How often have we

Stepped together into water —

You left your clothes on the rocks

And shivered your way to me

Said it was freezing as I thought

Of the mountain stream filling this

Clear basin of evening light, and how

Swallows showed us the angles of the sky

Far above barbed wire and pasture heat

Which we came down from after work

Smelling lilac in the breeze —

And it was the long blonde hair you shook

Out of a blue bandana and later braided

That had me remember the day and night






The Skin Of Her Neck







Tonight, because her hand

Is in pain, the small finger

Swollen, yes, I’ll stir the

Batter, although she is better

And first taught me how

Something is done right

And I came from behind

And smelled the skin of

Her neck, the long blonde

Hairs alive and the blouse

White and rough, tucked into

A thin summer skirt —

Winter, near Christmas

3 feet of snow and her

Body moves across the

Cabin room with summer

A clay bowl with

Colored stripes in her

Arms, the fresh heat

Of the flat iron stove






Lamp







After supper

No longer summer

A windy night ahead

We sit in the kitchen

One lamp

Read before the fire

Nothing else in our lives

Boots drying

Rain on the windows



————————————

BOB ARNOLD
I'm In Love With You
Who Is In Love With Me
Longhouse 2012