Dams:

they dammed the river
to create a reservoir
flooding the canyon
carving their niche in nature
bending its forces to their will

as the water climbed
up the mountainside
it destroyed everything in its path
washing away history
washing away memories

they dammed the river
to harness nature's power
to make the river stronger
to show the world
what man can do

held back by
countless tons of concrete and steel
the water sleeps a dreamless sleep
in the depths rests a power
not even the lake knows

they dammed the river
restained its flow
but did they build a savior
or a monster?

A Song, To Be Sung Alone In The Dark:

she said 

the devil taught her 

how to sing 

when she was only three

alone

and scared

of just about everything

she would sing

with a voice

that no one could hear

she said

her best friend

was the wall

that surrounded

her heart

and kept out the rain

the same wall

that held back the flood

from the well

that sprang up inside her

whenever

she dared to dream

she said

her parents taught her

to speak with her fists

but it was in

a dark alley

that she first

learned

to defend herself

with her lips

she said

that her home

was the edge

of a knife

each day

it cut deeper

until she practically

died

her head

full of riddles

and twisted charades

tears of self pity

would stream

down her face

blood soaked

and stained

she sings

in her watery 

grave

alone

and cold

afraid

of just about everything

A Pebble:

there is something subtle 

in the space between us

like the difference between

a rock and a stone

Fallen:

leaves litter the ground

like the books spread across my desk

cluttering the streets and the lawns

like the trees are trying to tell us something

like these notes are bound to help me

remember something that I've lost

could it be that our lives are echoes

riding carelessly (or meaningfully)

on the late-Autumn wind?

are our lives meant to be

nothing more than a slight

(or definite) chill 

surging through the air

like a current pulling back the sea

or slowly washing over everything?

frantically written messages

scrawled across pages and pages

desperately trying to win a war

that's been fought for generations

convinced that the trees

are trying to tell us something

if I were falling helplessly

twirling in the late-Autumn wind

would you stop and watch me fall?

our scarfs, our jackets

our sweaters

are subtle reminders

of the mysteries

locked away

with the colors of the season

if you came across me

laying poignantly on the lawn

would you sit and wait with me?

nights spent in libraries

tracing out histories

convinced that the trees

are trying to tell us something

convinced that I can find

something that I've lost

wading through streets

filled with dried leaves

like fallen soldiers

days getting shorter

nights getting colder

and cozy homes awaiting

our safe return

kept safe by our scarfs

and our jackets

if you stepped on me

would you savor the sound? 

Jimmy:

Jimmy 
eats his cereal
cold and dry
spooning it in
by the mouthful

soggy cereal
never hurt a soul
but Jimmy likes
his cereal
dry and cold

Sarah:

sarah
has a boyfriend
with shiny teeth
and a big
big smile
and he's
everything
she thought
she wanted
he's clever
and smart
and funny
and charming
and buys
her flowers
and diamond rings
and someday
they'll grow up
and they'll
get married
and live
happily after
forever
and ever

Fish:

she was 
the fish
that got
away

she cut
herself free

and I
watched
as she 
swam
so close
to the shore

she 
belonged
in the water

where she
could breath

but for
those few
moments
she had 
her eyes
on me

while
she swam
by the shore

without
a hook
in her 
mouth

without
a line
pulling
her in

she 
was free

then
she turned

she swam
from the shore

along the surface
of the mountain lake
down the stream
down the river

all the way
to the sea