a rejected poem

this poem comes from a folder i designed as rejected poems / need rework ... i cannot recall exactly when it was originally written, or how often it was submitted - but i assume at least twice, since that was pretty much the pattern i was using when i was submitting poems in the mid-1990s.


A SONG FOR BARBARA

"The clutter of worship
that you taught me ..."
-Anne Sexton

cover your face with silk.
fog masks mine,
blown over dark waters,
over rugged arenas of rock.
turbulence is the essence of my dreams.

call me when there is time
for dreams.
i am not as demanding as bosses,
though as curious i am certain.

rings have carved prisons in your heart.
diamonds tell lies.
rings are in my tide pools, carmine & amber,
starfish & mollusk.

let your perfumed flesh
remain soft & luxurious.
i have riddles without meaning,
words that struggle for flight,
stones in my dirty pockets for sharing.

call me when there is time for dreams.
we have dealt ourselves horrid hands
& kept gamblers faces through it all.