dome

with beach sand
stuck to calves and flip-
flopped toes, i look
into the cerulean dome
of sky
ponder the ambiguities of life
the distance between
us and the hearts
that beat beneath bone cages.

~

RNH

A Moral Confrontation

While visiting family recently, I listened as someone described how, over the years, they had learned to simply walk away from aggravating people. Acknowledge the moment, but keep moving forward. That the audience did not necessarily require one's emotional, though perhaps deserved, response.

I try to remember her words now, on the days that prove more difficult. How easy it is to anger. How much more courage it takes to forgive.

~

RNH

river

unbuttoned facade
smoothing the sheen of broken light
spine unraveling with each fingerprint
softly poured upon pale skin.

~

RNH

blaze

chasing
a little piece of string
like a star's trail of dust, sparkling
undeniable fascination
whole worlds
within crumbs
loving the magic inside small
beings, the magnificence
revealed when tiny
changes a zero
into a trillion
dazzling pieces
scarring the sky...

~

RNH

song type

tapping out the symbols
you and i and you
and i rest quietly on the sloping
curve of an 'N',
singing
all the way down...

~

RNH

frown

you said you would never
wear anything uncomfortable
and i thought, of course
not, the path of least
resistance
suits you well.

~

RNH

sweet girl

oh, bitterness
take your sharp fangs out of me
the bright taste
would like to return.

~

RNH

black cloud

he said, the wolf is out there
and i dreamed
of a black cloud reaper
shrouded in venomous
unseen features
tapping me gently
on the shoulder, i turned
and shook awake, violently
startled, felt
about the comforter to remember
who i am
and where
i am dwelling now
somewhere between wanting
to hold on and desperately
trying to forget.

~

RNH

rebel youth

she tossed her purple hair
and bangs flipped
across the expression
all attitude and anger
pierced
drove her look right through you
with an intensity matched by few
packed her bags
and cats
and left
a trail of no mercy
behind her, the echo
of pounding, feet running
fleeing, calling--
come find me, come find me--
i remember that feeling, too.

~

RNH

steeplechase

lightning struck the steeple
sent a fizzled thrill through structural
integrity melted momentarily
weak in the clothed knees
frayed from so much
praying...

~

RNH

phantom

you are a blur
a smudged
memory filtered by the morning
fog, you leave
the ground wet
the landscape, unrecognizable.

~

RNH

one more day

sunsets wobbled in his eyes
pooled anguish
exposed by the accident and sudden
death, a promise we all
keep
no shelter to hide
beneath except a broad
forehead, sunburnt
worries
lining the life full
of love and care
feeling no time
enough to relinquish
the splintering earthquake of heartache
wishing for just
one more day.

~

RNH

for my Granny

love will never be a past tense
with you
it will always be
an is
Is
Is

love will never be a jagged fault line
with you
it is a red tomato pin
cushion
a pillow to lean on
a soft hand patting your knee

with you, love will never be
something unquantifiable
it will be this many
hugs, this many
stories, this many
birthday phone calls

with you, love will never be
invisible
it will be present
in heartbeats
in wounds that heal.

~

RNH

tremble

possibility wrapped up in blankets
when the night turned cold, i held you
and the worries that troubled your
fragmented mind
calmed with the tremors
inside you
slow, then none.

~

RNH

In transit

When I cannot sleep
I imagine I am
On the subway...

Traveling
To the morning.

~

RNH

a piece of

let the universe gently
empower you, you are
a piece of something greater,
after all.

~

RNH

flying

flinging wrist with purple
streaks brightly flying
through the air, a splash
of green plops
on your skin and Morrison
wallows in his vain self-
deprecation, a shout
over the tremulous living
room and on the easel
you and i
dance.

~

RNH

free play

hands up--

down the slide
we splashed
air gusting
past our ecstatic
faces and through
our curly hair, frizzed
from the heat and humidity, happy
to be outside and free.

~

RNH

unlike

i do not think withholding
love is the only
power i have.
in that way, i am completely
unlike you.

~

RNH

hello, wake up

when did reading become so
passive aggressive, when did
my eyes start leaning toward the floor
when you
entered, my
circumference conveniently started
shrinking when you left, i felt
better.
yet conflicted.
come on now, make up
your mind.

~

RNH

field

pitter patter of rain on the windshield
like liquid, thoughts transform
from one fluid image to another
more than a soft dispelling
of grief
a visceral flood
slams the screen...

~

RNH

Art-chitectural

art CAN change the world. 

it does so every time a person

looks at it

and feels differently. 

~

RNH

from the drawer

it would be helpful to maybe
lose yourself and your identity
like a left sock
always missing from the drawer.

~

RNH

mudslide

the whole house slid
in my photographic
memory, in my dream as vivid
as an old black and white
flickering
and i shook as i rose
vainly reaching from the bed
for a safe place
the door handle just a
few inches
from my grasp...

~

RNH

the buddha

she said

I can show you
the beautiful and the profound

in the world,
but only you
can open your eyes
and understand.

~

RNH

trencher

sinking into a blackish gray
the bubbles, thick where your apathy
caved and clawed
deep into my forest
green shore lined with the bitter
taste you left in my mouth.

~

RNH

fist full

you, with no grace
keep shaking your fist
appalled by my little
to no reaction.

~

RNH

venerated

at awe
with how you communicate
in full sentences, the unedited
flow of complete thought
i cannot
help but unravel
each vibrant
phrase tasseled, the slamming
of a door
and blood everywhere
before you will see
what i think.

~

RNH

house party

fluttering through the rows of beads
glossy, plastic
ruby, grape and gold
looking for your
profile smiling
on the couches, glasses
clinking and the music turned
way up, too loud.

~

RNH

brush

dusk tilted through the dark slats
your eyelashes
brushed against my burning
cheekbones and i cooled
slowly in your akimbo
arms not wanting
to forget this.

~

RNH

something there

wandering from room to room
wait, i think i left something there...

set the porcelain turquoise
down and forget
how to fill it
i think i left something there

set the phone down and pretend
not to look at it

wait, i think i left something there...

i think i left something there
the city, a skyline
scraped into my skin
i ran
crying
in the opposite direction
recoiling from the violent
cylinder
a thin

pair of stockings
lie
on the floor
like my silhouette
still listens
to your voice
a comb
of fingers
through my memory

lift me to the counter
kiss me

i am all knees
i am all fear
and you
never lose your patience
with me

i am all knees
i am all fear
lift to the counter
forgive me

wandering from room to room
wait, i think left something there

set the porcelain turquoise down
and forget
how to fill it
i think i left something there

wait, i think i left

~

RNH

small girl with ice cream

she laughed
the vanilla melting down her small
hand, crinkling the paper
tossing pig-tails tied
with yellow ribbons.

~

RNH

high

stepped with a moon-boot feeling
weightless and gigantic
at the same time
slow motion
intoxicated
running tongue
across soft lips...

~

RNH

thicket

blonde-haired boy
in the forest wanders
thickets of weeds almost
waist-high
looking
for the girl playing
hide-and-go-seek.

~

RNH

pillowcase

come back.
he said
to the ceiling
in the darkness.
come back and stay.
and the pillowcase
understood.

~

RNH

purple martin

the birds
know when to change
shape for velocity
and safety
tucking their wings tight
to their sides
as they
plunge.

~

RNH

permanent imprint

she knew her like
she knew thin lines
across her hands snaked
the signature
of years on skin
she did not have to trace
their path
memorized.

~

RNH