tall, empty

grandfather clock
sat with her
pieces strewn about her
knowing the copper and steel lost
mechanisms would fit back together
with determination
and time.

~

RNH

record that

scissoring memories from places
abrading voices
from heart strings
the loop
with skips and static, leaps forward
serenades the block
at the window, sings. 

~

RNH

our names

we wrote our initials in sand
on tables, on the backs of doors
as if trying to hold on
to something elusive.

~

RNH

identical motion

in ten years from now
your bones will be the same
your eyes will look
with identical motion
your heart will still embrace

in the exact way
you greet someone and welcome
them into your life

i know, because i have witnessed
the extension of a palm
the opening of a door
to more than this.

~

RNH

burst

like a firework, the burst
of an unnamed star
upon your lips.

~

RNH

soho tide

neon flickers, sweeps
across the room, a tide
of impulse and electricity
exclamations flit from cushion
to bar stool to the beckoning
dark corners
pounding eighth notes, collision
of desire in the blur
of a smoke machine
leans
my hand into yours
at shoulder and waist, we fit
together, circling
that crooked smile, scooping
up the downbeat and the one-two
cascading like the stage lights 
pink and yellow.

~

RNH

ghost story #9

his shadow
fell across her, light
and dark, a mesh
of skin
and in the wave
that crashed between them
dawn obliterated
and night will never end.

~

RNH

clink

spool unraveled,
rolled gently off the table to the floor
and clinked
guess she did not
need that tenuity anymore.

~

RNH

short like a chair, short like a bus

our joke

is in two languages

and our two faces boomerang

with laughter. 

~

RNH

a trace

divided by rivers
obsidian silhouettes, liquid
spilling broken silk
the inked pen
pouring lightning down her face...

~

RNH 

Pair

held out an arm
to a twinkly-eyed vampire
twin dots marking
one for the poison
one for the tranquil
sleep bequeathed.

~

RNH

Cyclops

I'll remember you, transfigured
the one eye occupying your throat
the small space between your chords
and clavicle
vibrating
every time you blink.

~

RNH

embryo

thin tissue, a bubble
floats, thought-like
promises
the iridescent and new.

~

RNH

animal

asphalt on bare knees
a bruised lip and too many
scars bleeding, lying
open to the rain.

~

RNH

Rapunzel

ribbon of brunette coils
around four fingers
silver beads pooling on stone
eyelashes pressed, lens
swivels to recapture
the darkness
full of her voice
and my name.

~

RNH

in the park

I turned, as if I heard
You running in my direction
anticipating the huff and smile
of your pink cheeks, telling
me this happened and then this happened
and then this, too...

~

RNH

Shrooms

The mushrooms stood like small
People popping up from the grass all
Wearing their round hats
Calm, among the blades.

~

RNH

through magnification

sander to the square, white tiles

raised words

flattened by the glare 

careful sun through magnification

allowing the truths to adhere. 

~

RNH

a severed man

there was a man by the side of the road
at least, i thought i saw
him, charred
chopped at the waist, tangled
and lashed down to the fence.

~

RNH

dwellling in fragility

a thousand little sticks built
this humble, one-room house
each corner sure, each frame uplifting
walk through this door
and you will understand.

~

RNH

sheep's clothing

wolf under sunburnt skin

itches at the moon

keep finding bits of fur under fingernails

tongue licking the sharpened 

point of a tooth. 

~

RNH

stencil

fidelity
to one's pattern, arching
in the tactile, folded lines
bending content
into wings of paper
gallant ships across the chalkboard sky.

~

RNH

Impossibilities

and in the darkness
even the impossibilities seem
tangible
as if you could
feel the stars
upon your fingertips.

~

RNH

time span

dusk sank deep and warm
orange eye burning through the blue
time span slowing down for change
the beautiful blending of the hues.

~

RNH

poeta

the poet cried and rested in folded
arms about knees
and clung to the idea
of you.

~

RNH

praying for peace

circular, the path
lead back to where you started
and the questions, all
were answered
in your prayers.

~

RNH

strike

adore
does not begin to cover it
with you
i will search for the words
and omit them.

~

RNH

leaf

what's left

of your conscience chews

away at the image
like an insect gnawing
bite marks into your seams. 

~

RNH

two-face

must be hard to look in the mirror when you
behave that way

find yourself
in dark corners, frantically
looking for an escape. 

~

RNH

telling meaning

the sign for
"change/adapt/adjust"
is so similar to
"reverse"
only a switch of wrist
movement would tell you
otherwise.

~

RNH

in the library

i was your book and you
studied each dedicated page
turned by your hand.

~

RNH

Zoë

everything she touches turns
to gold
either irreparably brilliant
or frozen.

~

RNH

marathon

it was a pommel horse of a day
and she could leap
or be left behind.
there is always another hurdle.

~

RNH

crinkled

i held her wrinkled hands
and my heart
crinkled
under the air conditioning
of the hospital
and the imperative to say goodbye.

~

RNH

a lost boy

maybe you wanted to be alone
and so i gave you
that space, free
to choose.

~

RNH

fear, itself

fear of the unknown
causes us to doubt
and recoil.
but i am not afraid of dying.
and i am not afraid to love you.
of that much,
i am sure.

~

RNH

repair

the way our stories get closer together
when we're afraid,
when there's tragedy,
when the complete loss of life
is amazingly capable of restoring others.

~

RNH

at the mercy

she picked up the edges of her dress
and clicked her miniature
heels together
and i cherished her the way that i always did, at the mercy
of her six-year-old-sweet dimples.

~

RNH

skull full

when did the skeleton become
such a harboring device, full
of incipit needs tangled
like crepe paper
ribbons in my bones.

~

RNH

ode to be

oh, to be

the harmony to your chords

the comfort to your restlessness

the light that leads you home.

~

RNH

jellyfish

harmless enough

the danger floated, gelatin thought

to the surface

oblivious you

keep poking the blooms

with your stick.

~

RNH

switch and blade

he said you have never
experienced anything as painful
as this
and i glared
at the dire omission
of the truth.

~

RNH

I Will Say

before i start to complain,
i will say
thank you
first.

~

RNH

bow of a woman

more than your pieces
you are a sum
of a greater part
connected to each person
you reach out to, each voice
a spectrum of colors, each bow
embraces you, as well.

~

RNH