Poem for Today...

Kissing Corners

Tasting the corners of your mouth,
Holding your upturned face in my hands,
But softly,
One dark palm on each side,
Like a California beach ball.

Your eyes are closed,
Small wrinkles around the edges,
I want to flatten them with my kisses.

Your lips are open,
And you are trying to breathe,
But you don't remember how.

Dec 2008

Poem for Today...

In Transit

As soon as I touched the crinkles in your lips,

I knew that I would break my heart.

This journey began with that kiss,

But now, I think maybe it was not the start.

Maybe you were just a lost passenger too,

Stepping accidentally onto my train,

We swayed together in the rolling carriage,

Easy riding, over down-hill runs.

Life was no effort.

Sitting contented, side by side, and happy when we bumped together,

Pushed close by bends in the tracks.

I thought the ride would never stop,

Each day was just simple.

But, while I dozed,

Anesthetized in the fumes of your love,

Somewhere you must have gotten off.

I can’t say now where you left,

There is no conductor to ask,

No signs to mark going or coming,

Just the side view from the windows,

No map or guidebook,

And even the rails are laid down new every day.

Leaving me on board and alone,

Not sure where I am going,

And starting to wonder if I paid too much for this trip.

September 2008

"They Say It's Your Birthday..."

The posts titled with song titles/lyrics continue.

It is my birthday today. Cold snap here. Damp and cool. Sky is grey like steel. Although a little while ago a gleam of pale sun - faint yellow like a boiled egg -popped through the clouds. I am stuck in the North of Iraq after a short mission - awaiting transportation. The wind / damp air are gently blowing. A few puddles reflect the sky, which is similar in color to the gravel strewn earth.

It is a bit despondent and run down here, as are a lot of the camps. Old Iraqi military buildings, are adorned with faded murals and Arabic writing. But the run-down and shabby feel of this place suits my mood today.

I will lift my spirits with a coffee which I will get from the DFAC. Although I am not really "down".
I am travelling with Iraqi-American translators. They speak Arabic amongst themselves and with the other translators. I am responsible for their safety, and perhaps they resent the over watch...I am removed from their language and conversations. Today I felt detached from them, as well as the fellow soldiers around me. Just feel more alone. Maybe not lonely.

I am thinking of a girl.

I can't remember last year's birthday. I won't forget this one though. It started with a morning flight in a helicopter. I thought, "My God, what a honor, what a privilege it is to serve on this day, away from home!"

My love for my country keeps me warm.

Three Little Birds...

Above where I live are some tiny -but chubby- little sparrows / finches. They have set up a nest(s) in the few inches between the top of my living space and the corrugated metal on the roof. Today I saw three of them peeking out and looking around. They have small faces with brilliant black eyes and short yellow-tan beaks.
They have such a playful, but self assured air that it is easy to start talking to them. "What are you up to?" or "Hey birds, what are you doing?" They look at you with complete disdain for a moment before they get back to business.

It's a different world for them.

Poem for Today

Hold

I hold you in my arms,

It’s a bad place.

I’ve lost all feeling for you,

Desire flattened like kid’s juice boxes.

Forgive me,

I can’t forget this other person.

Looking Out My Backdoor...

Nothing like flying in a helicopter...Here is the view from the rear gunner.

On a clear day you can see off into the haze of the distance and wonder what you are doing here.

Poem for Today

Waiting

Resting, in your silent,

And hard chambered world.

Insulated from knowing right or wrong,

Or seeing faces.

Just muffled sounds come to you,

And infrequent flashes of circular light,

Bouncing down grooved steel.

That is your view of the outside world.

Waiting to take your turn,

Running the curved spiral out into what we call life,

That’s where I live, and make the decision to free you.

Or not.

Wish I could make no judgments,

Just take the action, and fly.

September 2008