Losing an Argument

I stubbed my toe against your head
And off it fell, like how an argument loses
Steam when there is no more air

The ricochet movement rattled me so
That my ankle began to wobble
And then toppled down, like a
Carefully staged deck of cards
Littering the ground

And then you wouldn't let it go
You always had to be right
So there goes my leg, falling loose-limbed
To the floor like a snake that lost its slither

You've left me with no rebuff
No place to stand
No ground to build on
And all because my toe was clumsy
Enough to hit your head

That Confident Smile

I lie awake
Watching with watchful eyes
As you smile as a snake would smile with a set of full teeth
You twist the scarf around my wrists,
Twist it to tie the scarf to the bed frame.

I say nothing--just watch that smile

You run your hand down my body
And wrap another scarf around my ankle, tying it tightly to the bedpost.
You repeat the process with my other ankle
Until it's all I can do to flex my foot.

I say nothing--just watch that confident smile

"Are you sure?" he asks.
I look at his eyes for the first time and
Cannot find my voice.

Sometimes, when he smiles, there are no words that will deny him.

So I lie awake with my eyes closed,
So that I won't have to see what I've become.

A Fable

Once upon a time long long ago,
A cunning, sly fox wanted a little doe;
Had kept his eyes on her for years.

The shy, beautiful doe eventually fell in love with the fox,
After realizing he'd always been there for her.
Their family and friends had reservations about the relationship--
A fox and a doe?

But the fox, sly one that he is, won them all over.

Before long, the fox and doe decided to get married
Things were happy for a time

But the fox, that sly fox, began flirting with another fox
And the doe became miserable
While the fox felt the doe was dragging him down
So the fox left the doe

The doe cried for lost dreams
While the fox married that other fox

And the circle of life went on,
Time ravaging the once beautiful doe.

Haikus (japanese and american)

I
The cat's back arches
But I see no way to stop
Fall silent sweet one.

II
The sun shimmers down
The wind rustles through the trees
I watch leaves shatter.

III
The beaver longs to see the northern side of shore because he never leaves.

IV
The wind spirals out of control,
Slamming into you and me--
Stand still

Glamorous Gold

The iridescent bulb shines like a lightning bug.
Undulating back and forth, a mirage is what I see.
It is a glowing lamp, guiding me to the Christmas tree
The bulb, like dew on a blade of grass,
Looks slippery as it hangs precariously.
A shiny husk, dipped in glittery, glamorous gold--
It could be a fairy house,
Or Cinderella's round carriage
But to me, it is Christmas love
Wrapped in glitter paint and glass.
Impossible to me.

Carrots

The blade cut through the carrots
As though through air
I never could cut as confidently as you.

I remember you skimming the tip of your finger once
And I watched the red wash the orange carrots

You ran cold water over your finger,
Finished chopping, Cooked them.

We ate them that night--
They were the best carrots I've ever had.

My Own

I am my own depression
I am skies of gray
I am a cold winter night
I am the tears you cried
I am lying by your side, listening
As you weep.