Dan Cardoza writes

You Said

You Said: for Godz sake 
why do you always place your 
face into the wind; facing North at that?

Can't you stay safe, find harbor, 
switch to auto pilot if just for now? 
Float down stream?

You bloodied your knuckles you 
knucklehead. 
You challenge 
You hate stasis 
What the hell is up? You said.

You said: 
You scare me, your 
tongue is a faceted diamond, 
it reflects & inhales the words of Godz; so selfish.

When you turn & walk away you cripple me 
& I miss you before you leave the room. You said.

I hate you for steeling me from 
myself.

Blood Diamond -- Peter  Perlegas

Dan Cardoza writes

Dawn

The scent of decaying roses rivers through the
laced window.
We have fallen back to earth,
a pair of butchered angel wings.

We inhabit the moment in a tangle of bone &
feather, in the harsh world of a new dawn.

Hastily our moment dies.

As we wake to another sun,
a dusty gust powders our damp brows
with salt & silt. Our throats

parch, from each inhale, exhale.
Our end inevitable, our memory glows,
from one perfect wildfire,
still raging in the corridors of 3:00 A.M. 

Lovers -- Dawn Meader

Dan Cardoza writes

Cattle Watching Stars

The darkened sky

is playing Russian Roulette

the moon a luminescent bullet

waiting to be chambered

From the reflection

in the eyes of cattle

stars are being watched

The wind

in a puff

powders its face

& begins to howl

crowded sounds

at the night

Blood River -- Albert Ashok