TOUCH ME

we begin to touch again

because without it

the fire singes

our hair

skin and nails

without touching

we suffer eternally

you tell me

that here

in this great orifice

we must continue

touching else

remain

a giant flame

you wrap your arms

and your legs

around my body

and I wrap my arms

and my legs

around your body

and we tumble

through the horrid forest

on a float of human remains

a ball of fire

on the cusp of ignition

A FLOAT OF HUMAN REMAINS

you and I enter this love

on a float of

human remains

the crowd shifting

gouging mud

and slime

mouths lunging

at each side pleading

to be carried aboard

I have never been in love

they shout and bawl

there is so much

I have yet to do before the end

together they have begun

a strange dance

hairy and slobbery

glossy and raw

they do not know

what else to do

in the love parade

but to grip and tear

to hold onto

someone

something

anything that will stay

claw tracks of stars

and a telltale heart

A HORRIBLE FIRE

there is a horrible fire

everything is on fire

you and I

are on fire

the wind is on fire

the trees on are fire

the birds in the trees are on fire

the grass

the moss

the dirt is on fire

the worms and the ants

and the yellow jackets are on fire

the clouds are on fire

the sky is on fire

the birds in the sky on are fire

the creek is on fire

the fish in the creek

and the snakes in the creek

and the turtles in the creek are on fire

you and I are on fire

our laughter is on fire

our tears are on fire

our words are on fire

and only when we

touch each other

does the fire pause

you tell me

this is how

we begin

to love

again

and so

we begin

LOVE PARADE

THE HORRID FOREST

you get to know me

unconditionally

by chasing me

through the horrid forest

we know it is horrid

because it is

guarded by a puma

without head legs or tail

and to enter or depart

you must crawl

through one

of the pumas

three great orifices

here you fire beating

hearts at

my back as I run

between the savage trees

you call this falling

in love

throwing beating

hearts at me the hearts

pouring through me without delay

and when I look back at you

your hands aren’t actually

throwing heartbeats

as much as they are

heartbeats pouring

through you

and we’re not as much

playing a game

called magical dangers

as we are hovering over our bodies

listening to each other’s

hearts beat the sound

of a parade in the distance

drawing closer

with each and every breath