Fertilizer

I distinctly remember
being told
when I was very small,
the plants and leaves,
of course flowers too,
but branches like
to be touched,
it moved me.

I wanted to spot
the stem bending toward the
rising sun,
I wanted to
believe

all things would benefit
from this sleight of hand,
a touching moment
or the gift
of genuine introduction
to irradiating warmth.



Painting by Grigoriy Myasoedov, 'Forest Spring' c. 1890, in the Public Domain.  

Fe(me)

The kind man is as
to the woman in kind-rare-
fied
and endangered in
practice,
she still sacrifices
her position
(for mankind).

His footsteps are found
making an impression
with heavy pockets,
likewise
high tide has reached her
last line.


Painting by Henri-Jean Guillaume Martin [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Virtually Equivocal

I

Chastity is a bungee chord

acting like a liberator, life saver, 

a taste of free fall, an avian jaunt

before jerking you back to guilty landings

where you are held in suspension

for as long as tethered time cares

to keep a chord on your Chastity. 

II

Temperance is a troll

tending to the liberation Garden

like a Gnome making his home in Excess

giggling for no reason, led by curiosity

he banks on your unattended fortress of Will

digesting offenses, defending ob-scenes 

leading the way to stay and linger

III

Diligence is a termite

specializing in the boring method

no task is too large or dwelling too much

weakening the foundations one grain at a time, 

until completely through, but not full, moving on

to the new, fulfilling the termites due. 

 IV

Kindness is a bus driver

who notices you standing there and

even though you are strange, and have only change-

kindness gives you a lift, to get you

where you supposed to be, better later than never

waiting for the line, strangely glad to see you,  

and kind enough to pick you up.

V

Humility is a house

lacking mirrors and decor.

A crude shelter with a leaky roof

and boarded windows. A single story

with a welcome mat to wipe your feet

before moving out and up at home

on stilted loftiness.

VI

Charity is a waterfall

whose origin Springs naturally

flowing abundantly the farther it goes

picking up all, willing to be carried

in generous streams that drown

worries like eddies going nowhere

unlatching, succumbing to gravity in pools.

VII

Patience is not virtuous; nor even pious

loitering, lingering, lamenting in Limbo.

Only children have imaginary friends

and Time on their side.

Patience is a snowflake;

icy with oblivion, melting under fire,

dripping with Possibility.

Image By Jan Saenredam after Hendrik Goltzius c. 1615 (British Museum) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.