LOVE POEMS

I

Strong-willed street cred
I shall achieve.
Menacing archer of hate-arrows
Undo my work
Dash my prospects,
But.
Floating in clouds?
Or underground?
Or reserved in my heart?
: The power supply
Of true love
The bud of an ancient fruit;
Gleaming
Vulnerable to frost
Sparkling in the sun
Torn from the branch of my soul


II

My love does not shy away
It does not cower, does not flee
My love has arrows in its skin
It has brick-and-mortar veins
And steel lungs
It has a limp, but it can run
And running, shed
Old skin


III

Silent alarm
still wakes me
Not listening
cannot absolve
me from responsibility
I learned that a long time ago
Try tearing the
sad
small
details
from my
strong
swift
life.


IV

Cold, grainy hands
Oatmeal complexion
Grubby tendrils of snot
Living breeches decency
Vanity is a mist
Surrounding the beating heart
Excretion is life
itself


V

 superior inferior
leading follows
cowering boldly
stunted growing
I live and breathe oxymorons
Into a tapestry of efficiency
A dappled banister
You can't wrap your arms around
You can watch rapidly shape-shift
 Looking like you
Hungry creature, you
Blind as the skin on your eyes
Yet all-knowing
Dead as the hair from your head
Yet all-feeling
superior inferior
leading follows
cowering boldly
stunted growing
I live and breathe oxymorons.