Like fish swim in water
My fingers follow you
Trying to figure your shape
I pinch the bridge of my nose
Attempt to blot out store signs
And all past bad news lips
As you touch my face
Melt my mental ice
The sizzling meat of me flips
My scowl becomes just a memory
My eyes crinkle, smile cracks
We go for a park stroll
You look at me like you want another child
I fight the feeling to drive an arrow into you
Because I am a gray bearded poet
But inside I’m still a flaming zeppelin
Smiling like a soldier on a train
You stand before me like an actress
In front of our local convenience store
I gaze in disbelief that you could love
A man with a belly unlike a rock
At home you slip off your heels
I lounge on the sofa with a wine bottle
Think about what could make me lose my hair
How many missile missions will it take
Until my chamber is empty
I fire into you one more time
Fall out of bed happily disheveled
You seem quite comfortable slipping on your underwear
I’m blown away by how you played my saxophone
I’ll trumpet our passion to anyone
Like a warrior on horseback
I wink with experienced bravado
Happy to maintain my vehicle
Simply so I can buy you flowers
Drive you on a distant trip
To blow my horn in front of the pyramids
Cross suspenseful bridges with you
Fight anybody who shadows our way
Frown at them like a schoolteacher
With the thought of you in your sexy dress
Making me dude up like a Kennedy
When you know I’d rather stay shirtless
Wade with you at the shore
Watch the sky paint clouds again
I never want to be around a cigarette
Or wear a black suit for any reason
Other than to kick back on the grass
And read my poem about you
How we pitch our tent united
In the evening lamplight
Crash from society all night
To stand tall together the next day
Paper Fish
1
Can you see
the man
in the tree
standing tall
2
Fluffy white
continents float
by in a sea
of sky blue
3
Green fingers
stretch out
to catch
morning sun
4
It’s easy to laugh
at the face that
comes out of
eggs in the pan
5
Waterfall foam
flows on
from an excited
rocky body
6
People like ants
on sand gaze at
light waves then
pick up their things
7
Moon jellies
shine over
spotlight eyes
in dark water
8
Wrinkles in
outstretched
hand reach
through time
9
Clouds spray
on the mountains
as trees and cars look
stuck to the ground
10
Venus and the moon
stare on to lights
made by man below
and wonder at the haze
11
White bearded man
sits on bench reading
newspaper marvels
at continuing sameness
12
Dirigible shadow
passes by skyscraper
while clouds dominate
under vast azure
13
Tree branches radiate
outward to feel
blue-white air turn
orange-pink-purple
14
Eye holes
in the stone
are caves to
ocean memory
15
Water drops
hang from
metal rail
until heat wins
16
Outside the window
trees stand quietly
homes sit even more
autos by their side
17
Stones wedge together
for a view of the surf
coming in going out
every single day and night
18
Cliff erosion from past water could
be any planet except this one
has buildings at the base and traffic
lights signal go to mass of vehicles
Previously published in Blue Hour Magazine
He was The Fish
Famous for taking
long baths
Also legendary because
his bass
notes were deeper
than waves
They tried to make fun of him
but he got hooked
on the moniker
This lean fillet of a man
called his first album
Fish Out Of Water
Maybe you have heard
how he anchored a group
for nearly fifty years
Until decades later
he ballooned
and developed a rare
leukemia which
turned his blood
against him
Chris is remembered
by Yes fans
as the Squire
who deliberated hours
to make music
flow in songs
and solos
The greatest he called
The Fish
(Schindelaria
Primataurus)
I wear the tee shirt
Roger Dean designed
to honor The Fish
as his band followed
his wish to continue
swimming in the prog
rock with his protégé
Billy Sherwood (getting
bigger every day)
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