Don’t Touch
This is not
an invitation
to sink fingers
into silky fur
and feel how soft
the belly is
but rather
a display of trust
that says
I can show you
my most
vulnerable parts
without worrying
that you’ll
invade my space
or break my trust
in you
WTF
Sharp edges
and mud
but hopefully
no blood
as blades glint
in among
the leaves
to draw the eye
and give
a moment pause
as brain struggles
to piece together
what’s been seen
hiding among
winter’s decay
Hug Me
The ache inside
is a knot
that lives
deep within
at solar plexus
radiating
fissures of red
outward
along nerve endings
to set alight
stinging tingles
in the soft flesh
of inner forearms
and palms
Dinner Show
Moose Drool
and Space Goat
Smuttynose
and Huck It
with each sign
amusement rises
and a quirk
of the lips
becomes a smile
as chuckles
bubble up
into laughter
and a stop
for dinner
turns into a tour
from one wall
to the next
Layers
Emotions lay
open and raw
riding on the skin
instead of
within
and each breeze
is sandpaper
upon sensitive
nerves
until skin splits
open wide
and the soul
weeping
is exposed
Another Day
Forsaken by
morning light
we sit
within the shadows
as skies brighten
from sunrise
to day bright
but yet the light
remains illusive
in the cold
of mountain shadows
stretching long
with their
cloying grip
Twisting the Leaf 