Twenty years since touch
has rushed over me
with a steady pulsing tone,
with love’s crushing remedy.
Whiskey—I used it to drown
the pain of absent love.
Yet I cannot numb the feelings
I needed to cleanse with a gentle stream.
Forever has weathered
my skin—I am a man, but everyone’s a liar.
Inside, I am so damn tired,
having numbed emotions and desire.
I love the breeze, I love a stare,
a freeing mystery, whether dark or blonde hair.
For my heart, a musical arc,
a silver-lining for my despair.
I put on a display, tough,
put aside the past at last.
Still, I can’t go on forever fast,
like Christ in the devil’s wrath.
I know I’ve seen the devil
make level heavy burdens.
And sometimes I think a sin
calms the nerves in a game to win.
Whiskey can drown an angst,
but I need a heart to hold near
to me in the depths of the pit
to whisper sweetly in my ear.
I am a Viking, trying not to impress
anyone or God, but to him I confess:
I need beauty, maybe a white dress,
to fill the hole inside my chest.
Pain reminds us that we are alive,
yet to soothe a bruised heart whole,
we must serve kinder words
to save the rot inside the soul.
Ignorance is bliss,
and knowledge makes us sad.
Though fun is found in thrill,
we might be consumed by the bad.
Tender words, a gentle cheek—
life’s highway slims down miles.
To be wild is for the child inside,
but for growth, we need a bridle.
RMC 