curious

today
i watched a man
walking down the street
pushing his cane
in a wheelchair

something like desire

though i have experienced the flutter and nerve of the first corsage
i miss the wallflower stare of dance card days
i recall a late night walk along dark water and reflected moon
silent swans nesting in the grass
she had invited me so as not to be alone
nothing more
nothing less
to her friends i was an oddity from another continent
the first orange to be seen on the mainland
a strange tree climbing beast
or native warrior with foreign tongue
she too felt out of place among them
this was her way of taking comfort in the isolation
we both knew this engagement would carry no further than this one night
still the tenderness was genuine
our open exchange with one another both sweet and awkward
the touch of our fingertips as we held hands
though born of obligation
was no less exciting
and carried with it a rising warmth and electricity
the first and final kiss of the night
the scarlet seal with wax and ring
took our breath for just a moment
resembling briefly
something like desire

NH

The Fall

I enjoyed seeing the birds flying out of the man's mouth. "I opened up my mouth to speak, six black birds flew out of me."

No Mere Prank

i have been walking around with you in my mind for the last 36 hours
little marble in a can
the disappointment hangs like smoke
and there is no reason that i should care
but i do
most everyone in this room thinks that they are so damn cool
myself included i suppose
but we look like little children in our fathers clothes
the swagger and stare
the hitch and glide
i've no use for it
blue lights
candles
concrete
and skin
i think i understand now why andy kaufman
took his audience out for milk and cookies
it was much more than an exercise in comic absurdity
it was no mere prank
it was a great equalizer
he knew the desire of even the hardest heart
and in that moment
by throwing his arm around the shoulder of his world
he allowed us all to relax a little
and be who we were
not who we thought we wanted to be

NH

Joe Henry "God Only Knows"

Details of a "pressed painting" from a series in the works.