You carry this ancient gourd 
containing all the rhythms 
that will ever be played

Caged bloody jewel

Beating compass

Betrayer of liars

Citadel of the relentless legions of life

Sun of blood

Four-chambered rose encased in night

Labyrinth of wisdom and stupidity 

Dark talisman of valor

Target of all 
daggers 
arrows 
and bullets

Prism of 
joy 
compassion 
weakness 
strength 
and suffering

Fountain of arcing flesh nourishing trees of blood

Love's incandescent throne 

Inimitable cardio-thoracic marvel of bioengineering

Animal 
weight

Seraphic 
flame

Earthstone

Red asteroid

****

Where thought 
meets 
word
sky 
meets 
forest
lips 
meet 
closed eyes

The story of water 
is the story of life

I wrote this
in deep time 
with a flame dipped in night's ink
at the speed of love

Deep biology

We told stories with just our bodies

The moon a blazing white rose on the dark back of time

Love's warriors

Roses and skulls in our hands

We named each other 
with the calligraphy of bodies

Breath on breast
Skin on skin
Mouth to mouth
Moth to mouth

There is an infinite archive of love
in the bloody library of my heart

Civilization expands at the speed of war

Cosmos expands at the speed of love

We each carry astonishing sagas

We are alive
but we are hurting

You can see the universe in anyone's eyes

If you've been adored by just one person you've had everything

***

Luminous
opalescent 
veins of 
earth

Your mouth
wet gate
to a kiss
(fires flicked from ancient rock)

Lust, or violent embers

Luscious 
ontological 
vertigo
emanating

Your
livid 
orchid 
violet
elliptical

Your body
library
of 
vast 
encyclopedias

Luminous 
oblivion
vanquishes
everything

Love only verifies eternity