1.
Five stories he fell, fighting
gravity like a bird statue chiseled
from granite, slapping the air below
the scaffold while urging wings to
come alive until the last second
when the asphalt nest became stained.
2.
He never wanted his feet
to touch the tangle of aquatic ivy,
or find out what type of fish
seabirds dive for. His face was
a desperate shade of blue,
when he drifted on the beach.
3.
The flame, domesticated candle
scented in the flavor of vanilla
sandalwood, first devoured the curtains,
then the entire building while she slept.
She wanted to be buried beneath flowers,
not cremated in room four of the hourly motel.
4.
There is no free will when falling in love.
I could not fly out of it if I had wings.
I could not save myself from drowning in it.
And when my heart reddens with passion,
I could not deny its walls from melting in the fire.
Maybe every time we love, we die a little.
DQ 1/2/7
