the funeral of your fears(for sagal)

you've insisted
on holding a funeral
for what lies between you and i
hurt from past loves and present families
force you to drive the nails in with vigor
rampant periods of silence
punctuated by bouts of tears
all of this i hear
sealed away in a casket
built with fine mahogany and sharpened fear
can't you comprehend
that this grave will never hold me
that this funeral will do nothing
but give birth to me
as a new sun etched into the folds of your heart?
even now i am breaking free
pounding on boards
punching and clawing at this darkness
fighting the good fight
for the beauty of you
until this casket erupts
and i stand before you
unscathed
strong
and all the more convinced
that the funeral you wished to take place
was for your fears
and not for me.

caligraphy of joy(for sagal)

tell me
do you remember still
that slow kiss laid upon your neck
with all the reverence one gives the holy?
does it linger
in those nights where
sedate brunches and attempts at freedom through soca
leave you still empty?
will you
still feel the burning pleasure
of my fingertips
tracing a caligraphy of joy
on your face?
the answer lies in your silence
my love.

haiku 11.11.08

i have no need for
houris; i have said that your
heart is my heaven.

daggers of silence

you use
daggers of silence
quartz edged blades
that form crystal bridges when they cut
with the sugar in my blood
as the cement that holds them in
you do this
not to inflict pain
but to fight off pleasure you may deserve
and what nerve i have left
feels a sting at times
the sharpest winter wind doesn't compare
to a world without your care
so
i will endure these cuts
from your daggers
i am a warrior
used to suffering by the blade
in order to win hearts after all.

untitled 6.22.08

i wanna be
just like that droplet of sweat
that graced your back
after you stepped out of the shower
and into a life you don't like
hopefully
i'll remind you
of the work you need to do
instead of the work you created
running

the distance runner i've become

wind walks within me now
i blow silent truth like
yellowed leaves travelling down streets
i feel so alone
yet i still feel the weight
of love and depth
given to me like
so many cups of water
i run this race
feeling tears frame my eyes
i run this race
feeling burning daggers
begging me to stop in my sides
i run this race
dripping with the remnants
of past pain present fear
and future sorrow
i run this race
not to finish
but to win back my dreams.

untitled 10.15.08

her beauty
makes the blind weep
with tears of joy
that become castles of longing
travelling on fall winds.

the first day of a new future...

two days later and it all feels so surreal...

the one thing many thought they'd never live to see has happened. a black
man has become president of the united states, and by association, leader
of the "free" world. i could spout on and on about this joyous moment. but
what i'm saying right here, right now is this...

this is the first day of a new future, and we all owe it to ourselves not
to waste one iota of this hope, this optimism. we can no longer be cowards
of compromise. we must be champions of change, not only in our politics but
our outlook, our worldview, our mindstates. we cannot afford to delay. we
owe that much to the man who is now the standard bearer of the tomorrows
we've dreamed about for decades...barack hussein obama.

peace, prosperity and progression...

sublime crime scene

if words were shell casings
they'd lie around your bedroom
murder by enchantment
yellow tape binding
the bouquet our bodies could make
chalk outlines
plotting our future real estate
somewhere in that frontier
we call the galaxy
if words were shell casings
then my tongue's a trigger finger with the shakes.

harbourfront melody

people say that we should be
jealous of the sun
high up in its majestic glory
but i disagree
the sun envies us
rather
we
you and me
dreaming serenity
in a paradise all our own
needing nothing but our hearts
and the water
underneath its heated gaze.

trapped in text

i've trapped myself in words
shut away
from the sun that you've been
faded warmth
does more to drive me mad
than the silence
my lungs filled with a lifetime
of the joy i would give to you
constrict
collapse
and i will not miss my breath
if your name doesn't decorate it
i've trapped myself in words
waiting for the moment
to break free in your embrace
i follow the flight of birds
and dream of the day
when we shall soar in each other's spirit
like they do.

burnt star haiku

there are stars that have
burnt themselves out only to
give your eyes that shine.

tea and serenity

i go back to that
quiet darkness that covered us
when i rubbed your stomach
as you sipped tea and serenity
and as you spoke
i lost myself in the birdsong
your words became
knowing you spoke
to keep fear at bay
and now that moment serves as the cup that warms me
in the cold silences without you.

when the streets have no flair

imagine going to times square and seeing....nothing.

no gigantic billboards, no neon lights, no signs...just bare stone and glass.
well, apparently last year the mayor of sao paulo, brazil didn't just imagine
it. he put it into action. in order to provide citizens with a clean city, he
put into action legislature that called for the removal of all advertising.
in time, he did make allowances that after a while, regulated advertising
would return to sao paulo.

i'm mixed here. mainly because i've grown accustomed to the vibrant tapestry
of ads and posters and signs that adorn walls, skyscrapers and high-rises.
combining that with the tags and burners of native artists, random handbills
and bumper stickers denoting every viewpoint under the sun, and you have a
continuous flow of words and images. but at the same time, i can appreciate
the easy tranquility of a space without blaring signs. it may work in sao
paulo. i don't know if other cities would follow suit.

at the tips of our fingers

i see it in your eyes
caught between hard rock
and my hard place
and your face tells me
para
but your eyes
are greedy like virgin politicians
jacking peter to pay paul who's trickin' on mary
and then you mutter
another name for the creator
as i trace my last kiss on your neck
i made sure to check your smile
to see if you forgot me
and i saw myself locked away safe
in the slow blush of your cheeks
weeks will pass between us
and so will emotions
except the one
that lies at the tips of our fingers
and behind cautious lips

quote of the day 10.3.08

Go to the edge of the cliff and jump off. Build your wings on the way down.
- ray bradbury

haiku 4.4.08

rain speaks of slumber
covers the world with blankets
of grey and white quiet.

brilliant star

your lips
are impulse travelers
at one point wishing to be struck
on earth with self doubt and disbelief
and in the next breath
wanting to live in the warmth between us
adrift in the cold void
of uncertainty
i gravitate to you
my brilliant star
hoping to reach you
before our light fades away.

come on in, the door's open...

peace, what's up, what's new...

this is going to be my second venture into the blogosphere...this is going to be more of a creative blog, one where i can express my ideas, share my works and other projects. why 'of wine and words'? well, i think the title suggests a more profound but simple way that i choose to create, express and therefore to live. so without any further ado...

welcome.