Painting by Jim Dine
digital photo slurs an approximation of your face
selfie’s awkward shoulder undisguised
fluorescence bluing the outline of your shadow
butcher knife dedicatedly fileting chicken breast
sunshine glinting on unmanned motorcycle
a candid presentation, self-conscious
advertisement of your desire
to be known
draft
words launced a boat in a bottle
necking stretched out a hopeful
respectfully tentative toe, just breaking into
unknown waters
based on a face, some words sketching
a profile out of experience and expectation
can you lick the icing off a cupcake and still desire its contents?
can you draw the future from an erased whiteboard of hopes relinquished?
rejecting possibilities jumping beyond in imagination
a sketchily portrayed encounter
a brushing of words spoken or typed
a beverage tentatively sipped, conversation conveying depths far beyond the
limitations of words or gestures
a heart torn out and replaced hand-sewn
birthing a new story
the day after the tsunami
Embarking on a dozen notebooks
rafting to hearts unknown
finding difficult passage
fearing to ravage the tender areas unmapped
with an ill-placed word with meaning known only within another
launching an endeavor despite certain risk
the awkward compassion left silently unexpressed
knowing only the reluctance
and the difficulty of negotiating
the tenderness of unknown hearts
