Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Manifest destiny

Manifest destiny


i did not want you
like inevitable land acquisition
a Manifest destiny of my love

although that isn’t quite accurate

i do not want you
like inevitable land acquisition
a Manifest destiny of my love

sometimes temporal distinctions matter
as i long for small gestures from you

freshly painted toenails offered
an ankle extended toward my hand
the shadowed outline of your ribcage

or the nearly unbearable your hands
nails also polished to match your toes
and you are reaching for me for me


i have never asked to be the only one
although i have always longed for forever

i have never needed or wanted anything
beyond the you that is you and always you

although i do recognize my love for you is
a canyon or a tornado too huge to manage

want you see can become a natural disaster
despite the best intentions or purity of heart


i do not want you
like inevitable land acquisition
a Manifest destiny of my love

but the frailest thing of all remains
i do want you
like the hollow bones of birds
the soft whispers in dreams
and the thin air at 12,000 feet

No comments:

Post a Comment