Summer in Brooklyn

If I have pissed you off

I would consider my mission accomplished.

We have done this before

I’ve screamed on your face, left my trails of torment,

You pretended to ignore and worst,

Spilled your beans to people full of beans

I’ll always hate them for.

Let’s not spoil it anymore,

I’ll stop complaining, you’ll stop hating

We won’t discuss it,

I won’t keep you awake,

Don't send me letter of acknowledgment,

You must be stupid to think it will call us even.  

Lock your lips with mine; we’ll talk for hours,

We’ll lock ourselves for a week, in bed with room-service.

Just like old days in Brooklyn Heights,

Sushi on Hicks Street, dumplings in China Town,

Mojito uptown, Gay bars downtown,

You and F train off to work, me cooking hot dinner.

Mothers of six, kids on strollers,

Men with long sideburns making a pass,

Coney Island beach, boardwalk yesterday

Verizona Bridge from Bay Parkway today.

Refunds at Comic book stores,

Duane Reed and reading all about Trojan condoms.

BAM and strip pokers at home,

Free concerts and alcohol in pet bottles.

Central Park, Pretty Puerto Ricans and all that drums,

Prospect Park and a walk we both remember.                                                                                         

Our very own chauffeur, angry songs in chorus,

Your best friend in the city, 

cool roommate to hang out with.

Married couples were jealous,

How good we looked together,

We hated phone calls,

Them inviting us over.

We made plans for Boston,

To friends with couch and free dinner.

My flight was due on 15th

We waited for another summer.  

It’s been three years already,

We have waited long enough.

I’ll be off to work in DC, Virginia;

See me at least in Grand Central or La Guardia.

January 07, 2011

Cat and Mouse

Talk to me, stay a while

You don’t get me, I still don’t mind.

I may leave soon,

You'd regret you didn’t stay.

I am in a hurry, you have deadlines.

You love sports, I love to play.

I want to make love, you kiss me goodnight.

You look confused, I know what I want.

You want to forget, I want to torment.

You asked about him, I asked about her.

She looks fake, I hate to be next to her.

He sings well, you could never.

You two were lovers, we only shared a kiss.

I look for excuse, you give me verdict.

I was fooled into loving you, you'd be a fool not to love me.

I’ll tear you into pieces, you’d leave me alone.

I know your secrets, everyone knows mine.

I’ll give you nightmares, you’ll quit sleeping.

You’re scared of ghosts, I’m scared of mine.

You have dark circles, I have lost my hair.

I’m your cat, you are my mouse,

I adore bite-marks, you bite really hard.

It’s day in your world, night in mine.

Let’s go to bed, we’re both tired.

January 07, 2011

A Sad Poem for Everyday

This is a sad poem for everyday;

A verse to an epic

Written off, crossed out, rewritten, rephrased and edited

Without ending, dragging on and on like Arabian Nights.

The muse, our endless argument,

Inspiration – past mistakes,

Fuel - your shattered confidence.

The audience, the victim – us

And many of ourselves who keep to themselves -

Imaginary, old flame, and yet to be explored games.

We do a closed reading every night

In a congregation of half dreams.

New applause, new appreciation, a resolution

And back to a new verse again.

We've had enough happiness, let’s call it a day!

Another long distance call, another argument,

Recall of our mistakes, me shattering your confidence,

And just rounding up hopefully by me forgetting all about it next morning and

You, threatening with no love.

January 05, 2011

Sunday Morning Blues in Syracuse

Your perfect white teeth pops out on screen every now and then

I in return give out grins in the mirror

There was never a better time to fall out of love.

The bedspread and comforters lay rolled up in a pile,

Dirty laundry, dishes in the sink, empty refrigerator,

The sun hits the stinks of take away boxes, socks and shoes at 12 pm.

It’s – 1 inside, outside.

We walked all the way from downtown last week. Drunk.

Sunday morning on winter break,

No meeting scheduled, invitation, assignments or planes to catch,

The neighbor seems to think the same-

A couch, one pair of sleepers, Netflix, tea, coffee and chocolate cakes.

The skunks are out in the yard scavenging last week’s trash.

The snow’s melt and so did our footprints from late night stargaze.

My butt heavy steps crack the oak stairs for a cigarette break,

Smokes never smelt so good, my feet never felt so heavy,

A walk would be great, a walk would be torture.

The Burlington is ready, so are the cheap boots,

Perhaps lunch in Panda West or Dinosaurs downtown,

Lou Reed lived a few blocks from here, friends on Westcott just a call away. 

We watched Maya together, her cats in love, their kittens warm near the fireplace.

The church bells call out the pious, the Sabbath is over,

My atheist friend and everyone else out for a brunch special,

The mailbox is empty, missed calls on the cell phone.

Strangers say hello, you said “that’s all”.

My house is down the hill,

An infamous park, just round the corner

I get email alerts about muggers after dark,

We laughed how valuable they thought life was.

My insurance doesn’t cover injury

I avoid stepping on black ice

If I step and fall, I’ll make sure I never call an ambulance.

We never got anywhere near accident, you never got to stay awake and hold my hand.

I didn’t see the Niagara Falls, only buffaloes in the farm

Nobody would believe I live upstate

Unless I talk about Haudenosaunees and great white snowbeds.

The greyhound took me down south to the city,

We don’t wait at bus stations anymore.

I’ll finish another cigarette,

Call my friend to take me shopping and to the frozen green lakes,

Perhaps dinner at Dinosaurs, movie night at Carousel.

I’ll decide later,

You are free to choose to forget.

January 06, 2011

Threats

Long lines and pause in our conversation,

Inevitably diverging to trifling details 

that gives me chills and you a good night’s sleep.

I swear I will pass my anguish and chills to your bones 

Or already succeeding, becoming, tender, sweet, soft and gone.

January 05, 2011

Cats on Heat

Here comes the night

A dreaded wait for me and a cat on heat.

She screams

I turn and toss restlessly.

She won’t sleep

I want to and can’t sleep.

She tries to jump off

I climb my way up.

She sees a tom cat

I warn her not to get fat.

She jumps anyway

I hurry down looking for her everywhere.

She lands on her feet

I tell her off to quit.

She yells and doesn’t agree

I bring her back and promise to set free.

She knows she’s been cheated

I shut the door and leave her guarded.

She can’t jump off

She can’t see ugly tom cats

I’ll never approve near her to be.

She screams and screams,

Oh god I’m dying for a sleep! 

January 04, 2011

New Year Resolution

There are too many deaths this time of the year –

Death of a father, a mother of three, a lovelorn cat and relationships.  

I spent a night in a hospital lobby,

Attended a funeral in the morning, a wedding in the evening,

Danced away a night of wake, a night of union after a long wait.

Slept over and ate-out with long lost and lasting friends,

Celebrated laughter, tears, suspended grief,

Shared our doubts, denial, dismissal, and disbelief -

all that was forgotten and now forgiven.

This time of the year amidst superstitions and ill omens,

Guilt-free and admitting failure,

I wrap my new years’ gift-

Knowing that dreams and deaths are eternal and endless,

That I would never know ahead who I am leaving and who is leaving me today,

And can only look forward to what I can create in these dreams among those deaths.

January 03, 2011