Home for the Winter

I sit upon my verandah,
And hear Ambika sing to the night.
She thinks no one is listening, so she sings
Offkey and joyful, under laughing starlight.
I see Akriti smile.  I see beneath her smile.
I see her force her demons to their knees,
And watch her dance, hear her giggle,
And say "I love you," like one who believes.
I see my parents smile at each other,
Through the flickering of the winter fire.
I feel my father's hands rough but gentle on my face,
I hear my mother and her kitchen choir.
I sit at that round green granite table,
With light coming in from the south and east.
And I eat the food I've loved for years.
Feel my wanderer's heart be at peace.
There is magic here in this forest,
Beside this Lake where I'm never alone.
Where an old champa tree whispers,
Welcome home, child, welcome home.
I dance with the Lake tonight,
Under the light of the crescent Moon.
I hear the Winter laugh and tell me,
"You'll love again, boy.  And soon."
The Goddess comes to me there,
While we dance under gulmohar trees.
She tells me to learn what love really is,
From this Lake who'll never reach the seas.

My Poor Homage to Cohen. Again. Yes. But I Can't Help It.

Forgive me Leonard for this affront.
But I'm trapped between hope and sleep.
You stranded me again upon that shore,
A thousand kisses deep.
____________________

You were my perfect love,
My harbor of perfect sleep
You were the war I would have fought.
The secret I would die to keep,

You came to me that evening.
Wearing flowers in your hair.
You broke my heart sweetling,
With the sadness in your stare.

I tried to find the words to say.
While you threshed me like so much wheat.
But you'd hold them against me any way,
Even here, a thousand kisses deep.

I was the rolling stone you stopped,
But I guess I'll be rolling along.
The universe is my darling now,
My Goddess full of hope and song.

You made me pay every bill,
Even asked for the receipts.
I loved you like a blind man loves,
The sun after all the rain and sleet.

It's over, yeah, I know that now,
And I'll go but not in defeat.
The wind brushes across my embers now,
Stirring me back to my forgotten heat.

A woman came to me tonight,
Like a desert wind carrying the rain.
And she made me laugh and wonder,
When she would make me laugh again.

There was beer and cigarettes,
And so much music in the air.
And joy danced across the balcony.
And hope was suddenly everywhere.

Flower of Muscat, desert lilly,
Last thought before I go to sleep.
I wonder if we'll be allowed to go,
A thousand kisses deep.

"SHOW ME THE PLACE" by Leonard Cohen

I know you know I love this man.  Words fail me, spirits grow joyous and uninterested in expressing how much I do.  Here are the lyrics to his newest song.  Here is the joy that I'll carry for the rest of the day.

Listen to the song by clicking on the title below.  Read these words.  Call your lover, and tell them you love them.


Show me the Place 


Show me the place, where you want your slave to go
Show me the place, I've forgotten I don't know
Show me the place where my head is bend and low
Show me the place, where you want your slave to go

Show me the place, help me roll away the stone
Show me the place, I can't move this thing alone
Show me the place where the word became a man
Show me the place where the suffering began

The troubles came I saved what I could save
A shred of light, a particle away
But there were chains so I hastened to the hay
There were chains, so I loved you
Like a slave

Show me the place, where you want your slave to go
Show me the place, I've forgotten I don't know
Show me the place where my head is bend and low
Show me the place, where you want your slave to go

The troubles came I saved what I could save
A shred of light, a particle away
But there were chains so I hastened to the hay
There were chains so I loved you like a slave

Show me the place
Show me the place
Show me the place

Show me the place, help me roll away the stone
Show me the place, I can't move this thing alone
Show me the place where the word became a man
Show me the place where the suffering began

For Mansi, Who Sometimes Looses Faith

I heard it in your voice today,
The echoes of that familiar ache.
When you're tired of walking,
Still unsure of which road to take.
Pushing all of your troubles,
Down the road like a stone.
Let my hands so full of calluses,
Keep you from pushing it all alone.

Rest here awhile my friend,
Beside this friend, under this tree.
Bring your many books,
Close your eyes, let your spirit free.

You've been walking so long,
With not a respite in sight.
One foot in front of the other,
Every step another battle to fight.
You're holding on to your courage,
Like a blind man to a stranger.
Every dream you have is filled,
With doubt and fear and danger.

Rest here a moment my darling.
Let this fool make you smile.
Rest here in comfort darling.
I'll watch over you awhile.

Written While Listening to "Tekno Love Song" by CocoRosie

I'm a jailbird to your music,

A bird pushed by your breeze.

I'm the water in your cup,

I'm the pilgirm on his knees.

I'm the laughter in your mouth,

The cause of your wider smiles.

You're the burning in my stomach,

The jury for all my trials.

I'm a wanderer in your desert,

A hero in permanent exile.

I'm the lover you won't claim,

Except every once in a while.

I'm a clown in your circus,

The opening act in your show.

You're a run away truck,
I'm the man who moved too slow.

I'm a jailbird to your music,

I'm a criminal in your prayer.

I watch you in your sleep.

Even when you're not there.

I'm the leaves in your autumn,

The wind beneath your wings.

I'm the gorilla in your experiment,

Watching inexplicable things.

I'm the sinner in your religion,

The heathen in your church.

I'm the bull in your china shop.

The gargoyle on your holy perch.

So it's too late now darling.

All of the magic is gone.

They packed up the circus,

And took the musicians along.

I lingered out of some habit.

I lingered to say goodbye.

I lingered by your bedside,

To hear that old beloved lie.

Come Home To Love

I walk through streets,

With metal grills

Over open shutters.

Where hate sings,

And Love stutters.

Lonely I walk,

Back from your street,

Burdened with another

Promise to keep.

Lonely I walk,

Away from you.

Because you sit

Much too afraid to

Make it through.

Sit with your fear,

Sleep away the guilt

Bury every sin

In the perfection

Of your quilt.

You want to pretend

That you're perfect.

But the only one

You seem so to

Is me.  Can't you see?

But you want me

To walk away lonely.

Or you want me

To wait patiently,

While you figure

It all out.

One or the other

The other or the one.

Every smile is a knife,

Every word is a gun.

And we're bleeding baby,

Are we happy now?

I need to shed this anger,

But I don't know how.

Because I can see you,

Sitting alone, unsure

Confused, unable

To do right anymore.

I can hear it clearly,

When your voice breaks.

Forcing yourself to face

It all by yourself,

No matter what it takes.

Come, silly girl, come

To these tireless arms.

Come home to my Love.

Let these shoulders of mine

Shelter you from doubt,

From fear, from harm.

I try my best to understand

What you're going through.

But I don't know 

How it feels to be you.

This isn't the end,

It'll never be too late.

Be an Ocean of love,

Pulled by the Moon,

Of my boundless faith.

We Run From Sunsets

We run from sunsets,

Into the arms of the Moonlight.

Abandoned by the Sun,

Breathless in the night.

Quiet in our heady joys,

Deeper than we seem.

We run till we shine,

We get what we need.

We are the motes

In every sunbeam.

The dancing hearts,

In every seed.

We are the lovers,

Who brush across you,

Like whispers of poetry

Spoken wetly in your ear.

We who have left

No ladder unclimbed,

No star unreached for,

No sky unsigned.

We who love

Long after Love has gone.

Because Love left a whisper

Wrapped in the chords

Of our favorite songs.

I know I take it too far,

When I see you walk away.

I know I say good night,

But what I mean

Is why can't I stay?

This is a terrible love

We carry in our silence.

Cut by the edge of desire,

Victims of the heart's violence

We who are patient,

We who never let go.

We who remember

Our innocent Decembers.

We who smile,

Like the children we were,

And shall ever be.

Me who loves you,
You who turn away

From how much you

Love me.

Hollow Comfort

I tried to ease her pain.

But everything I said

Only saddened her more.

He broke her heart.

What I could I say?

You are perfect as you are,

Sounds so silly,

When the one you love,
Can't seem to touch you

Without leaving a scar.

I told her to forget,

I told her it's all about you.

I told her all the cliches

As they were told to me too.

He broke her heart,

And she wondered why.

We sat in her empty house,

On the floor by the window,

She had sat and cried by,

Before I came.

What could I say?
It's your fault

For having a heart that big,

In the city of the heartless.

It's your fault for giving more,

Than you could live without. 

What could I say?

Yes I understand.

Because I'm going through it too. 

Yes I understand,

How it can leave you full

Of hate and hurt.

But don't see as he never did,

See what I see when I look at you,

I see everything that heals,
And loves without fear,

Loves what really is,

Instead of what it tries to appear.

See yourself for the miracle you are,

See yourself as I see you.

And you'll see it too.

Now. 

Smile.