glass eye poet in residence
Robert Leaver
Tell Him
there was once a time
before all the racket
when a blue whale
sounding off Alaska
could hum deep
across the Pacific
a new song
to his beloved
cruising Tahiti
and the notes
would shiver through
thousands of watery miles
vibrating salt crystals
tickling dolphins
jiggling jellyfish
epic ocean reverb
delivering the ultimate bass
hymn of endless devotion
and she would hear it
and celebrate
with a rush of love
straight up into the light
a blue freight train
exploding through
the plate glass surface
into the sky
5/25/10
REALIZE
the heart beats
around the clock
it's just a barely controlled attack
The blood charges
downstream upstream
food and booze
come and go
The brain sizzles and sparks
all nighters every night
for a lifetime
my eyes stay wet
open or shut
and I still try to understand
what things mean
when I wake up in the morning
I can drive home from the dunes
and nearly
make myself insane
wondering how the body
just keeps working
and how hard it will be
to finally
say goodbye2/22/10
The bear sank
searching for ice
slow he fell
away from the light
turning as if in air
the white hair
the wind of motion
drowning down
to the bottom1/28/10
Haiku #2
Ruler of shadows
Intoxicated shaman
Bike home for dinner
TALONS
I was a Union driver in a monster
Black Yukon in charge of one
Big shot TV Producer
Shooting the pilot
Outside the city across the river
At the abandoned military base
Miles of weeds, warehouses
Cracked tarmacs, haunted lots
And me with hours to kill
I drove to the edge
Jerked off and poked around
Behind giant balls of barbed wire
I found a freshly dead barn owl
Golden wings splayed
Fallen night angel
I knelt down
My walkie squawked
I rushed back for the false alarm
Borrowed a hacksaw from the key grip
I needed the talons
The cutting took so long
The ankles of an owl
Tough as rebar.