I was told to write a poem,

"Only nine lines long, is it to be",

That was the decree I received.

Sigh as I might, I have things to do,

"Kitchen the clean too, need I!"

Cry in vain I do,

For no one cares that dishes pile high!

With saddened heart, I finish my write,

Now to the dishes, they give me a fright!

The sound of the wave, the break of what we want,

It hurts to see but we can't resist,

I knew the time was near but my fear was my friend,

There is no stopping me now,

Day in and out you become more attractive in my eyes,

How I wish you were close by I would hold you,

The sweet melody I once knew would someday become my reality,

When I am found I don't want to be taken back,

When am close I don't want you near,

When I leave I would someday forever be.

Cold eyes in the glass tower,

Waving hands by friends,

Rumbling in the belle of my foes,

Laughter at the sweet memories,

Deep thoughts in the heart of my lover,

Let me grow old knowing I would someday close my eyes in final rest.

I sit in the office

On my favorite recliner

Thinking of you –

I grow comfortable

Thinking of our time together

Such as watching

The bizarre theatre

Of the Republican debates,

Or making love with you

In evening shade.

I miss you

When you’re not here –

And when you’re not,

I work on poems

That are always about you.

I am comfortable here

With public radio

And my own words –

I guess

Many poets

Have a touch

Of narcissism.

Together,

We have built

A loving home

Complete with Bella –

Our crazed OCD

Rescue terrier.

Above our home

Angels sprinkle glowing

Stardust –

For spiritual love

Holds the Universe’s

Blessings.

My back is a tad sore

And I worry about

Loosing you one day –

None of us

Live forever,

But the bonds

That we share

Are eternal

And even

Beyond time.

I write,

Feeling my words

Caress you.

We are never alone –

We are unlimited

Potential,

As we have allowed

Love to ignite

Our souls

And mundane

Physical selves.

In silence,

The moon

Glides across

Sunny sky.

We are Divinely

Inspired

In love.

Heaven

Has eclipsed

Earth,

So I write

More words

Dissolving skin

And matter,

Entering the space

Between words,

Entering,

Or uncovering,

I should say,

Sky.

Before You

i was lonely –

dark birds

swooped heavy

against pale sky

and i stumbled

over roots

and shadows.

But, our love

is as real

as the steadying

willow.

This Valentine’s Day

we are winter

snow birds

and you

are my

amniotic song.

2/14/2017

BLESSING

Waiting, patiently,

A spirit of loving-kindness

Envelopes me,

Granting me

Grace by washing

And guiding me

Towards universal justice.

I am cleansed

And find myself

Singing.

AWARENESS II

Pain.

Business.

Amidst it all

I pray,

Sliding within,

Now,

Guided by warmth.

The Presence.

Immediately

Rising,

Opening.

Peace

Blends

Outwardly.

INNER STRENGTH

Alone.

Body is weak.

Contemplation.

Activation.

Divine love.

Soul illuminates

Strength.

Growth.

FEELING GOD

In silence

I feel

A moon touched

Moment.

Invisible barriers

Vanish,

As I listen to

Voices of love.

The Origin

1- 1 When it began, the Goddess sang-

Existence made its way.

Explosions carved the universe

As She unfolded clay.

2 The earth held nothing in its form

Aside from empty dark.

The Goddess crafted sod and sea;

Her spirit made its mark.

3 The angels She created next-

Of wing and feral might.

Emblazoned with a fiery core,

An army willed to fight.

4 And then She said, “Come forth, the light!”

She saw that this was good.

Amazed, the ushered breath and beast;

She crafted earth and wood.

5 A separation of the void,

She called them night and day.

A sphere of fire to keep the morn,

A moon where dark would stay.

6 Upon the realm of Midgard’s turf

In waters rushing flow,

The Goddess spoke and ushered fish

Beneath the undertow.

7 Upon the lands, the angels flew

Ensuring life evolved.

The smallest to the greatest spread,

A manifest resolved.

8 The Goddess called her angels back,

Decreeing, “Be it so-

That all I make shall reproduce-

Increasing ebb and flow.”

9 And Midgard teemed with floral growth;

The fauna filled the land.

The angels blessed the beast and bird

As was their first command.

10 Although the world begotten brimmed

In life of every thing,

The Goddess felt an emptiness

Compelling her to sing.

11 A garden formed of lush delight

Encapsulating all

Invoked as She unleashed a song

And wrought mankind in thrall.

12 The major chords she ushered forth

Ensnared the dirt and mud,

And in her image came the first-

A human, flesh and blood.

Lilith and Adam

2- 1 And so it was, creation bloomed-

The Goddess placed her spark

Embedding every living thing

Between the light and dark.

2 Around the garden walked abroad

A woman of the earth.

The Goddess smiled at what she saw,

Creating in her mirth.

3 She called her Lilith, wrath of storm,

The Goddess lullaby.

She raised her up above the beasts;

The angels in the sky.

4 And though all pleasures she partook,

A sorrow swallowed whole.

The Goddess made the woman sleep

To form another soul.

5 The moment She began her song,

A rib from Lilith spurned

Another- man- as Adam came-

And passion in him burned.

6 Now, Lilith did not like the man-

He tried to rule her form.

But she refused his thirsty lust;

No, she would not conform.

The Descent

3- 1 Rejected, he walked through the wood

Until he heard a voice-

“Dear Adam, you have much to learn-

My son, you have a choice.”

2 The dragon, once called Lucifer,

Had fallen from a star.

Enticing Adam with his lies,

He whispered, “There you are!”

3 As Adam stood before the beast,

A newfound feeling swelled.

“What can I do to make her mine?

To make her heart compelled?”

4 “Oh, Adam, you have every right-

Absolve your flesh in her.”

The great deceiver coaxed his prey

And Adam would concur.

5 Unknown to either of the two,

The Goddess crafted more-

She called them dwarves and others elves,

The myths of ancient lore.

6 As it would be, a dwarf about

The garden heard the plan.

He raced to Lilith, full of fear,

And thus betrayed the man.

7 The garden, Eden it was called,

Invited Adam home.

And Lilith waited, open arms;

Beside her stood a gnome.

8 “So, Mother has created more-

And here you wait for me.

I have a tale to share with you-

An act to set you free."

9 Upon these words, the dwarf appeared

And angels flew below

Arresting Adam ere he stood,

For what, he did not know.

10 “What meaning do you have for this!

I am of Goddess craft!”

Ignoring him, they tied him up

And placed him on a raft.

11 As Lilith watched him float away,

She noticed in his grasp

A piece of fruit from off a tree

Secured within a clasp.

12 The crafty dragon then appeared

And freed the man to dine.

“The Tree of Good and Evil- yes!

Behold- it is now mine!”

13 Of all they were allowed to eat,

The fruit from off one tree

The Goddess had forbidden them-

It birthed eternity.

14 As Adam fled atop the beast,

An an angel came to guard

The entrance into Eden’s realm-

A blazing, shining shard.

15 The dwarves and elves rejoiced to see

The man depart their land.

As Lilith utilized her skills,

The Goddess found it grand.

16 A blessing over Eden’s girth,

Reviving all inside

And laugher flourished plant to plane-

A gift she would provide.

Fallen Angels and Adam’s Daughters

4- 1 Outside of Eden, Adam’s lust

Increased as he would find

A race of creatures, humanoid,

In which his loins would grind.

2 The offspring grew in wonderment

And angels fell from grace

The same as Lucifer had been,

Succumbing in that place.

3 As Adam had him many wives,

So, too, the angels took

To bed his daughters, full of sin,

Depicted in this book.

4 Abominations they produced,

The giants and monsters spawned

Devoured the outer world around

As evil newly dawned.

5 And still they could not enter in

The gates of Eden’s port.

The Goddess kept her promises

And Lilith ruled her court.

6 The angels, each a different brand-

A lion, and eagle, and

A bull defended Lilith’s woods-

And kept filth from her land.

7 For Adam daily tried his best

To take back all denied.

And yet the Goddess blocked attempts

No matter how he tried.

8 The dwarves and elves and other kind

Among the woodland’s hold

Arose to worship Lilith’s Queen

And forged the Goddess gold.

9 Too closely to the outside world

A few dwarves ventured near.

The monsters sensed the wealth and vowed

To offer hateful fear.

10 Again, day out and in, they tried

But Eden’s troupe prevailed.

It seemed a futile quest, indeed

For every time, they failed.

11 The dragon formed a vengeful plan,

And Adam fell in line.

No matter how they changed the course,

The Goddess proved divine.

12 And I would know, for She is me-

We are one in the same.

The garden holds a hidden myth,

And Lilith is her name …

Omg I can’t believe this is happening.

Heart racing. Blood pounding.

Why did I agree to this?

New. Crazy.

I’m afraid of heights. I’m afraid of death.

Leap of faith. Exhilaration.

Bungee jumping isn’t so bad.

A few years ago when we began to date

You shot hot blood into my poems

As the theoretical became more credible --

These days I am no longer lonely

And so I sit awake in my dreams --

This morning the sun glanced off the walls –

For you would soon be with me,

And this promise unites us, somehow –

It is as though, through our love

We can be everywhere at once,

But still, when I am alone

I am not the same –

I need you to be beneath the same roof

This time is not quite real – as if

I am living on spooky borrowed time

But it all passes as I think of our future together,

A loving world-view bejeweled with poetic allusion

Colored in flowering hibiscus.

So I give up much of the world

Choosing to gaze upon Birds of Paradise

And other fallen blossoms

As the everyday world without you

Is the abandon of quicksand.

We drift, quietly, into eternity.

The editors sitting around the table stared at Asher Darcy in stunned silence.

"You can't possibly be serious," Lizzy said.

The truth was, she knew this was coming. In a precarious time for traditional media, no one bought a print magazine without wanting to make big changes. However, it didn't mean she was going to have an easy time accepting the reality that was just laid out in front of her.

Asher had an arm stretched out in front of him, fingers drumming lightly on the conference table. "Lily—"

"Lizzy!"

"Excuse me. Lizzy, despite your comically shocked expressions, I'm certain every single one of you were expecting this. Sooner or later, The Fold would have to join the twenty-first century."

"We have a website, Mr. Darcy. We publish some of the articles online."

He waved a hand dismissively. "I've seen the analytics reports. Not only are there too few new articles a week, but the site barely has an audience."

Jade spoke up before Lizzy could reply. "The Fold is a print-first publication, Asher," she explained patiently. "Hence the name."

"Yes, about that," Asher said. "I'm changing the name of the magazine. If we're to move forward—"

"Hey, what—" Lizzy started to say, but he raised a hand to stop her.

"... we can't be held back by sentimentality. Yes, I understand circulation is still quite strong, but I think we can do better. We need to immerse ourselves in new media and social media, and not just dip our toe in them."

It took all her self-control to keep from jumping over the conference table and wringing the arrogant bastard's neck. Silencing her as if she was some twelve-year-old daring to speak up at the adult table—

"Our articles are not exactly web-friendly," Garret Wilson said. "I'm not sure we'll be pulling in enough numbers to make offering them online worth it."

"You're absolutely right, Garret. We're going to have to come up with new style guidelines to address that."

Everyone groaned. The phrase "click bait" was muttered by more than a few around the table.

Asher regarded the editorial team with amusement, unperturbed by its collective response to his plans for the magazine. His editorial team, he reminded himself.

"Look, I admire this publication immensely," he said. "And I have tremendous respect for you and the staff, and everything you've accomplished." He paused, letting his words sink in. "I wouldn't have bought The Fold if I didn't. I'm confident that if we work together, we can make the magazine succeed even more."

"You mean you want it to make more money," Lizzy said. If there was anything he learned about the editor of the Film and TV section, was that she was nothing if not blunt. He met her stare with the smile. The woman would be attractive, he mused, if she didn't have that perpetual scowl on her face.

"Absolutely. Print is dead. We're going to have to adapt to people's changing reading habits if we're to thrive, not just survive." He leaned forward. "I want to make money, and you want to do your job. I think we can give each other what we want."

"Are you saying we're no longer publishing the magazine in print?" Jade said. He could see his lovely editor-in-chief try to mask the horror she felt. Perhaps he should have mentioned his plans to her before today. Gotten her on board before he dropped the bombshell. However, the element of surprise had always worked for him in the past. If someone was going to oppose you, it was better not to give them time to think of a plan to get in your way.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. Although," he added loudly, ignoring the groans of protest around the room, "I'm open to compromise on that point."

"I see." Surprisingly, Jade remained calm and collected, unlike everyone else. Looking at her, he could almost see the gears turning in her head. She was appraising him, trying to figure him out. Strategizing her next move. He didn't mind. There were very few things he enjoyed more than being under the scrutiny of a beautiful woman.

She would need convincing, of course. But he was certain he was up to the task. In fact, he was looking forward to it.

He wondered what it would take to get her on his side. Or in his bed. Specifically, on top of him. Naked. He caught his breath the image filling his mind of her smiling down at him, her long glossy hair falling over her bare shoulders and breasts. He pictured her lips parting in ecstasy as he filled her with his —

"You and I can discuss this between ourselves," he said. She nodded, and he continued, "In the meantime, I trust the editorial board will be able to come up with a business plan. I'm prepared to invest whatever it takes."

"We'll need to hire more people for the web team," said Sandra. "Not just developers, but social media specialists. I only have two people currently maintaining the site."

"Whatever it takes, Sandra," he said. "Jade, I'd like a business plan by next week."

"Will do," Jade said. "However, about that other thing we discussed ..."

"Ah yes." His eyes brightened as he turned to face the others. "Being new to the publishing business, Jade and I have agreed that I will need to familiarize myself with the day-to-day operations of the magazine. She has very generously agreed to—"

"Let Lizzy show you the ropes," Jade said.

"What." Lizzy's voice was so low, it almost sounded like a growl. And not the kind he was used to coming from a woman. Not the deep, throaty sound women made when they begged him for ... well, anything. And they were usually naked, or getting ready to be.

Frankly, there was nothing about Lizzy Bennet that made him want to picture her naked.

"I need you to take Asher in hand, Lizzy. He wants to observe what we do and how we work," Jade explained.

"I'm busy. Sorry."

"He won't be in the way. He'll merely be observing, and asking the occasional question." Jade smiled at him. "I'd be happy to do it myself, but I have to give you a business plan within a week."

She was right, unfortunately. Asher could have given her a month to come up with that business plan, but he knew he had to get things rolling right away. "That's all right," he assured her. He turned to Lizzy, who looked like she'd just been ordered to eat a plateful of razors. "I'm all yours, Liddy."

***

"I know what you're about to ask me," Jade said, "and the answer is, no. I didn't know about his plans before he editorial meeting."

Lizzy's expression was grim as she shut the door of Jade's office. She had been so angry she almost stormed out of the conference room. She didn't even bother correcting him the third time he misspoke her name.

She sank down on the couch. Through the glass, she could see people staring. The editor-in-chief's door was almost never closed. "What are we going to do?" she said.

"There's very little we can do, Liz." Jade sat down behind her desk. "He owns the magazine, he can do whatever he wants."

"Oh come on. Darcy doesn't know the first thing about how the magazine industry works. We can run circles around him if we want to."

"Don't underestimate your enemy. I believe Sun Tzu said that. Besides, Asher seems quite determined. And he's a smart man. More important, he's done his homework. Although ..." She knitted her brows thoughtfully.

"What is it?"

"I don't think he's trying to lay down the law, just giving us an opening bid."

"What, like a negotiation?"

"Yes. He wants us to come up with a counter offer. We'll accede to some of his ideas, then see if he budges."

"I'm not butchering my copy just so some attention-deficient teenager will want to read my opinion on Jafar Panahi's new documentary, Jade."

"Well, you and I better come up with a good counter offer then." Jade grinned. "You know, things could be worse. Other newspapers have been bought by individuals who don't actually give a damn about anything other than profit."

Lizzy snorted. "You really believe that crap about respect for us and the magazine?"

"I do, yes. I see it in his eyes." Jade inclined her head. "Didn't you say I have a knack for reading people?"

"Then you would have noticed he was practically drooling over you. There was something in his eyes, all right, but I wouldn't exactly call it respect."

"Oh yes, that. I suppose his reputation is well-earned."

Of course it took more than a man's naked admiration to throw Jade off her game. When you get stared at every day of your life, you learn to deal with it.

"You could still be wrong about him, you know."

"There is that possibility, yes."

"I can't do it Jade. I love this magazine. I'm not sticking around and wait for Asher Darcy to ruin it."

"Lizzy—"

"I quit."