No Moon

I was afraid this would
happen the way the night
looks with no moon
The way the wind whistles
off the back porch

You want to love me
How can I tell you
I have a life
but I don’t have a life

What can I tell you
Shall I tell you about
the bars that don’t speak

or the razor wire that
longs to sever
the throat
or the cold winds
that bounce off the emptiness

Shall I tell you
about the trees 200 yards away
across the river of electric wire
How the trees haunt me
like the smell of barbeque
the scent of a mountain meadow
the sight of crimson painted toes.

Across the river, across the fields
across the hills
there is wine that belongs
to no one

What can I tell you
Shall I tell you about
the lovely women
I never had

Shall I tell you
about the moon fading away
like a piece of hard
round candy

I was afraid this would
happen the way the night
feels with no moon
the way the wind whistles off

the back porch pushing
on the screen door like ten cats, like ten mad
men fighting.