Monday, December 24, 2007

The Crisscrossed Circle, Eric Bachman, Singleton and Maithri, 2007

Peace
It reads the same
inside out and backwards
in the mirror
in the sunlight
in the aftermath of falling stars,
in my soul
where it always was,
and
always
will be.

The curve of love,
the beginning,
the middle,
the neverending
of a circle...

And the light
shines
on a day
that even God
said
was a good one...

May we all be blessed....

88 comments:

singleton said...

Merry Christmas everyone,
May we all find
the peace....
the perfect gift...
within
and send it
on butterfly wings
a kiss in the wind
with love
......

And may the circle be unbroken....

Peace~love my friends

eric1313 said...

Beholden is this holy miracle--
the thousand stitch belt
for the kamikaze pilot
still a son and nephew
and lover and loved
who would fall
from the sky,
and grieve that no other way
was found to reach peace.

To look into the swirling face
of a grinning kind of madness
and laugh not in kind
but at the self-seer
seeing eyes so bright
they were a stranger's
and then their own
the mirror can lie
if the eye wishes it so

A love charm handed down
from the voodoo king-priest
to the princess of the dunes;
the desert is so long
and the rains only fall
once in ten years
to quench her hot desire
to bathe her in their blessing
flowers from a world thought
long dead and buried

Beholden are these eyes tonight
to see a finer circle--
to know peace is not war
grace is not insanity,
and love will rain down
to make the desert fires bloom;
eyes closed when night comes
breathing heavy with purpose
because my love is with me
tonight,
ever after

let the prayer songs begin
my soul will dance once more

eric1313 said...

There you go Singleton and Maithri...

Let inspiration be the high water mark to judge good what Sing saw in our creation.

This poem is fantastic, the one she posted. The one I wrote? Well, that's going into my personal drafts. I love it, oddball mysticsm and all.

But the main post is beautiful!

Clink! Tink!

singleton said...

Whew! You were heavy on a roll last night! I wouldn't have been able to keep up with you, my friend! You musta come back from Detroit with deep stuff in your suitcase! Wow!

Yup, I finished All My Friends, Finally having real time off, daytime, free! I parked myself on the parkbench (The real city parkbench I've been dragging around for lifetimes), got all comfy cozy in the 75 degree Christmas sun, swirled a bloodymary in a holiday cup, and read until the sun went down and the streelights came on...It was perfect peace. If I could have read with my eyes closed, I would have been at the beach!

Clinkity Tink! Hope you wake up to a wonderful new Day....
This Day....
Christmas Day

eric1313 said...

Saw her dressed in shadow,
her silhouette promising
the night on a magic carpet

She of every color in glory
framed by a bedroom doorway
like a DaVinci unfinished
undaunted advance
understated allure
trailing behind her step,
a welcome afterthought

near and nearest she comes
until this body is hers
her warmth sets it to burn
like the raging golden sun
of August's twilight
requiem

somehow knowing
that tonight
will see a true master
learn her secret colors
for not the first time
but
for the night
for a prayer
forever

amen

singleton said...

Sweeping out the door
unshowered
yesterday dressed
on a fairies
daylight
twighunt.....
barefooted
and sunned
I'm off to gather
trinkets,
rock,stones, powdered gold,
to weave a
pixie hat....

eric1313 said...

Yeah...

That one's a keeper! :)

Sorry Sing, I had to put it in my personal drafts with the others.

Waiting...

to spread it's wings...

eric1313 said...

My love sits with me
on this kaleidescope mountain
spining, rolling, drunken,
more lovely than any goddess
from dew drops of wine
the ache of our swan song

The sun departs in due time
the night descends
like a curtain
at last call

My love sits with me
on this kaleidescope mountain
until the last drops flow,
and we are gorged with love
and the quiet night singing
with our song of even breath

The moon sees us
on our mountain
above it all;
a silvery stepstone
waiting so we won't fall...

a night light burning bright
with a silver swan's song

eric1313 said...

triple 2:58 clink!

clink!
clink!
clink!

never seen that before!

eric1313 said...

I'm in rare form lately

But so are you!

If I may quote...

"And ebony time falls
away
a blackened nightgown from moonlit shoulders,
and a world away
on the other side of
ever,
the sun rises,
and I see
the face of your soul
standing alone
at the edge of eternity
tiptoe-ing
ever so quietly in to the sky

"Goodmorning, sunshine....."

What was that about?

eric1313 said...

It's gorgeous! It made me brush up my lines, that's for sure!

eric1313 said...

She sweeps
out the door

to gather
her magic
and see what
the tide brings...

Angel on her
shoulder

her heart
on greensleeves

a devil smiles
in relief

waiting
to see her
pixie hat

when all is said
but still more
to be done.

eric1313 said...

OK--I'm Going to grow some wings and put pixie hat in the drafts.

Looks like I'm flying solo here.

I hope you find all you seek--what Santa leaves for you on the beach.

The Butterfly Bar said...

DonE

singleton said...

Clinkity, tinkity, clinkity tink! Ta! Dah! Wha! Lah! That's some kinda keyboard on top of the bar!
And that would be
rock

and

roll!

The Butterfly Bar said...

One year
one span
one bridge
one more chance
to get the combination
right on the money

Seven left
four right
twenty two
three sixty
and when it hits zero
give it a try

All doors will open
because you have that perfect
touch

All the windows in my world
are propped up just for you
and I offer my hand,
to help you step through...

no tricks
no kicks
no confounding combinations
but if ever you find my door
closed and sealed tight
my inner self inaccessible
locked up
and fucked up
without your master key
you know the right numbers
the sequence
and the spin

in one year or less
you know the way in
in one year
everything has changed
everything except
the right touch
that opens me up
like a doorway
to a new world made from
nothing but an endless sky

singleton said...

Seven rings
on six fingers
and I'm outa luck,
Joe found the
hearts,
the wedding bands loose,
and scavenged them
up
from the sea....
I wore them for finery
for fate
and foretold,
I wore them as gifts,
for futures and past
and isn't it funny,
that three beers at Kims,
I stripped myself silly
of all but the twins.....

She packed up the gold bands,
the diamond gone wrong,
the three hearts
in a row,
she tucked them,
chucked them,
clinked them
in ziplock....
and smiled
as I left naked
and stepped on my glasses....

I can't see,
but can feel
the fish swimming,
the only ring left.....

I'm a mermaid,
I think.....

The Butterfly Bar said...

you are! You so are a mermaid, my friend, your graceful words give you away...

And I'm a dragon,
but a little one
with a match flame
breath
and teeth like
slivers

nickel sized
dime sized

wings that span
like a toothpick

eyes as big
as the oceans
I fly over

a heart
that beats
like a bass drum
in the night

thump...
thump...
thump...

by the south sea
islands
my people dance
around the fire's
flickering light

mermaids and dragons
looking on barefoot
islanders--
at the wonders
they they call home

The Butterfly Bar said...

we call it peace
we call it love--
and we know magic
by sight

The Butterfly Bar said...

Is that a true story???

singleton said...

We perked our coffee
and smoked cigarettes in a
perfect verizoned
lullabyed
good morning
good storied
good dreamed
catch me up,
and she said she pretended
and I applauded her,
sipped on my coffee
and listened...

"I pretend really good"
I muttered,
two cups down,
"And because I
believe...."

"It's real" she chimed...

singleton said...

And yeah, My story is always true....

The Butterfly Bar said...

Because I believe,
she believes
and as does she
so do I

and that makes it
real
as real as her grin
that mirrored
my own

"one more cup
before you go"
she asked...
and filled it
to the brim

I pretended
the sun sat still
as she told me
of daffodil summers
yet to see the light,
as the winter cold
made the postman's
breath
into fog cloud

She pretended
we were in Bermuda
as we looked out
at the frosted grass
and I told her about
beach partyed
kicked sand dunes
the size of Everest

and the sun sat still
the daffodils sprung
the waves carried us
home

because we believe
in infinite summers
no matter how hard
the winter wind blows

The Butterfly Bar said...

clink! I knew it was true. I don't know why I asked...

to true stories
to "I believe..."

to beautiful hippies
mermaids
dragons
and the waves rolling with us on the beach...

Clink!

The Butterfly Bar said...

and these words that keep coming like a train in the middle of the night.

Anonymous said...

I see poetic debate in here ..Eric its good to se you in here

Nasra

singleton said...

Nasra.....It's nice to meet you! Grab a barstool and join us! :)

singleton said...

My first day
with new hands
to air drum on the dashboard
flick my bic
twirl my hair,
ringless,
naked fingers
plundering,
diving to the bottom of my purse,
clickity tickity typing words
that are suddenly spelled different,
charmless,
left to stand on their own....
two ringless fingers in a V,
Winston balanced
two ringless fingers in a V,
touch my lips
and remind me.....
I'm free.....

eric1313 said...

to remind me
that everything
is better in pairs:

shoes
gloves
secret smiles
and
the love poems
that elicit them

two fingers in salute
two hands to touch
creation's beauty
two lovers joining
with one purpose
and one for all

eric1313 said...

one night
is all it takes
for the fire to be lit
that will burn forever
in two souls
two pairs of eyes
two secret looks
two new hands
and the world
is a new toy
just for two

eric1313 said...
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eric1313 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
eric1313 said...

She's just like that...
a shadowgirl dancing
playing off the boxer
playing for the love,
the time of her life
is every night
watch her closely
and she'll still
slip away from sight.

Like the dancing shadows,
when you remove the light
she fades into the air--
chameleon of all colors
camouflaged perfectly
on any background
just because she can...

She's elusive, a bandit,
Bonnie and we're all
a bunch of two bit Clydes,
bumble bees and she's
the buzz...

She'll sneak by
the calm before the storm
waiting for the time
to blow by.

Like the wind
she can't be caught
only felt before
she races herself
to the horizon.

She's just like that
a shadow girl
playing trick on you
and when the light dims
she's gone...

Or maybe
she becomes it all
and wraps you in her
enveloping arms
the night...
with love in her eyes
and a heart that brings
it's own light to the party.

singleton said...

she cooks candles
in her garage,
bottles them up
like whipped cream with a wick,
and passes them out to strangers...

I'm drinking beer from a polka dot cup
and watching the flame,
a butterfly caught,
dance in her own glass castle...

eric1313 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
eric1313 said...

"I'm drinking beer from a polka dot cup
and watching the flame,
a butterfly caught,
dancer in her own glass castle..."

"I'm doing capfull shots with a lemon
on the nightstand,
watching the walls crawl
watching the cars lights shine..."

eric1313 said...

And we both
wish
we
were
here.

eric1313 said...

as the ball drops
and the new year is born
a house of cards is built
and tumble slides...

As the new year dawns
the sun shine stored
deep in her eyes
shines out
and touches me
burns me
makes me believe
the butterfly dancing
under crystalline glass
is more free then me

the butterfly under glass
a willow wisp,
a wish
a dancing dew drop's dream
dances for my eyes

dances just to be...

singleton said...

It's a new year
never named before
never scribbled in eights
on checks, and deeds, and
I promise you's,
a New year,
for one moment
split between the
woulda beens, coulda beens
and
what's next, if you don't mind me asking?
A New Year,
a blind mosquito
dancing....

eric1313 said...

A new year...
the monkey
the rooster
the dragon
the snake


the butterfly
the mermaid
a new year rising...
a year to be free.

singleton said...

I was in the third grade
collecting badges
and A pluses on papers
that didn't matter,
I lined the cigar box,
Tipparillos gone,
with black velvet from the hem
of my Mama's dress,
and laid them to rest there....
the butterflies....

The glue didn't stick
and the teacher,
Miss Swanson,
"fixed" them for the fair....

I couldn't wait....
my torn pink ticket in my pocket,
to see my butterflies and
the ribbon
she promised me....

But,
all I remember
are the green and gold and blue and red

hatpins through their hearts.....

eric1313 said...

Her hair was pure liquid fire
pulled into long silk strands,
blowing in the wily winds
of a late summer's dream.

Entrancing
advancing
closer
her lips
to mine
meeting
feeling
tingling
electric emotion
of a young boy's
first ever kiss
reverberating
in recollection
a picture never forgotten
often repeated
never again met
by reality
by other lips
by soft sighs
by long nights
not long enough
not soft enough
not quite enough

and the summers are still windy
air still crackles electric
emotions still ride high
and fall to find their level

But her red hair's enchanted dance
her constellations of freckles
each one a star in my young boy sky
is untouched by what is
and what will be...

Someday, another will find me
but always I will be lost
in that late summer of soft lips
when I learned it took two to fly.

eric1313 said...

I read your poem last night and something inside me said I would never write anything as beautiful as what you wrote so why ever try again...

Silly poet am I.

Today, I read an old post over at Princess's blog, and remembered what it is that makes me love everything the way I do.

I remembered that first kiss
and what it was like
to have no wings
but still know how to fly.

singleton said...

pssst....grabbing a cab, be there in a few:)

The Butterfly Bar said...

clink!

I went and told Princess, too.

Couldn't help it! She inspired me so much.

I might be eating dinner very soon. But I'll be here, too. All night.

Bells on and all.

Cazzie!!! said...

Just gorgeous, I love the words and the picture it conjures in the mind.

singleton said...

Eric, Cazzie....scooch over....May I have a Michelob light, please?

The Butterfly Bar said...

Coming right up!

singleton said...

I'm stripped.
Blank.
White walled.
A new year is coming
and I'm
free.
My jewelry box,
a german beer stein,
souvenier from a thankless war,
is brimming,
three gold bands
three gold hearts
one accidental diamond
and my fingers
smokeless
drinkless
crave
the
mistaken
sentimental
need you-want you
drain me
choke me
chain of love....

I never said I wasn't an addict...

The Butterfly Bar said...

She sat at the bar--
the bar on the corner
in the corner
all of them perfect--
the corners
the Blue Lady's delight

Scribbling nothings
sippin' on somethings
her brown eyes finding
the lighting a bit dim
but perfect for the night

She calls for one more--
a Michelob for the road
a light for her cigarette
a match for her soul

The night gets heavy
as the regulars pile in
they say hi and she smiles
her eyes stay with her pen
scribbling somethings
lips whispering nothings
as the night rides on...

the bartender smiles
eight miles high--
he brings her her poison
she tips him
flips him
asks him to sit tight,
as the open sign flickers
red and blue fire light
the Blue Lady leans over,
and with no words spoken
her brown eyes warming
to a Friday night fever...

singleton said...

He stood in the archway
smiling
crooked
and not quite sure,
his fingers
fell on the silver
one two three four
trying to count
without seeming obvious
how many silver studs
in a circle it took to
link the chain.....

I watched...
and waited in whimsy...
hell if I care what he thinks,
"66" I said from my corner,
and he shifted his weight
and yawned,
bored with the math he was
dying to know,
but I laughed before he could
carry one over and count....

99 bottles of beer on the wall,
chain
chain
chained.....

The Butterfly Bar said...

it was love at first sight.

The Butterfly Bar said...

ha! That was the end of the other, but we're all good...

I've missed the porch party madness.

singleton said...

Soulmates
are very often
ditched
the moment they lay
eyes
on my house....
stepping up,
stepping in,
falling back,
too polite to say.....
"What the hell were you on?"
and I smile,
knowing once again,
these walls and I are wise

The Butterfly Bar said...

99 beers
minus two
but who's counting?

99 empties
on the wall by the morning

the sun shines
through amber glass
making shadows of cowboys
before they all fall...

singleton said...

gotta take five
Kimbies on the line....
BRB :)

The Butterfly Bar said...

A soulmate in full flight--
it mustn't have
couldn't have
shouldn't have
been meant to be

A soulmate down the block

at least you still have me...

The Butterfly Bar said...

Say hi to Kimbies!

The fire that makes you girls so very hot!

singleton said...

She's a queen
and she does the Mayday dance,
She's a princess with a tattered
and torn
tiara of twigs and rags,
a barefoot bride
in the kitchen,
the backyard,
the miles and salty miles of the oceanside,
collecting magic and mussels and make-believes,
She's a hero,
an infommercial selling
real true love
on late night TV....


She's a woman,
a Mother,
a hand-me down heart....
purple and faded,
a polaroid flash....

A moment,
a second,
another chance...

singleton said...

I saw him
five fingers one hand
five fingers the other
ten toes all together
flying
falling
rubbing his eyes
too tired
worn out
from the show
to go on
sleepy
and snug
safe
in his Mommy....

I saw him
bonking his head on his
fifth solo step,
face first in cake,
one candle high,
bullied and black-eyed
at seven
just once,
on the bicycle
wheelied
and free
flying past stop signs
and time-to-come-homes,
sixteen in love,
at eighteen hungover
too tired
and worn out
from the show to go on....
in his Mommy' eyes.....

I saw him....

The Butterfly Bar said...

A day
a week
a month
a year
no matter how long
she'll always have
the last dance...

The queen of the mayflies
the queen of seven seas

the beach is her bedroom
the moon is her lover
the sun is her partner
and the clouds
fly by
on the wind of her waves

singleton said...

Friday's are for dancin'.....

singleton said...

oooohh I like that!

The Butterfly Bar said...

that one goes with the Queen poem,

this one...


in his mommy's eyes
he'll always be
her undercover angle
her milestone man

I saw him tonight
and he knows--
he knows
everything
will be all right
as long
as he remains
her glowstick
her candle flame
her beacon in the night

singleton said...

JSYK, we girls are havin' an emotional clink! tonight....Somehow we've gone in a circle, daughters~sons to yesterdays ~ tomorrows,
sisters,
holding hands
wading
waiting
treading
floating

The Butterfly Bar said...

that they are!

dance, baby dance!

clink!

The Butterfly Bar said...

I'm sharing the love... because you let me...

TY, my friend.

singleton said...

things have been cuckoo lately,
everywhere,
upside down
inside out and backwards
and somehow
I believe more than ever.....

singleton said...

It's the clock
that scares me most,
two hours fast in the kitchen,
forty minutes ahead by my bed,
frozen forever on midnight,
it's the clock
that steals
the most....

The Butterfly Bar said...

I know it.

New life on the way, Haley in college and balancing the new mom act with it.

And you, the mother, the friend, the sister of three...

Three wise sisters,
all gathered
to see the son born
the star
of the southeast

singleton said...

Sometimes I can't believe
that I waited
so long to live
and I'd almost be
disappointed
if I didn't know any better....

The Butterfly Bar said...

time flying by
time in our lives

numbers
letters
words
like ghosts

time to heal old wounds
time to welcome
a new life
to the circle.

singleton said...

Haley will be strong....
I saw it in her eyes....
there,
then,
when she saw him....

This child,
my child,
who says so often
"But I'm not like you,
I'm not like them,
Aunt Paigey and Kim"

She is...
I saw it in her eyes.....

The Butterfly Bar said...

look at us! dancing and clinking all over the place...

You do know better--am I ever glad that you took the path you did, each step perfect, leading you to here and now.

It may sound selfish, but I am so glad I found you. You have helped me to grow so much...

That's what I call a circle.

And I didn't even know it was there.

singleton said...

She doesn't have my hair,
my eyes,
my toes or fingers,
She doesn't understand
my words
except LOVE
or the way I string them together,
She doesn't share my blood,

but my soul....
and "In this way of love is the balance kept"

singleton said...

May the circle be unbroken.....
This year is a
bird's nest,
gathered, tethered, trinket lined...

The Butterfly Bar said...

word-wise
a letter box perfect

this year I did rise
this year
you helped a soul
climb up and out
of a deep dark hole...

I'm floating with you
and you
you fly high
and walk
like tip toes in hot sun
your heels on the sun

singleton said...

Hey! Let's hit publish! We've got a ton of trinkets in the trunk!

singleton said...

ta! dah!

The Butterfly Bar said...

word-wise,
wild eyes
and letter box perfect

this year I did rise
this glorious year
you helped a soul
climb up and out
of a deep dark hole
where the demons
were wearing me down...

Now I'm floating
with you
and you--
you fly high
and walk
like tip toes in hot sand
your heels on a golden sun

The Butterfly Bar said...

OK, now that it's perfect...

You know me ;), mister edit me, fix me, make me just right...

I'll hit publish on a new one.

Hey, I was wondering. Can we both be checked into the butterfly at the same time? That would be weird.

The Butterfly Bar said...

both of us on wings at the same time...

And I know how to fix blogger's bully problem. It's made for the newest versions of Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. So google Mozilla Firfox Update, install it, restart your computer and it won't make the lines change ever again.

I can't believe the difference!

singleton said...

Now you're way over my head! I don't know anything at all about all that hoo-hah, I just hit publish and raindance!

I'm at the movies,
all alone,
ten dollar popcorn
ju-ju's
and coke,
watching
and waiting......
in the velveteen seat.....

skinnylittleblonde said...

Mmmmmmhmmmmmm.....May we all be blessed!

Princess Pointful said...

How great was that first verse?!
Backwards, forwards, upside down... peace!

eric1313 said...

SLB

You surely are blessed already--but what they hey? It's the holidays...

Bless your butterfly soul, Skinny.

You're always welcome here.


Princess

Fantastic! I love it all. Singleton really does have an eye for the verses, though. She's the one that put this baby together. I was feeling down and out and she swooped in and picked up where we left off.

Thanks for the stops, friends.

We love ya!

Maithri said...

Im so humbled to see my little name next to such enormous talent.

Lots of love, M

singleton said...

Maithri.....
I hope you don't mind that your words,
little gifted postcards in the comment box,
became part of this story....
the story of peace....
it came together like a
little birdnest,
one little trinket,
golden ribbon
at a time....

thank you, my friend