A Lesson on Forgetting

Do not obsess, dear one
over the loss of a friend, a love, a young or old face

Let your eyes rest from seeking them out
You will not see them
Let your ears, again, find solace in near sounds
The voices they long for will not be heard

Do not obsess, poor heart
Over words misspoken, mistakes, missteps or misunderstandings

Your heart only decided over matters that were already made
Feet carried you over paths trailing for their sake
And stopped where awaiting tents were pitched before you came

Do not obsess, dear one
over the loss of a friend, a love, a young or old face

Slowly, with kindness, knead the longing out of your fingers
Teach them to forget the wrinkles over which they lingered

Dance Fool

Dancing with a fever
is never a good idea
still, one cannot help but move
when a certain song slips through

Delirious and dizzy
helplessly spinning to wily ways of a sax
fever or no fever
I must move

Because the crooning voice cannot be denied
especially when the words are each delivered like a beautiful surprise
the throat pregnant with notes
carrying them, loving them into being

Sometimes music can be that good
that I am willing to compromise my center of gravity
lose my balance
and simply dance

Dancing with a fever
is never a good idea
still, succor is more likely to come
when I'm a dancing reeling fool