THE WREATH

Birth! Only the beginning of a long prelude to death.
Life is just the time before the skimming of the cream,
The flower on the Wreath.
Everything you do is finally ended in the start
Of the rest of your existence
In which your body plays no part.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is no room for resistance
To this far, far greater force.
You should not fear its coming
For it is the only course.
Its beauty never ending,
Its peace a moving Cart
Of the rest of your existence
In which your body plays no part.

DESIRE AND REALITY

I hear your voice,
Soft, sweet, coming from far away.
I hear it clearly
As though you are sitting near me.
Distance is meaningless
In the hearing of it.
Distance is everything
When it comes to touching
My lips to yours.
How soft is a touch
When it is mere words
On a page?
How sweet is a kiss
That happens in my mind?
So sweet, indeed,
I can almost taste it
On my tongue.
The ache, too real,
My lips not as fooled.
My arms, too empty,
Reach out.
The air I find,
Too cold.

-Steven Willy Rachlin 1/11/10