dreams

it starts out like those before
at the beach house I adore
you and I on the portico
listening to the music drone

under the Crescent's lunar light
a million stars shining oh so bright
talking, laughing and kicking back
a song plays and we begin our dance

you are holding me so close
by the sea and its repose
an urgent kiss that's long and deep
and it stirs me in my sleep

dreams are that--only dreams
made up of hopes and old feelings
they come to me when I'm asleep
thoughts of you that still lay deep
and our love not meant to be

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

when

when feeling isn't enough to hold it together
when words linger unspoken on crisp air
when miles separate and distance grows
when love songs fall on a deaf heart
when your arm drops after the last dance
when time slips away with your last chance
when grace and forgiveness meet a dead end
when a heart turns cold without consideration
is there nothing else that you will do?
or will it all just go?

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

score

the tether frays that once held strong
from days and nights of being alone
like a shooting star 'cross the evening sky
flashing brilliantly before it dies
blackness fills its spot

given permission you entered inside
shaking up everything I tried to hide
oxidation ruins the places we've been
the sloppy shot circles and still falls in
two points added to your score

like a train wreck with much devastation
I sift through the pieces from our gestation
salvaging nothing, not one small part
you leave nothing inside my heart
blackness fills that spot

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

pot of gold

I am sure that there are reasons
you don't love me like you could
some of them are just plain lame
some of them may be good

the many lines that you cast out
won't float upon the water
nary a fish will hit your line
but you just can't be bothered

it's all about the giving out
not about any return
like the Phoenix of long ago
eventually you crash and burn

your legs are tired and you're weary
from the mountains that you climb
you've spent it all on souvenirs
you're down to your last dime

I may not tell this story right
but at least my side gets told
while you were chasing rainbows
you passed up the pot of gold

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

quenched

I could see it off in the distance
it beckoned to me, an oasis for the parched
offering honey and the sweetest wine
a promise to fill for a lifetime
the closer I get, further off it seems
a haze that dissipates in the midst
never quite able to grasp, to taste
to finally drink until I'm quenched
the vagueness, the mental imagery
disappears, eluding me

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

lost

it was many a year ago
when time stood still
as we built dreams
added questions
subtracted faith
plunged ahead
into dark mornings
waiting for sun--
stars fade
the moon sleeps
and you and I
somehow
ceased to be

I waited for you
on my plateau
it took too long
never looking
to see where I landed
you deviate from
the path we choose
seeking easier
looking for longer
of which,
you would find,
neither
we both lost
,
Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

I do believe

I watched it all go up in smoke
the fire kindled with words you spoke
written for the world to see
blowing through the leafless trees
nothing of it came to be

wrapped in velvet and put away
with the news from yesterday
thoughts that reappear as dreams
spilling from my memory's seam
in my sleep a soundless scream

the clock ticks away the midnight hour
sleep falls away in my morning shower
I send it back where it belongs
that part of you that is long gone
while dark clouds wait for the dawn

morning coffee tastes the same
grounds in the bottom that still remain
a taste that now is bittersweet
those mornings you shared with me
nothing grows from what's skin deep

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

more than I will give

past your sentries I slip in
scaling easily your walled mind
past guard dogs with paws on bones
under the eyes of a crescent moon
stealthily slipping down the hall
I falter and contemplate my next move

asleep, I find you all stretched out
a sheet protecting you from the cold
a kiss on your lips...they quiver beneath
searching for more than I will give
you do not awaken, but stir and moan
a dream you think, alas, you're wrong

assaulting your senses a sweet perfume
of yesterdays and laughing green eyes
a walk by the ocean, footsteps in sand
a tide of passion by the sea that ebbs
warm sun burning tender white skin
as your heart opens and I flow in

waking fully, you grasp for the dream
squinting in darkness you murmur my name
reaching out your hand and grabbing thin air
looking for something you felt was there
I step to the left in the shadowed room
no sounds do I make as I retrace my path
past the sentries and sleeping dogs
leaving the same way I came in

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margin call

the piper makes a margin call
you pay with purest silver
a Judas kiss placed on the lips
of dreams that leave you quivering

shadows stretch across the lawns
the traffic lights are red
thoughts race through a busy mind
as you downshift into dread

nothing that was promised
has come forth to fruition
going past the mountains
with all of their superstitions

on you drive past sleeping valleys
nestled in open ranges
the sun sinks low--night settles in
but the crescent moon looks strange

damn the piper and the devil's dues
the deck was always stacked
you paid out with heart and soul
and it's too late to turn back

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

fool's gold

it heated your bed but not that part
where the burning questions lay
you picked it up and put it back
but never in the same place

like a moth unto a flame
you hovered to stay warm
never thinking what you gave
could do it any harm

infinite in your wisdom
playing the cards real close
a picture of a wanted man
hanging in a storefront window

pondering if the path is true
what happens if you stray
not a sign to guide you
as you travel life's highway

apparitions come in dreams
ghosts from yesterday's news
blowing like a tumbleweed
as you seek a different view

wandering and wondering
what the future holds
pondering if this thing you've found
could just be more fool's gold

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

half blind

over the border
and across the line
best guess forward
as I follow behind
I travel the path
smell the roses with thorns
looking not touching
seeing red flags that warn

between blown tumbleweeds
and the spinney soul
in the depths of deception
and what used to be whole
all that remains from
where the wheel rolled
are tracks in smooth sand
from what's taken its toll

the hour grows early
the sun has not risen
the trail grows weary
as it breaks from tradition
handing down emptiness
I shake hands with what's given
it all looks so innocent
in this standard of living

arching my back
as I stretch and yawn
there in my consciousness
it seeps from the claws
inside the chambers
and this ditch of my mind
I remove my sunglasses
and I stare out half blind

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getting out

you're wakin' from the darkness
coming round to your senses
deciding to use risk management
see what all the fuss was about
the boat pushes back from shore
and you're runnin down the dock
as the gang plank is pulled back
a chance that is just missed

I see you from the deck
my hand shading my view
hair blowing in the breeze
one tear slipping from my eyes
the things we thought we wanted
like waves hitting on the shore
and I can barely see you
but I wave to you once more

while we both were searching
wading that river of doubt
it was so easy to fall into
so much harder to get out
I find the way without a compass
using the sun as a guide
and I can barely see you
as I blow a kiss goodbye

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

not making sense

I let go and it all slipped away
I start all over, again and again
like a million times before
there's no getting even or settling scores
I try to make sense of the rain

like the empty picture frame
where our picture used to be
like the dreams of the kisses
with my hand upon your face
I try to make sense of what's left

was it ever as it seemed?
were you ever even here?
an apparition of love
the beat of one heart
I try to make sense of the pain

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

you love me

you love me for the one-liners
that I quote from movies and songs
you love me for my eyes of green
and my hair that's streaked with blond
you love me for the length of my legs
that you say go on and on
you love me for my tiny waist
that your hands meet around
you love that when you touch me
a fire starts to burn
you love that when I leave you
I'm never gone for long
you love me more than your luggage
and baby, that's pretty strong

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

I think I see

every now and again
when the wind is blowing just right
I hear the music playing
like it did our very first night
maybe it's just the mesquite
or the call of the nightingale
but I know I can hear it
and I think I always will

when the clouds are forming
in the morning sky
I think I see you looking
with those crystal clear blue eyes
and if I squint mine tightly
I think I catch your wink
maybe it just the sun's glare
or you're closer than I think

I can smell the raindrops
and all the flowers that bloom
I can hear the music
that I first heard with you
I can hear you singing
in that perfect pitch
I still get the feeling
that there's much more to this

no longer are there messages
that you used to text
my phone no longer rings
and this I truly miss
while you're slaying your dragons
mine won't leave me alone
you don't miss what you don't have
'cause you're not coming home

many things left incomplete
the papers are stacking up
no longer sharing coffee
you took your favorite cup
the dust settled on the floor
with all you left behind
I could see our future
but I think you were blind

I can smell the raindrops
and all the flowers that bloom
I can hear the music
that I first heard with you
I can hear you singing
in that perfect pitch
I still get the feeling
that there's much more to this

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

a piece you won't forget

I didn't take you for a fool
but you've done some foolish things
as you run in and out of my life
leaving welts that sting

it's like shooting at a target
missing the dead center
when I think the door is shut
once again you'd re-enter

placating my immanent grace
as each bridge you did burn
never getting the nuances
oh, the things you'll never learn

no, I didn't take you for a fool
and I may have been a fool for love
it all dries up just like the wash
when the rain stops from above

maybe you'll be sorry
maybe there's no regrets
but way down deep inside you
lays a piece of me you won't forget

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

winter

the desert mountains
peppered with snow
winter comes
with its frosty glow
a beautiful photo
remains in my mind
of saguaro standing
spines sparkle
with ice


Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

nature

a hawk soars high in cloudless sky
echoing, its shrilling screech
perching on a still dead limb
sitting, watching you and me

snow lays still upon the bank
protected by the acres of trees
ripples flow across the lake
from a chilling spring time breeze

casting in the stillness
your three you set free
my first rainbow not let go
but grilled that night for me


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Monsoon

Thunder crashes in the night
Sideways lighting in the desert sky
Torrential rain to cool it  down
on the patio I watch it surround
A fresh breeze that blows my hair
Fragrant smell of rain in the air
Hours that pass, the rain doesn’t cease
Offering up a pleasant peace

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Rain

The heavens open
The rain falls
Torrential, cleansing rain

I stand outside arms outstretched
Letting the rain soak me
Drenching, cooling rain

Wash away my sins
Renew my soul
Baptizing, spiritual rain

I ask too much
The rain dissipates and I am the same
Ordinary, common rain

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

torrential rain

pounding on skylight
nature’s beautiful music
lulling me to sleep

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

remembering this

when you look at the mountains
when you feel the cool breeze
when you hear the wind whisper
through the mesquite trees
when you smell the rain
from the desert monsoon
when you see the stars
and the crescent moon
will you think of me
remembering back
a bookmark in a chapter
a page torn from your past

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

monsoon

days hurry toward the future
minutes and hours ticking away
trying to hurdle the barriers
that keep obstructing my way
daylight is getting longer
I work more than I play
the desert is getting hotter
I need some cooling rain

I'm ready for the storm clouds
for the lightning flash
followed by the thunder
that rattles with its crash
I'm ready for the liquid silver
of each torrential drop
I love that nitrogen smell
I want the monsoon to start

tomorrow is not here yet
and it's already yesterday
life is just too short
there is always the piper to pay
I want to live in each moment
smell the fragrance of each day
and I am inviting you
to play out in my rain

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

all I feel inside

my vocabulary is extensive
but there are not enough words
to tell you how I'm feeling
that you haven't already heard

I could try to paint a picture
but there aren't enough hues
to wash the canvas with color
or paint the colors of you

the wonders of this love I feel
just can't be described
so I guess I'll have to show you
all the things I feel inside

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

nothing looks better

I put the magazine down
gave the guide a look
read another chapter
in a very long book
the days are long
and nights are worse
a dreamless sleep
my insomniac curse

drank a pot of coffee
all here by myself
wiped down all the counters
cleaned off a few shelves
then I went to work
put in a very long day
there's just is no fun
when you've gone away

finally got my hair cut
had lunch with some friends
it fills up the hours
but the time never ends
I then did some shopping
tried on stuff in blue
but nothing does look better
better on me than you

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

the current

how swift the current
useless to fight the great waves
in over my heart

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

every now and then

every now and then you
drift across my mind
thoughts of a different time
fantasy left behind

every now and then I
remember that first glance
when we took a chance
smiling as we danced

every now and then you
drift across my mind
do you think of me in kind
and memories that remind

history

when the snow falls high outside your door
and the wind blows cold from a North sky
let your mind drift to a distant shore
let my love keep you warm

in your place with cup in hand
the aroma strong, your favorite blend
let your mind wander back to a memory
of a time and place in our history

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

music from the 70's

music from the 70's
groups that have been revived
songs that played in another time
bringing back part of our young lives

my hair was so much longer
bell bottoms, low on my hips
listening to them on the radio
when all of that was "in"

I've got a lighter ready
to show appreciation
as we reminisce once more
to their life's dedication

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

wonderland

blanketed with fresh fallen snow
white, crystallized in a full moon's glow
doe eyes view--the only beholder
paw prints left from the intruder

underneath in frozen wonder
grass lays green, an icy tundra
waiting for the warm breath of spring
a thawing trend to set it free

wandering through this wonderland
silence plays without its band
laying down moving hands and feet
a snow angel the marking that I leave

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winter returns

lantana poke their flowery heads
out of winter flower beds
thinking it was safe to bloom
meet their death from icy doom



Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

thin air

the picture painted in my mind
a portrait of sympathetic lines
drawn from a black and white photograph
a still life and its aftermath
listening to reason all the while
a play list that always made me smile
what shines brightly with the sun
runs and hides when the evening comes

as the strangers stop and stare
at a masterpiece that isn't there
memories locked inside a vault
the stones can't hit from the catapult
saying nothing deafeningly loud
feeding loaves and fishes to the crowd
we mourn here what is left alone
once all of the hope has up and flown

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

gather strength

lift up your head
make light the load
gather strength from those you hold close
construct every tower, every wall
built from reoccurring dreams
life is what we chose to make
yesterday's reality

in a flash, it all reigns down
thundering, as it hits the ground
run for cover--it may seem
neverending vanity
change your ways, repent you fool
rusted like a left out tool

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

Freedom

you came back from the vietnam war
different from how you were before
thunder brought nightmares from
all that you saw
through the jungles
your way you did claw

buddies that passed
and wouldn't come home
always a soldier, but
never alone
not ever the same
that boy that was sent
all that lays dead
like the bullets
there spent

my husband, my lover
the father of two
a flag now that's draped
and well covers you
thanks for your service
and all that you did
so freedom will reign
long after you're dead

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time well spent

the clouds all lift
and I find my place
in the sun that glints
on halo's that grace
it's time well spent
and I want more
mercy answers
with an open door

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

Veterans

all of those that served
thank you for keeping us free
heroes, all of you

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it all fits

candles lit
wax drips
I am firmly
in your grips

underneath
Egyptian sheets
passion grows
as our love heats

in my heart
you're the part
I knew it well
right from the start

it all fits
well matched wits
loving all
I taste of this

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

ghosts

when I ran on empty
you filled my life
working around
what lays behind
days of heartbreak
an eye that was blind
you touch my heart
and ease my mind

months of cold
and listless days
starting over
all of that erased
once again, I pledge my love
letting all the ghosts abate
if I think about it much
will it be the same debate?

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

sunset

there is a reason
the sun sets in the West
going down, the day is done
and as we relax and unwind
it sizzles softly into the ocean

mountains majestic
green and tall
the mighty saguaro
arms outstretched

the moon rises high
to a coyote howl
and a million stars
watch us sleep

the sun, jealous, in the East
rises early and tries to compete
although the dawn is a beautiful red
the splendor of the sunset wins

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

leaves

leaves...red, orange and brown
barren limbs from where they hung
winter coming fast

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

your every move

there's a master plan
we just can't see
maybe, hidden by mountains
or shady mesquite
sometimes we can't see the light
but we can feel the heat
open your mind
before you retreat

when forgiveness feels
like a foreign place
where serenity
doesn't show its grace
when you search for peace
but it escapes
and the remaining dregs
shake what's left of faith

you read the books
attend the groups
it doesn't soak in
or help to soothe
the shadow shrinks
but is never removed
the shroud still covers
your every move

there's a master plan
we just can't see
maybe, hidden by mountains
or shady mesquite
sometimes we can't see the light
but we can feel the heat
open your mind
before you retreat

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

not a cowgirl

you've got me listening to country
some of these lyrics ring true
 my foot may be tapping in time
but I don't wear cowgirl boots

I don't own a cowgirl hat
I know you have a few
all of mine are caps with brims
and some sport logos too (not John Deere)

I don't drive a pick-up truck
imports are what suit me
I do like driving a stick shift
but not wearing Wrangler jeans

I don't live in Nashville
I do live in the West
I do love to shoot a gun
a cowgirl at heart I guess

now, you've got me singing along
to these catchy rhythmic tunes
I think I could even write a few
send me some more would you?

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

my drift

if I left my heart in San Francisco
but I'm in Luckenbach, Texas
if Chicago is my kind of town
but I need to please come to Boston
if by the time I get to Phoenix
I'm on a corner in Winslow, Arizona
if I am having a Rocky Mountain high
but I am kissing L.A. goodbye
if I shuffle off to Buffalo
can I catch the last train to Clarksville
if all of my ex's live in Texas
that's why I'm wasted in Margaritaville
if everything spins--like the quarter that flips
or much quicker than a New York minute
if you get the gist of these tunes that were hits
then you catch my drift and where all this was going

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leather

they're a perfect fit
and okay, I will admit
I look hot in chaps

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scent of rain haiku

the nitrogen smell
that comes before the rain falls
a scent that I love

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Desert Rain

A southwest sky
Blue and clear
Wishing for storm clouds
To reappear

The desert monsoon
That gives us life
Deafening thunder and
Lightning strikes

A month of rain
Cool and clean
Replenishing all
Making the desert green

The washes fill
And overflow
Hazardous driving
We’ve come to know

I love the monsoons
And the month of rain
It doesn’t last long
In this terrain

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

storm

it may storm and the winds may blow
the lightning flash and thunder rumble
we weather the storms and the monsoon rain
climb out of the washes where the water rushes

the tempest blows and pushes hard
but we're holding on, holding strong
wandering down this mountainside
to the valley below where the stars collide

take my hand and lead me through
protect this heart wrapped up in you
suspend the moments and hold the thoughts
breathing freshness, the storm has wrought

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License