lacuna

the dinner is over
the dishes done
all the welcome chaos
of family and friends
has quieted
there is a pause
ever shorter
before the race
to the next holiday
begins


©2009-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/25/09

i breathe you in and
your essence permeates me
intoxicating

©2009-Art Belliveau

dysphoria supreme

flowing like
wet cement
covering me
filling me
then hardening
leaving me
unable to move
or breathe
or call out for help
dysphoria supreme

©2009-Art Belliveau

Bernoulli’s Principle (or Love?)

Bernoulli’s Principle (or Love?)

i hardly understand you
yet you are there
my lack of understanding
has no impact upon your reality
a disbelief in you
would not make you disappear
although invisible
your effect is profound
you make flight possible
and even i
can see and understand
that much

©2009-Art Belliveau

you and i

you and i
we are so far apart
in space
in age
in experience

yet

i have never felt
(not even once)
the closeness i feel
with you

©2009-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/21/09

from 900 miles
i still feel you touch my soul
you are always near

©2009-Art Belliveau

What I Need

To teach writing
      I need your trust
As I lead you away from
      habits built up over years
Trust in the silly exercises
      designed to break you free
Trust in the techniques of
      revision and editing I teach

Most of all--
      and this is key--
I need you to trust
      my good intentions
And believe I will not lead you--
      purposely--
astray.

©2009-Art Belliveau

wandering around in philadelphia

wandering
no set destination
in a city i don’t know
a city
steeped in history
a city
that birthed a nation
looking
seeing the modern
instead of the historic
seeing statues
impressive and looming
famous
and not
the pervasive energy of
manhattan
is lacking here
the energy is less manic
more staid
as befits a place
that birthed a nation

©2009-Art Belliveau

ungilded wings

as a child
i took my first plane ride
it was not a happy time
we were going to a funeral
my mother and i
her grandmother’s
a woman i can barely
rmember now

it was so formal
we dressed our best
we got there shortly before takeoff
no security checks
no TSA
that was in the future
just an unavoidable expense
to get us there
on time

no more romance
in flying today
it has become
common
as most experiences do
over forty years
of repetition

and even though
the flight i take now
is not to such a sad occasion
the trip is made sadder
by all the people
reading papers
sleeping
never once trying to see
the now familiar sight
of the top side of clouds

©2009-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/17/09

waiting's difficult
is it really possible?
anticipation

©2009-Art Belliveau