LINES TO WRITE

A grudging salute to National Poetry Month, for each April my wife writes a poem every night.

Lines to Write
There’s a poet upstairs on a Mac in the kitchen
With a grimace she shakes her head t’wards the back
Winter’s litter of lawn-flotsam sullies her conscience
while she waits for The Muse to pick up the slack

She has lines to write before she can sleep
No pillow ‘til poetry spills and runs deep
She has lines to write before we can play
and before she can call it a day

There’s a poet reclined by her brick and board bookshelves
In her mind she is flippin’ the bird at that view
where the porch paint is screaming “neglect” in red neon
and she waits for chiraz to whisper a clue
She has lines to write before she can sleep
No pillow ‘til poetry spills and runs deep
She has lines to write before we can play
and before every ache is obeyed

A promise to keep was “...have and to hold”
And I’ve kept my part of the poetry warm
A man can’t hold on to what ain’t there to view
Get your couplets in here and your assonance too
There’s a poet running low as the glow on her laptop
In her mind it's an eon 'til ice-tea and sun
So she trolls her subconscience for flashes of silver
while she waits for the phrase that applauds that she's done

She has lines to write before she can sleep
No pillows ‘til poetry spills and runs deep
Always lines to write before we can play
and before I dive down her duvet
and before I dive down, onamatapoea,
and before I dive down this good day
Good night!

JP - vocals, guitar
Charles Knowles - bass
Brian Samuels - cello