Kevin Bartnof–
Collected Poems

 

For Kevin…

Come with me and forget all
your problems under my wing
lay your tired head on my breast
and watch all your battles
fly away

Your trials and quests
Your unanswered questions seem
meaningless now,
irrelevant compared to love

Come with me to safety
rest in our warmth
a house to shelter us from the storms outside
let me protect you from the wild
things and beasts to which you
are helpless
Protection from loneliness
from the harsh cold inside your
heart

I'll open up your soul and show
you the goodness
together we will see the beauty
and light
Strong, yet soft
connected by love
only wishing happiness for the other

—Chris Behling

 

For Kevin

Together we ushered in the nights, long and cold
As the moon swore, we shivered to believe
We tore substance off the windowed blinds
The air became a shelf for time
Newer ages were born in the seconds before dawn
When the right to join was gained
Friends carried baskets of words to trade
And the fire glowed in the corner, caged

Brother there is an angel
Who told me to hold you
Wrapped in feathered arms of love
To the one who almost fell
I reach with all my weight
Stretch to find your hand
Lay myself on memories
And smile at our fate

…There is truth in darkeness
…There is light within

The days were never solid bored
So we built our own ground
Every new morning when the neighbors growled
We started in with hands, bloody and heavied
Soil ws turned in the livingroom
Paintings drawn to fit and serve
Secrets put to musical time
Like rows of measured tests

This angel, she tells me your troubles
Asks for me to stay
Listens for my answer
Brings water to the well
I carry her within my hand
Like a jewel that might implode
Caring for her beating core
Standing where I stand

…There is life outside the middle
…The path is never too old.

—Eric Lyden, March 16, 2001