ON THIRTY

At eight years past
Or perhaps six
You were pulled
Arguing, across my path
by a girl with eyes wide set as mine.
You wore the faddish
stupid pants of the day.
Eventually
I rolled up my sleeves
And threw my forearms
Around your raving countenance.
You paced
Still do
Frenetic
Anxious
Sponge on wheels
Suck it up
All glorious life
All yammering living.

Tonight
Your 29 years
Still tumescent
Roll away behind you.

I ride facing backwards on a train
From jazz central
Back into the womb
Of your caring family
And eloquent friends
Together
Celebrating your breath
Laughter
Your flow
Magical exuberance of sexy intellect
Childish insecurity
And macho vitality.

We love every bit
Toast your life
Hold you close
Want forever
Your respect
Promise our love
Declare our loyalties.

Your world
Always ours
Our joy at your presence
Tasting
Of deep red wine
on our tongues.













~ for NG, 4/25/08

GLIMMERING RAY DUET

Poems 1996

Lucky Stars
Hypnosis
9:30 am
Friend
See Spot Run
Mirrors
Spigot
At Odd Times
Get Me Outta / Into Here
Rails
Loco-Motif
My Sadness
Peaks
Es Per Rondo
Two Poets Circle A Rose
The Lock-Up
The Silent Treatment



Dedicated to Katie and Nicky for rekindling the fire
And bringing poetry back into my life

To read each individual poem click on it's title above or in the archive menu at right. 

The following 17 poems (indexed above) are from the collection
GLIMMERING RAY DUET (c) 1996 Brad Riesau

To read each individual poem click on it's title above or in the archive menu at right.

Mirrors

I.
Now
you are me
jealousy beckons me
forward
toward the strength
of your fragile ego
the embrace
of your outstretched friendship
the cool,
fragrant,
musky scent
of your love for her.

She
the catalyst
the muse
passionate vehicle
coincidentally
exposing my buried self-confidence
bruising my ticking clock
like a mirror
of when I was you.

(When
I became
one
with the wildcat
of my inner
reverberating
restlessness...
When
the world's mystery and newness,
apocalyptic tumbling
head
over ass
-kissing
heels
dealt a daily blow
to what I considered reality...
When
I was convinced the world was my canvas
that my SPIRIT
my eyes
my liberal soul
would chase down the devil's dragons
beat them into fiery oblivion
with passion
grace
and beautiful
caring Heart.

My fingertips touched
everything --
new...)


II.

to drink wine
on a marble statue of some
pioneering immigrant
who made the wild
wilderness of San Francisco
tame
for legions of thrill-seeking
maverick
mind-rovers
for all times to come.

I sat
with one of few angels
who have graced my intellect,
my battered soul
my racing heart
with instant
no
holds
barred
timeless understanding.

We drank
We cried
We drank
watched twinkling ships
turn to stars
dotting the pre-fog horizon
touched each other's skin
with laughing breath
drying the tears
with dreams.

I'd go away and scribble down
inane
though heartfelt
mirrors of my tortured love
of my naive fears
of open,
thrilled eyes

when I was you.

-- 6/20/96 fat rick's
for nicky galasso