You’ve gone silent 
like some submarine
diving beneath surface 
engine screws off
swimming about stealthily 
planning its attack 
or perhaps escape 
why not say
rather than peep
so many men 
play these silly 
games of love 
and of war
one move here 
one move there 
check check check
mate and the 
king is dead 

I am blind
no not of
eye but I 
of kidding myself 
giving too much 
attention while looking 
the other way 
a corrupt blindness 
one of need
that cloaks everything 
even common sense 
how could I
not see the
very thing in
front of me 
because darling eyes 
have no ears 
in which to 
hear the lies

And yet sometimes 
I lumber my
limber wit lame 
and limping and 
not even coffee 
can jumpstart it 
like desires itch
as I pull 
you closer hoping 
that the heat
of you will 
ignite the flame 
deep in me 
setting things ablaze 
more often not 
both words and 
intimacy stall causing 
a soft landing 
of quiet absent
and distant affection 

Funny how we
are drawn to 
light but find
such comfort in 
darkness as though 
night is the 
lover and day
is the spouse 

Of all of 
the things that 
I have never 
counted were the 
number of cups 
to have met
my lips and 
just how many 
contained poison of
which I was 
unaware until it
was too late