Gladiatoria

Don't we look fabulous in our armor tonight!

scent as a companion

The wooden capsule drifts on the
horizon- relaxing in memories now.
Let go, and remember your brothers.
Though the chill sea airs comes the scent of
tropical sweat, warm and alive with playful exertion.
Volcanic rock lends it's dust to thin running sandals
carrying small adventures for their own sake.
There can be time for thoughts like
these in the passage between sleep and survival.
Hands and fingers rough from rope, sea water
and coconuts- warm now to the soft ceramic
surrounding this evening's coffee, and remember what it is like to
touch another's skin.

Panoramic view on the sea
In the direction of the diminishing brightness of burnt orange and pink,
Your red bellows curve to catch the air fresh with brine
to dry the wet wool socks clipped to the line,
and propel your wunderkrammer forward.
Cross-legged in your cabin, leather fingers softly clamping
a cigarette- smoke rising,
the last of the warm colors of today pass over the skin of your
eyelids, and the mystery of night's bright black stars pull at your heels.

quit or got fired

She almost called you to talk about the dead cat.
Your crazy memory seems to have dwindled significantly
but we know it would be a mistake, we know it would be disappointing.
All the cool blue afternoons could not take on anything other than
a sour pall or malaise, and the boredom killed
with such a dull slowness.