I bought a compass so I would always know
where I was in relation to you.
Tired of North and South I left East and
went to become a cowboy.

A universe lays beneath the needle.
Magnets sewing the poles together
pull the maps fabric tight.
Do you consider the
state of my canteen?
To quench thirst I drank water
collected on leaves.
You leave and now I'm kissing branches,
sleeping with dogs, the feeling of fleas
is mutual.

My survival skills are weak.
Reluctant to walk the extra mile only to
discover paradise...
was a mirage.
I've learned to ride with blisters
and stings but every attempt at calculating
the distance between us
leaves me with sun
in my eyes.

Quiet days last longer.
I dream of rope and knots.
Starvation robbed me of my principles.
Bones show that we are just trying
to live.
Dust settles.
Hair full of tumbleweeds.

Without you fire is the hardest.
Scraping the flint reminds me of
making love.
Sharp edge up and down,
turn it over,
make a spark.
Attempting to nest an ember into kindling,
with cupped hands and pursed lips.
Chatting to a baby bird on the prairie.
I'm teaching fire to fly -
a blaze we nurture
just before it dies.

January, 2008