Three Poems

By Joseph Farina

let me be

let me be the sigh that you breathe

when your day is done

place me on your potters wheel

mold me into your perfect lover

let me be the prayers that you whisper

when you’re needing grace

I could be those things if you let me in

I could be the mason that tears down your wall

and then make an arch where I could walk in

I could be the bread that sustains you

the bread you make, knead me into loaves

that together we could share

let me be the night light that shines on you

and your bedroom that promises to guide you

I would be all of these things

if only you would let me in

***

dedicated to the one i loved

walking in the rain to morning mass

i sang in whispers to silent trees

under appreciative clearing clouds

rearranging the shirelles soldier boy

to i would be true if she would be my one love

the melody constant, drowning loneliness away

monsignor’s sermon went unheard

as i reworked the chiffons sweet talking guy

the rest of the mass a mental musical blur

until over, i raced to school as

leader of the pack

everything else that final year

was changing lyrics to my own

becoming a morning poet rebel

singing my songs to myself

dreaming of becoming so fine

in the heat wave of the summer to come

***

where something used to be

it was her perfume

as the lilacs bloomed

summer and just eighteen

we became first lovers

the twilight longing to hold us

eager to master nights’ rituals

among the crickets’ songs and

dashboard lights, we tried

so hard to be adults

but could not cross that threshold

still, beneath that youthful moon

upon lake huron’s breeze

we touched each others nascent souls

forever kept in that secret place

that we all have, where our

something used to be,

a seedling of beginnings

waiting to bloom once more

***