David Jackson

Stay With Me Tonight
By Paul Gilbert

Stay with me tonight
Stay with me tonight,
allow our love full expression
let us move slowly
to this experience called
passion.
not fumbling quickly
and lose the sense of
intimacy
but slowly, slowly
growing in the grace
of each other’s presence.
stay with me tonight,
let us begin a journey
of discovery
with each other.
***

THE TALE OF THE ART SCHOOL AFFAIR
Sara L. Russell
12/7/98

She looked like a Pre-Raphaelite:
a haze of red hair, ashen skin,
a black skirt under a smock of white,
lips like petals carved in sin,
and you were my Eros, framed in gold,
lush curving locks around your face,
she stole the friend I had dreamed to hold,
body and soul, with her stealthy grace.

She lured your eye with no effort at all;
I began to disappear.
I became transparent, small,
I was the voice too low to hear.
You and she were everywhere,
in all my favourite college haunts –
Eros and Pre-Raphaelite-Hair,
with silent looks that pierced like taunts.

The pain grew deeper, a dull ache,
a self-devouring, dark despair.
Hearts beat on. Only egos break
mine shattered as I saw you there –
until your hormones overcame
your face, to cover it with spots.
How I laughed! Oh, what a shame,
now the golden Eros rots!

***

BEAUTY PARLOUR BLUES
c. Sara L. Russell 6/10/98

One day, at the beauty parlour,
Miss Betty Bea Vanilla
found herself in the waiting room
with a large, depressed gorilla.

“What are you in for?” she asked,
as if nothing were amiss.
The gorilla sighed as it replied:
“Electrolysis”.

(From Sara’s multimedia book Pinky’s Little Book of Shadows
published by Kedco Studios

***

A CAT’S ADVENTURE
c. Sara L. Russell, 1999
Half past twelve.
The old cat stirs himself awake,
all bristling, black fur and bleary jade-green eyes.
A flicking ear, then a long yawn follows.
He looks at the palm of my hand, blinking slowly.
There’s some kind of toy there,
fluffy outside, catnip inside.
H’mmmm.
He considers it for a moment.
Can’t eat it.
Can’t fall asleep on it.
Forget it.
The jade eyes slowly close.
It’s time for a hard-earned siesta.

(From Sara’s multimedia book
Life, Time and the GoldenHour ofSleep on
Kedco Studios’ CD ROM “A Way With Words”

***

Small town rip up fade to black
fire flies dance over the remains
of our high school love you and him
rocking that double wide I couldn’t
get myself out of the brush my eyes
darting from window to window
trying to get catch a glimpse
love and sex behind wind beaten
screens I light a smoke feel him
going where I’ve been so many
nights with you walk to my truck
try and drive you out of my memory
the rising sun saying hello to my
sorrow drenched lips

***