the present

in the moments when
i hate myself

and i want to
infuriate the world
the same way it
infuriates me

i think of what
you got me

and smile

sometimes a present
wishes someone well

like a love letter
looking for an embrace
by a lonely reader

sometimes a present
gives a person notice

like an exercise bike
waiting for a chance
to slim you down

but sometimes
a present just wants
to live with you

to dangle from
your ear
like a sparkly whisper
from a lover

or to support you
as you're walking

protecting you from
the dangers
of an endless darkness

or to stick somewhere
always to be seen

reminding you of the
dear perfection of a man
that roamed the world
with a beautiful princess, a trolley,
and a tiger with a wristwatch

that always told
the exact time
to care....

(which is always)

sometimes the wealth
of warm love
arrives all at once

warming up
the unused crevices
of a half beaten heart

(start)