I should be simple and plain.
I should excuse myself -
Apologetically raise a hand
And the eyebrows over
My widened eyes
And say
Forgive me
But give me a moment,
Should withdraw to another room
And undress my mind
Of its baroque ornaments,
Returning soon enough
That you don’t worry or wonder,
Should return with an unexaggerated urgency,
Now readied, and properly dressed
For the occasion
Should then say
As I’ve wished to
Tried to
But
Stumbled over
The trills
And the oblique counterpoint
Only to hear the then unheard but
Called-upon melody
Later, in solitude…
Should say
To you
Simply and plainly
Don’t you see
How I love you
How dearly I want
To give you my love
How you’re the sun in the sky
In the middle of the night
And the smattering of stars
Waiting patiently
Behind the garish glow
Of a diurnal oven
In the day -
Should tell you
All of that
Should tell you all of that
In a thousand ways
Endlessly
Should tell you
Everything
I’ve already
Been telling you
Endlessly
In a thousand ways.
