They

Alexander Knight

From solid holes,

They crawl through;

They—

Those unknowns

We hope to never know.

They crawl through like a child

Crawling out the womb,

Of a mother glad to see him out.

They crawl out and know us.

They watch us,

They see us

And we see nothing.

They touch us and we feel their breeze.

They poke us and we scratch it.

They bite us and we twist in some pain

From some object we lifted yesterday.

They hate us,

And we analyze our conversations with the living,

And criticize this and that that we said,

When they watched us,

And hated us.

They crawl through,

And aren’t seen,

Because they know we fear,

What we cannot see.

We lie,

They wait.

2008

They the Stars

Alexander Knight

I see the sky

Through telescope,

The Stars

So far away.

I speak to Them

But also know,

That They don’t hear the words

I say.

I think They care

About each other,

I think

That They just may.

Then I remember

That the Stars,

Don’t see Themselves

As They.

2008

My Love

Alexander Knight

I feel worthless.

Has my ignorance given birth

To this?

Did I not give

Attention you needed?

Forget you exist

Even if for a moment?

Has your love for me depleted?

If so, then I stand to bear testament:

Maybe I didn’t treat you like the

Goddess you are;

May have abused you

And used you

And pushed too hard.

I never thought

I’d hurt you;

you seemed too strong,

Too brave,

Too true.

I try to tell myself that you’ll pull through.

Guess I should have thought of this

Going round the bends.

I beg God,

Tell me

What we have doesn’t have to end.

Remember the hour we spent

Parked by the lake?

And all of the fun we had

On our very first date!

Went to movies and parties,

Ate out all the time. Been through more together

Than all my best friends

Combined.

Many ups,

Many downs,

Never once saw you frown.

Saw me at my worst,

Broke the law, heard me curse.

No matter what I did

You were always there for me,

And when I was with you

Was the only time I was free.

I’ll remember you through eternity.

You were my very first car.

2002

My Fire

Alexander Knight

I stand next to a fire,

I know’s not lit for me;

I hide her warmth into my heart,

And feel in heat most painfully.

The flames all seem to dance for joy,

Not knowing I am here,

She burns and thrusts up toward the sky,

Without a worried care.

As I’m standing by this painful blaze,

My skin all burning red,

The flames don’t seem to dance as much,

Like her will to burn is dead.

Next to, I see a stack of wood,

Disarrayed and unattended,

I shyly feed two logs on top,

And quick her will is mended.

It’s then the flames leap out at me,

And wrap me in her arms,

An invite I did not expect

That does me little harm.

I realize the truth then,

As I fall into her dance,

The wood, the heat, the invite,

Was her giving me a chance.

She’s beautiful and warm,

And she dances fluidly,

And whispers heat into my ear,

That she was lit, and burns for me.

2008

My Heart

Alexander Knight

My heart is like a shallow grave,

With a scared young boy inside;

Who climbed into a coffin,

To find a place to hide.

My heart’s locked up a lion,

Inside its tiny cage;

Who lays around and sleeps all day,

Building up his rage.

My heart is like a prison cell,

With an innocent inside;

Hungry, cold, and naked,

Stripped of all his pride.

My heart is like a lot of things,

But never like a heart.

It waits, locked up and buried,

To tear itself apart.

2007

Her

Alexander Knight

Would day darken with the rising sun?

Does thirst alone quench the dry tongue?

Yearnings grow with time unspent,

Spent with her love progresses.

And I know this:

A long conversation with you,

Under a blue moon draping tinsel onto your shoulders,

And my mind would know clarity.

My joy would overflow from every point of my soul.

To run my hand through your soft, shining hair,

I dare not dream.

Waking from this dream alone excruciates my frame,

And grieves my heart past aid.

The warmth of your breath,

Would appease my heart’s anguish for you.

To see your face,

And end this fervency I feel.

Would I allow?

Would my passion end with a kiss?

I look.

I dream.

I prepare to someday be worthy to pierce your beauty with my eyes,

And feel no pain.

To hold you to me,

Press your face against mine,

And know beyond the shadow of the slightest doubt,

That you love me.

2002

Merciful Undertaker

Alexander Knight

Merciful Undertaker,

When you dig where I will die,

Could you put me 10-feet-under,

And hard-pack the dirt

So I’ll have to comply?

My will to survive

Would cause my disgrace.

I’d doubt your good mercy,

And claw my way out—

Out of that safe place.

You must not allow me.

Cut the string from my bell.

Blame the distant crowd,

Or the hidden mockingbird,

If you hear me yell.

Kind Undertaker, I’d make you regret it,

If you lower a ladder.

Do not call help.

Please, ignore my screaming grave,

Or I’ll cry so much harder,

And die so much slower.

June 29, 2007