The Smoke and the Flames
Anthony Marovelli

moments of clarity, peace, zen, bliss

occur when the brain is unaware of itself

when the soul isn't being corrupted

by the ever churning wheel of reason

there are certain times when the Fates allow such moments

to occur...

the challenge of life is simply to know them and

live in them


out of all the shoes pointing at me

out of all these souls staring at me

out of all the

dancing feet

beating hearts

ramblin spirits


all i can feel

are her eyes


they burn me


i can hear other women's eyes come a knockin

on the door to my soul

they are nothing

they are the afternoons and the sunday evenings

She is the friday nights

saturday mornings

She is the midnight hour


i oblige their looks, the twinkle in their eyes

their invitations

looking at me, my guitar hanging

painted on my waist like some medal of honor

like some shield or other thing to save me

from the craziness

but then again the craziness is what saves you


my guitar will always be the number one woman

it’s a funny thing, my guitar...

maybe, at first, its seductive whispers have fallen on

the tender ears and hearts of young ladies

but soon after comes the pain

and when the pain comes my hands go back to her

hips and waist, they caress her neck sweetly

and it is bittersweet

my curse

my blessing

my damnation

my savior


it is her eyes that stand out like two

headlights on a late drive home

they don't knock on the door like the others

they burst in with a bottle of grappa,

old sam cooke records, and legs for miles

they burn away the fear and the evil

and the bullshit

and when they burn the smoke and the flames

cover up the lost loves, the broken hearts,

the forgotten moments, the smeared blood

on the walls of your soul and the back of your

eye lids and in that moment the stars align and everything

is right if only for a second


so there she is in the front row

burning me with her eyes

dancing, letting go, giving up her spirit

to the gods, to my music, and later to the same

hands and arms that are around my six string

and she too will be painted on my waist

like some shield or other thing saving me from the craziness

but then again the craziness is what saves you