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