Domesticity
I dream until I wake,
wake until I dream,
and the crickets sing
lays of lost and found love
while my love lies sleeping.
I make the day's first pot of coffee
and house cats come keening,
little killer buddhas in fur coats
begging for the bowl,
my bare ankles the prayer wheels
these feline bonzes polish
with sincere preprandial devotion,
vibrating with throat song:
"We love you love you
only you love you always always"
until I fill the bowl.
I dream until I wake,
wake until I dream,
and rosy fingered dawn
serves the blue light special
As my love lies sleeping.
There is one god,
and its name is coffee.
I drink my god black,
no cream, no sugar
black as your heart,
a friend used to say.
I take my first sip
and god is good.
I dream until I wake,
wake until I dream,
and the beagle bays at the door,
deep mournful music
from a small dog,
and I quickly let her in,
because my love lies sleeping.
I fold the clean towels in the laundry,
take them to the bathroom,
turn on the hot water
in the shower
and go to the bed
where my love lies sleeping
and kiss my love awake.
I dream until I wake,
wake until I dream
and my love lies sleeping
until she kisses me awake.
