IN THE DARK

I like making
Love to you
When you have
Fallen asleep
When the lights
Are out
Except for the lampada
Next to the icon
We don’t need
Electricity radiating
In the light bulbs
Your perfect body is
Illumination to my life
A light house
For my hurricanes

WRITE UP

Talked to Juan about his
Attendance problems on 2/27/06
Juan must realize he needs to
Be to work on time, any further problem
With attendance could result
In suspension and or termination

“Sign the paper” the manager said
“I will, but first I need to write about it”
I answered and then
I wrote on his piece of paper:

Any alleged attendance problem is a
Direct result of the stress, pain, discomfort and
Depression caused by my injury which I suffered
While doing my work duties for my employer
At Henry’s Marketplace Chula Vista

Then I signed
My very Mexican
Spanish sounding name

Juan José Martínez

BEAUTIFUL SLEEP

Your face
So close to me
In perfect symmetry
I watch you sleep
Forgive me
I know poets
Have an obligation
To love
But we also
Are bound
To move justice
So as you rest
Away in a happier place
I will write something
About fairness & freedom
And when you wake up
My dear miracle
I will be there

poetry

a poem
is an act of love
of desperation
of hope
and betrayal
poetry places the truth
in the mind of the planet
in the hearts
of those who listen
in the souls
of those who read it
poetry is
an intermission
of understanding
a knowledge of fire
a birth of reality
a way of light
poetry is survival

my dear estranger

okay, last call
like the barkeeps like to say
one last test run before i let this baby
know what i made of
let’s try to use the punctuations marks
of the life i never knew
i know how to love
in different languages
in glances and smiles
i can write without ink
and without words
that’s right darling
i can make little children
with no touch whatsoever
So you decide
if you want to meet me
in the corner of
your curious mind
i only have sweet warnings for you
because pain is something enchanting
if you are one of those creatures
please stay away
because the road of addiction
always ends in heartbreak
and i know you heart
is not made of glass
it is more like pottery
or should i say poetry?
whatever the case may be
this is not a playground
the art of death
is not frivolous
so then my dear estranger
think it over
real hard and deep
because tomorrow might become
like a laughing monster
by your luxurious bedside
maybe you should go home
and be with your family
broken as it is
but non the less
something very special to you
i will give you a kiss
with my eyes
before i grow weary
from any kind of defense

THE SOUND OF THE CANDLE LIGHT

The beauty
Of the dim light
Shines in the memories
In the essence of our souls
Like floating petals
In the water of our youth
Playing for hours
In the fountains of love
The melting candles
Still alive
In our hearts


ONCE AGAIN

I played my guitar
The bathtub
Embraced your precious body
The flames on the candles
Danced in the dark
And I sang your song

Queen of my heart
I love you so much
Your are like the
Open sky
Where angels fly
Your smile is
Brighter than the sun
Better than any star
Your beauty has no equal
You’re better than a miracle

Then you wrote me
The most beautiful poem ever
I knew then
I should take a bath

NO CUT
NO KNIFE
NO SCISSORS

I decided to go
Like the
Owners of this continent
Or like the biblical prophets
Like Sampson
Like Geronimo
Like a Starets
Like Sitting Bull
Like the guys
With the guitars
Under the spot lights
Like Jesus Christ
And His cousin
John the Baptist
And the HR rep
Said he would give me
A job
But the problem was
This was not
A model agency
So I walked away
On the beach
And wrote songs
And poems
Wrote the
Story of
My own life

MY POETS

All my girlfriends
Wrote love poems
Letters of desired
They spoke with their hearts
And sometimes
With the motions
Of their bodies
The one I didn’t marry
Got published
Along side me
We were both on
The same page
As if were
The same bed
She wrote a sexy verse
So sensuous and valiant
It moved me so much
That I wanted to be
With her
“So close so tight”
Just like the title
Of her poem
The one I did marry
Wrote thirsty poems
She was a demon in bed
If I saw her with pen
In her hand
I was not sure
If she wanted to write
Or to stab me
As soon as I turn around
She joined the Army
And became a sniper
And I got away
For thousands of miles
I searched for my sweet Michelle
To be tight and close
To her
I never found her
But I found others
Who wrote the most
Ethereal words
Their souls swollen
With unconditional love
I would watch them
As they slept next to me
Their beating hearts
Speaking their own language
It was always
A message of hope
Of enchanted dreams
Of a beautiful future
A blazing sun
Of desire
I think of all of you tonight
I pray for your beautiful
Bodies and spirits
I send my love
To you all
From right here
Where I am
A city in ruins
From my chair of destruction
All I have is poetry
That never ending fire
That keeps me alive
Your memory
Is my lifeline

COOKING

You brought me
A dish as I wrote
Placed it next to
My notebook
Then you left to
Feed the children
I ate and read
What I had written
So far and
The taste was exquisite
I though about
The savor of your love
The flavor
Of the night before

AFTERWARD

You moved
Like a different person
So delicate
With that cigarette
In you hand
The way you opened
The door
The way the curves
Of your legs
Came to be
Maybe it
It was the full moon
Stirring uncharted regions
Of your heart

FREEWAY

I have lost control
Of something
Ugly like the tires
Of a thousand automobiles
That stroke
The concrete
That protrusion of death
Those lanes of anxiety
Pollution of the mind
That sarcastic smile

MOONLIGHT

The moon
Had the most
Intense halo
It was time
To write poetry
In bed with her
Once again

LET’S PLAY TOGETHER

She said she likes
My hair
And my glasses
I told her she looked
Like a rock star
Chic red hair
Dreamy eyes
Red lipstick on
She said
I have my guitar
In my car
And I want you
To play with me
What time you’re off?
6:30 I said
I am off at 7:00
She said

MY FRIEND THE POET

He told me poets take
Their lovers
To hotel rooms
And read poetry
Through the night
In a soft gentle voice
Whispering to them
Laying in bed
With the moonlight
Entering through their window
Listening to
The sound
Of the ocean
That music
So I followed his advice
But instead of
Reading I wrote to her:

HOW CAN I SAY IT?

How can I tell you
That you matter more
Than the stars
And the sky
That the winds
Of a hurricane
Can not
Erase your splendor
The 4 elements
Have no meaning
Without you
How can I tell you
That without you
I’ll be lost
On the oceans
Of uncertainty
I’ll be a satellite adrift
How can I say
That the full moon
Melts into folly
If you don’t touch me
I’ll become
A stray bullet
In the sadness of the night
What words can I use
To make you
Fall in love with me again
What bitter feelings
Will I have to drink
From a cup of seclusion
I will softly
Touch the doors
Of your heart
Quietly kiss them
So they open
Like a flower
That blooms
In winter.

Then she wrote to me:

SPEECHLESS

My heart sings
For the melody
Of your kiss
The warmth
Of your eyes
Is what I need
My hand is the comb
For you hair
Your neck
Seduces my thoughts
I am unable
To speak.

TASK

Who would think
That I would
End up
Writing love poems
After all
These years
This moment
When I feel
Most alone
Who would have believed
That I would
Try to conquer
A city in ashes
And try to rebuild it
To take it back from
Something invisible
Such as that
Ironic ghost
That fancies itself
As an angel of light
That has deluded
The most precious
Of intentions
And the most
Important of miracles

BATHTUB

When I play
The guitar
You speak
To me
With the truth
I lit 3 candles
As you took
A bath
I caressed
The strings
As if I was
Touching you
Every word
I sang
Was a kiss
Trying to
Penetrate your heart
From your lips
Came words
Of affection

ONCE AGAIN

We drove
In my old convertible
My right hand
Shifted from
Her knee
To the steering wheel
Back and forward
On the windshield
I saw how
She gave me back
My smile
When she made
Love to me

MAYDAY

I want to write
About you
I want to say
Something pleasing
With tenderness
Right now
My heart
Travels at
The speed of light
And I don’t know
How to fly

DRINK

I offered them
A glass of wine
And she was
The only one
That accepted
She agreed
To drink with me
More red
More blood
In our hearts
She drank fast
The sunrise
Arrived like
An aspirin

GREETING

You said hi
Your smile
Revealed bright pillars
Of youthfulness
Your red hair
A fire
In the forest