UP?
WHY DID YOU BRING IT BACK 

I had the horror 
buried under the floorboards 
of my spinal column. 

I mean, 
it was closer 
than my facial follicles
to being excreted. 

Out of sight, 
unseen, 
but now I have to face the folly, 
THAT egregious scene. 

WHY DID YOU BRING ME BACK
                      DOWN?

Like a determined wrestler
Like a dog with a caught fox
Like a burning Tesla
Like unpopular stocks

I don't like to invest 
in the embers of recollection

OF THAT.

THAT necklace and gesture 
are beneath the floorboards 
of devotion.

There won't be a revival. 
Close up service, 
get down from the altar.
I wish I could go back and alter
       how forward I was. 

My emotions were running laps 
 screaming
   "HALLELUJAH!!!!",
    only to hear
"I NEVER KNEW YOU LIKE... THAT"

I should have been content 
in having a friend 
in Jesus 
but 
I didn't want 
to be a friend to you.

I was 
          swervvvvvvinng
          swervvvvvvinng
Attempting to be smooth and charismatic
I should have kept my feelings 
at 10 and 2.

You didn't have the
          drive or 
          urge or
          rise 
          that Spring. 

I wanted to harvest a bouquet, 
yet the seed was lost in the soil.

I had almost forgotten the forest fire 
of failing to move further 
past friendship,
and like a good boy scout, 
the wood was rekindled 
quickly as soon as I hit

"SEN"...

* Winner of an Art of Poetry Weekly Community Contest