SeptOber

 SeptOber

in unsteady steps

in the waning September

that is chased by October

howling winds of the western mountains

whistling the windows

why the hurry?

ice cold from the coast

competing with the desert heat

rocking trees, trashing cans

filling corners with sand

and chasing the world into fall

why the hurry?

walking in unsteady steps 

across the divide between September and October

high desert sun's heat on glass

chill winds when the windows open

a blistering sun and frigide wind 

in a hurry

AL Mendoza 2023

Mad Man Mostly Mashes Words

There Is Nothing To Understand

 there is nothing to understand

the fletch

the shaft

from the tip

to the flight

a pointed direction

an intended target

the air between

along intention

and the sound of movement

and the sound of impact

preparations

the beginnings and the ends

we hold the bow

and sting it's sounds

with intents and results

which are the real moments?

when are the real moments?

which is origin?

where is moments

moment?

to understand nothing

Dreaming of Colors

Dreaming of Colors

the night the colors hinted in dreams 

the light the dark hinted in coming shades 

that anticipation

that shaded whisper

as if the very air were salted

prepared for boiling

and in the salt is the flavor not yet tasted

like a guess like a kiss

what to place in that cauldron

what flavors do those choices make

we prepare the preparations

we summon a memory

 the next is better than the last

we have to start the fire

dreams of colors

tastes of that anticipation

memories made to summon that last

that cauldron 

that fire

of anticipation

A Mendoza, 2022

2022

2022

The first sunset over a Texas bay

in decades

where are the mountains?  

i suddenly missed the mountains i lived by

those eternal canvasses of light, shadow, desert heat and winter's snow caps

moving water pushed by winds unrelenting

drifting snow rushing to its resting place

so alike in rage and power 

so different in taste and feel

move the water to the mountain it becomes snow 

move the snow to the bay it becomes water

eternal are the lights, shadow, and wind

to be only a man in snow

to be only the singular in water

we are shadow and wind

a witness to the mountain

 Al Mendoza, January 2022

Fractal Physics

poetic license 

 jumping from fractured fairy tales

to fractal physics

the very flower scented and grown

from perfume bottles

a glass to see into

a sample dipped 

delicately

and never tasted

looking into it becoming

a surprize at what is seen

from midnight to midday

time flows in gravity

drip dripping 

little waves of beads 

elemental sands

an hourglass bottling

a perfumed bottle

it can be looked though

but never sampled

not even in surprize

seeing without scent

presenting the untouchable sample

of a moment lost

for all our fractured fairy tales

to a fractal physics

we must wake

A. Mendoza, July 2020

a drop in the pool

a drop in the pool

a whiteout an all colour blizzard

geometric forms unseen

passing through glass 

shaded in vapor thin sheets

and the drip drip of blood that is your soul begins to pool

do you touch it 

or does it touch you

as the colour forms emerging from the geometry

of your heart

a vapor thin sheet both circle and angle 

a water colourless

crystallizing drip by drip

a release both pain and joy

as all things are birthed

dripping vapor thin glass shading on sheets

the result of love

a birth dripped

do you touch it

or does it touch you

a geometry from the pool that is your soul

A. Mendoza, June 2020

SOLFEGGIO DREAM

SOLFEGGIO DREAM

sunrises are beautiful

even when you don't wear your glasses

to hit a rock

becoming by conditioning

an indurate curtain

a condition as hard to pronounce

as cure

fortunately, your love is my cure

possible by sleep

in a solfeggio dream

sometimes striving to control a dream

as if not possessed

like grabbing for water

grabbing for a love 

already possessed

a scent 

a mist

a gauze in front a light

a shadow's desire

 changed for silk

there are no shadows with silk

there is no need to see through

what is there 

there is no need for glasses

in a solfeggio dream

because the sun rises always beautiful

 stand very close

no need to wear them

A. Mendoza, June 2020

THE HALF MOON AND THE PENNY

THE HALF MOON AND THE PENNY

picking up luck in a cool summer's night 

catching the half moon

wide awake

in the darkness

copper coins for the eyes

polished brightly shine

or maybe they're new

or never have been used

singing crickets in the night

teasing birds who cannot see them

keeping them awake 

in anticipation

in predawn colors

a half moon wide awake

giving rhythm to the singing

from night to morning music

the penny copper morning

a luck to pick up

after catching the half moon

how good it is to be awake

in the darkness

A. MENDOZA, JUNE 2020

BREEZE

Breeze

not wanting to do anything

even sleep is too much

eyelids too weak to close

thought becomes tiresome

slowing breath conserves strength

darkness is rest for the eyes

just waiting for a breeze

a moon for a light

witnessing stars

in the comfort of night

suddenly the nothingness

and that odd jolt

awakens the open eyes

to silence

starlight witnessing eternity moving

in a single breath

any wanting too much

becoming tiresome thought

resting open eyes

not wanting to do anything

just waiting for a breeze

A. Mendoza

6-10-2020

Where is it?

Where Is It?

to suddenly miss what was never missed 

before

to realize the pointlessness 

of time


to find something

inside

that magic is the living

the filled moments


discovery

along the ways of quiet

and then the smile

settled is all fate


like that even matters

fate doesn't understand

as we can

promised time is promised waters


along those streams

both frozen and steamed

in waves and rain 

as hail and as reflections


before 

the pointlessness of time 

inside

a discovery 

A. Mendoza, 7/2019

HOG

hedgehog harmony
 the hegemony of hope

piglet persuasion
 with cuteness

that beauty in the pig
 hogging charm

without the porcine influence
 rolling in the mud

in growth to become
 the boar

with tusks that swing
 to dig, to scratch, to uncover

harmony

A. Mendoza  4/20119

 

 

WINTER SOLSTICE

Winter solstice

in the bright sunlight and the clear desert sky

with no clouds for the sky to paint

save for the water coloring on the mountains

as the sun flows across the landscape

shadowing the cactus making spots

and the leopard that runs across the sands

towards the snow peaks towards the glow

and disappears in light

a brightness running to cover

and blanket twilight with music lights

stars patient in their watch for the moon

stars moving in that slow dance

that feels like love

A. MENDOZA, 12-2018

WINTER SOLSTICE

Winter solstice

in the bright sunlight and the clear desert sky

with no clouds for the sky to paint

save for the water coloring on the mountains

as the sun flows across the landscape

shadowing the cactus making spots

and the leopard that runs across the sands

towards the snow peaks towards the glow

and disappears in light

a brightness running to cover

and blanket twilight with music lights

stars patient in their watch for the moon

stars moving in that slow dance

that feels like love

A. MENDOZA, 12-2018

ARK

ARK

what life this eventa torch light

of the sunan arc in a straight line

leaving
then the billionand trapped

as a massive poweras if minnows in a pondon a road to eternity

coming full circle
inevitabletowards an ovalthe two dimension egg

and the promisein both destruction and lifethat will arc

in one direction
what is carriedin that little ark

the eternal eventand the promiseof direction

not given or takena two dimensiontorch

A. Mendoza, 5/2018

ARK

ARK

what life this eventa torch light

of the sunan arc in a straight line

leaving
then the billionand trapped

as a massive poweras if minnows in a pondon a road to eternity

coming full circle
inevitabletowards an ovalthe two dimension egg

and the promisein both destruction and lifethat will arc

in one direction
what is carriedin that little ark

the eternal eventand the promiseof direction

not given or takena two dimensiontorch

A. Mendoza, 5/2018

A SOLAR MOON

 

A SOLAR MOON

So
It's not that I don't love the Lord
but
I can see just fine from here

the solar night lights
over come the dark
over come by the full moon
the next step
re-chargeable moon lights
with their batteries
as promise to fill

and the new bio-luminous trees
sweep in the chill in the full moon breeze
in the cold fall night
that silences crickets
putting frogs to sleep early
and owls tucked into their nests
and rodents snuggled into their furs
after gorging on my garden

I'm just fine here
in the moonlight's crystalline frost
the glowing earth as a reflection
needing to make no promises
for another night

a full moon light
a next step eternal
a luminous sea
a solar nite light
I can see him just fine from here

A. MENDOZA, 2017

A SOLAR MOON

 

A SOLAR MOON

So
It's not that I don't love the Lord
but
I can see just fine from here

the solar night lights
over come the dark
over come by the full moon
the next step
re-chargeable moon lights
with their batteries
as promise to fill

and the new bio-luminous trees
sweep in the chill in the full moon breeze
in the cold fall night
that silences crickets
putting frogs to sleep early
and owls tucked into their nests
and rodents snuggled into their furs
after gorging on my garden

I'm just fine here
in the moonlight's crystalline frost
the glowing earth as a reflection
needing to make no promises
for another night

a full moon light
a next step eternal
a luminous sea
a solar nite light
I can see him just fine from here

A. MENDOZA, 2017

HARMONY

HARMONY

to take every sound

and

make a rhythm

to fling at death

a roaring

a thunder

against the darkness

wonder

that counter point

a harmony

with a beat

felt in the silence

a breath

a whisper

a tapping

touching timing

like a rolling surf

across pebbles

uneven rattling

into a harmony

a thunder against the darkness

a roaring eternity as rhythm

a harmony

wonder

to fling at death

as counterpoint

the drum

against the darkness

a taping

a whisper

that touches in time

an uneven surf

against the pebbles

a harmony

A. MENDOZA, 2017

HARMONY

HARMONY

to take every sound

and

make a rhythm

to fling at death

a roaring

a thunder

against the darkness

wonder

that counter point

a harmony

with a beat

felt in the silence

a breath

a whisper

a tapping

touching timing

like a rolling surf

across pebbles

uneven rattling

into a harmony

a thunder against the darkness

a roaring eternity as rhythm

a harmony

wonder

to fling at death

as counterpoint

the drum

against the darkness

a taping

a whisper

that touches in time

an uneven surf

against the pebbles

a harmony

A. MENDOZA, 2017

Curvaceous

 

in a discovery 

light

through darkness

long and short

the strings

touching

and not connected

curvaceous

not tube 

not pipe

holding only themselves

to and end

not even

pathways in the threads

always equal

never the same

floating in the darkness

and a discovery of light

a curvaceousness

untouched

a string

a discovery

a darkness

though the light

end to end floating

pipes in the darkness

holding only themselves

even

 A. MENDOZA, 2017