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Whenever I am


by Darryl Price



alone and soaring in your eyes
another new journey for me
begins; my life
wants to make sense of
itself only for you, going
deeper, hand you

the keys to that kingdom's
rare maps and say,here,
"fly, dream, fall to love's
lake." You deserve it all.
I swear there's not one
stale inch on your skin's surface

that's not the perfect
destination for
all of my kisses,
for my fingers to
land like wings of utmost desire,
for the tender

weight of my own brow
to sleepily rest. That's what you
have given me from
so far away, again
and again, sweet attendant.
Always, yes.



Bonus poem:






Art Museum by Darryl Price

To live in beauty you have to live like an animal; a
woman is what she looks like naked, a man is what he

can fool the public into believing; all people can do is exist
in their time, to share each other's misery; everybody hates snakes except

for the people who love them; the only mistake in art is
trying to make art. To live in beauty you have to completely

recognize yourself in it; you have to open up to get it, 
in spite of yourself, whatever that means. To live in beauty is

not to live in houses on top of houses, but it can 
be; the only mistake in art is to not see it right 

in front of your face. To live in beauty is to be 
here now; when you hear a bang, to run off towards it.   



 
Something like a Phoenix goes here, I'm pretty sure

by Darryl Price



Here we are in the midst of a great soul 
battle, but like the tiniest purple 
passion flowers still blooming in the strange 
choking smoke rings making holes in the sky 
of our time on this earth, we will never 
forget our one true purpose today. To 
continue to do our best to unfold 

the many gifts of sun and wind and of 
wild rain and ancient star. We aren't turning 
back, now or ever, because our love is 
the true healing. For our friends. And for each 
other. This is what we came to be here 
for all this time. Believing freefall and 
circle of it all. Be the ones to speak 

freely to all monsters. To drag our bruised 
and broken and torn hearts out in front of 
the boring enemy's hardened eyes once 
more, now open the secret doorways to 
a higher possibility, again 
and again. And, as for me, well I just 
couldn't be happier to know you in 

all your imperfect openess and charm in 
celebration for the most simple of 
earthly things. I am with you always in 
laughter's harmony. In merciful song. 
In romance. In sweetest dream. So yes we
must go and remember it's okay to
knock a spirit in the key if you need to. 



Bonus Poems:


Resurfacing the Moon

by Darryl Price


If God solved everyone's problems there'd be 
no need for love.We've always been like young 
lost idlers at the market. All of us 
waiting around to see what will happen 
with so many people pretending to 
be civil. I believe in love I guess. 

Just not for people like me. That kind of 
luck I mean. I don't mind. I've seen plenty 
of locked doors before. Roads don't scare me. They 
make me sad like waking up from a sleep.  
Guess some folks don't believe that we belong 
together. Their kind of love must get kind 

of lonely sooner or later. Sometimes 
our journey seems so close yet so far, like 
a dream. Sometimes I think I could touch the 
whole ocean, but it turns out to be sky, 
like a ghost. Maybe I'm the ghost. Sorry. 
Should have told you that part a lot sooner. 



To the Children in Cages

by Darryl Price


Your parents marched you right up to the gates 
of hell. It will be hard to forgive them, 
but your need for love is greater than your 
need for God now. The kids you were do not 

exist. Only fierce warriors. I don't 
know if you'll ever hear my words, but I 
hope you can feel them. The world's been taken 
over by monsters. We are doing our 

best to fight them off daily. This is what's 
happening. I know the one thing you want 
most right now is to be held by someone 
who could never do you harm,be allowed 

to cry for all that you've lost. You are the  
bravest of all selves. You have to be. We 
are coming to rescue each one of you 
with every second of every heartbeat. 




Four Love Poems to Stand Against the Four Horsemen(Flaming Sword Edition)

by Darryl Price





1. The world isn't so bad. You taught me that.
You taught me with your lovely long lippy 
smiles. How much chapstick does one person need? 
You taught me that with your broken tears for 
others who are hurting. You taught me with 

your terrible joke delivery. Keep 
your day job. You taught me that with your pure 
jumping up and down in sweet excitement. 
You taught me with your eating an apple 
in front of my face. You taught me that with 

your favorite open-toed shoes being 
a thing. You taught me with walking in the 
rain. No running. That's important to me. 
How you accepted the rain and your part 
in it as a sudden and wonderful 

blessing. You blessed me with your company. 
So yeah, I guess the world isn't so bad. 
People like you are still inspiring some 
poets like me to try to find a way 
to believe in love and long may it last.   



2. I know you thought I would be back when you 
wanted me, but I never left. That's the funny part. 
I never learned the lesson because I don't believe in 
harm. You're the one who traded in misery. You stood 
there like a Disney Goddess and made a stupid and 
cruel decision based on lies you told yourself were true. 
Or a bunch of hissing others put in your head 

for you. It hurts, but I don't believe in letting 
a true goodbye remain a secret that lingers like a 
bad dream. I know you didn't mean what you said 
to be interpreted as a forever piece of raw monumental 
art. Remember, I always appreciated the dance with you. It's 
pretty good. Because, if I didn't say that it's because 
I was trying to form the words with every kiss. 

You must go ahead now and cry all you want. 
I won't think any less of us. I know it 
was a bad and foolish mistake. Now it's a long 
and fading scar. My life would not be this  
further along without it. I'll remember you always as beautiful ,
the one who went with me just before the wheels 
loosened. I knew you'd end up okay in someone's arms.    



3. It seems my whole life up to this very 
minute always comes back around to you 
and I finally meeting face to face. 
I accept the wonderfulness of this, 
but I don't know why it should matter so 
much to me so deep down in my soul's cave. 
Or maybe I do and I'm just too much 
of a stubborn person to admit that 
it scares me now to be alone in the 
universe without you. Either way here 
you go again. Here and not here. God bless 

it, why do you haunt me so hard?  I don't 
really think I can take it anymore. 
I just want to go up to your doorstep 
and ring you out and tell you I want to 
leave with you tonight. I didn't even know 
who you were until you showed up as best life.
I could only feel terrified. As much as I 
ever felt alive somewhere you were. But 
for you to know my pain would be for you 
to suddenly let go of your always 
expected journey for a few years of 

our own selfish happiness. I'd never 
want to be responsible for putting 
that light out. I'll put my own shine out first, 
every time. But, of course, you'll never know 
any of that, or any of this, or 
if somehow you think you do, I'll never 
confirm it with anything other than 
a friendly wave in passing. I want life 
to give you everything beautiful it's 
got to offer because you are the reason 
life needs to be bountiful as ever. 



4. I just wanted to say goodbye, 
in case I don't get to. It's been 
an honor to know you. And a 
real and fun pleasure to me of 
the highest order to laugh with 
only you. Don't worry. You'll be 
okay. You are completely loved 
because you bring that out in all 
people. Isn't that incredible? 
I added as much as I could 
to that love for you because you 
deserve it more than anyone 
else I've ever known. It's not a 
big secret. I've told you many, 
many times before. Many ways. 
Also my supreme pleasure. So 
it's goodbye, dear heart. My life has 
you in it or it has no light, 
no life, and no season at all. 
You have been my sky, sometimes full 
of holy stars, sometimes full of 
complicated rain, but always 
counted on, an unnameable 
assurance that life is indeed 
an incredibly good thing to 
behold when you are the vessel.



 
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