Altered Beast

Always a shock
when I wake up and
anger is sitting on my chest
His eyes and her voice
Smooth and heavy
Smells like emptiness and
tastes like sulfur

No matter that I've
Gained all I lost
Lost all I gained
Anger just sits there
It doesn't regret

I either stare it down
shout it away
stomp it out
or convince it
it makes no sense
Anyway
it just can't stay

Joy can't stay either
when I wake up and
joy is swirling in my body
I know it will leave and
I know nothing
Smells like wishes and
tastes like melted butter

Don't love too much
need too much
believe or trust too much
Give the dazzle camouflage
I am an altered beast

Preservation

He is moving on
leaving this place
Not like a sad country song
Or some drunken low class tale
of suitcases in the night
and slammed doors

He is going
Setting sail away
Like a healing wound
Or the slow growing of sapling
to shady tree and
home for hammock

I will let him
Because on my scales
All of this love I hold
and all of the love he holds
can't outweigh the present pain
and problematic pathos

I will let him