When you are happy,

even the rain crackles, chortles

as it dances to engage the

grass, foliage, trees, in a

wet waltz of

gay elegance.

When you're sad,

the sun's rays caress to

a finite coldness.

Bone to sinew to marrow

rigidly marching not

to coax, but to plunder

mangling reason to disquiet

drunken delusions of

ghostly swaying plumes.

Gnarly fingers pulling apart

skin, flesh, laying bare to

parse pain

retreating,stretching,

releasing, gouging

in absentminded

     betrayal.