Nicole Tasker Woods

Its the little things 
I find myself losing sleep over… 
Riding out final hours of lonely nights, 
Needing sleep, wanting dreams 
Pushed to the edge by someone so unlikely. 
I almost like it when sunlight falls from the sky 
So I can wish on an empty star- 
Torn from the night 
Tumbling from Heaven 
I gather up an angel’s might 
To reach for the sky, land among the stars 
Pulling for my dreams, its not how it seems 
I just wanted more. 
And in the little things 
There’s something about a smile 
Sweetly haunting curves-deliciously slow lips 
Everything you’ve seen before 
Becomes incomparable 
So you dream a little more 
About the little things.

Lonesome tonight in absence of that smile– 
Please, miss me tonight, I’m longing for you. 
Sorry for dazing into endless miles– 
Straying memories will never hold true. 
Believed you to be the best to let fly– 
Just leave me here to hang by this moment. 
An unlikely chance to see you sail nigh– 
The more hopes I dreamed, the further you went 
From me. From me–what was it you wanted? 
Sweetly conveyed good-bye in a letter, 
Invading my person left me haunted– 
Push me aside to make you feel better. 
Empty hopes fall, shooting stars from my heart. 
I can last the storm, though I’m torn apart.

Slowly curving through me 
Crying autumn leaves 
Tearing from a bleeding tree 
Slicing through the heavy air 
Trudging far, losing way 
Lessening to the grassy ground 
Gently settling down 
Nearby a muddy path sprinkled with tepid puddles 
Silent dirty mirrors imitating Heaven 
Angry clouds concealing the blue 
Promptly dropping salty beads 
Serene mirrors severed by splitting tears 
Slowly curving through me

Nightmares grow 
The more I hear you scream. 
On morning’s star, aspirations flow 
For Robin Hood in my dreams; 
Curve on my pillow; 
Thoughts of you multiplying like rabbits. 
It’s all pushing into me 
On forgotten memories 
But I refuse to leave. 
My disregard keeps you coming… 
Bleeding into me. 

Bare your perfect world 
But don’t bear down on mine. 
In all you may bestow 
I’ll seize in due time. 

Tempting hearts coerce the soul. 
Seamless feelings get out of control. 

Pull me closer when I pull away. 
Look into my eyes make me stay 
…by sinking into me.

Insignificant waves of dusty froth 
Milking past the murky sea 
Tiny bubbles encircle its beholder 
Sister towers of mist stretch toward Heaven 
Closing in on clouds and stars above 
In chocolate skies-a whispered dream flies 
Tantalizing tastes of want 
Escaping from the sea of mind 
Reaching for a falling fate 
Soft winds taunting its rising steam 
Slowly colliding where time fades 
In night, time has no pride 
In stealing what you wish to hide 
With each passing of celestial haze 
Timid confidence piles as mountains 
Which weaken with dropping dreams 
Thoughts invade with haste. . . 
The very life that creates night- 
Generates the waning fear 
Of fading stars that disappear

Exiting a Grays Papaya, 
he waddles off the sidewalk, 
walking the white line of the curb, 
then toppling to his side. 

Rising, 
he holds a look in his eyes 
we cannot decipher . 

A few feet away, my friend and I 
wait for the light to change. 

Looking back, we see him 
waving fiercely, 
as if trying to fly away, 
but he cannot lift off 
with only one good limb. 

Beginning to cross the street, 
he tilts slightly from right to left, 
each step scraping on the pavement. 

Walking without care, 
stumbling through oncoming traffic, 
he is blinded by this beautiful day. 

Miraculously dodging spinning tires, 
he moves safely through two lanes 
without even trying, 
on a path only he can see. 

Then a silver Porsche nine-eleven 
takes a right on red, 
I avert my eyes. 

My friend refuses to look away 
as her mouth sews shut 
in an uninviting frown, 
and I see his future in her face… 

Her eyes choke on a belated blink, 
that cannot hide the image 
of the kiwi, 
fled from the zoo, 
perishing in the city.

that seats one thousand of your closest friends 
Is drifting with ocean miles in each direction. 
The captain will steer her wherever the sun begins, 
While I soak in the taste of 15 proof protection. 

Folded strings of hair released from under baseball caps 
Bend at their roots to feast their tips on sultry skies. 
Hawaiian flowers threaded on bikini wraps 
Fade in the sun while thighs bathe in chlorine tides. 

Floating in a half empty Bloody Mary, 
I press my parched lips around the damp celery green. 
Alcohol and humid rays can be scary 
When you think you are the vodka tomato queen.

My tummy flittered 
When we did kiss 
Your tongue brought me 
To this unknown bliss 

A dreamy touch 
Between sultry thighs 
Good hugs 
Slow kisses & flutterbies 

Raisin licks 
From fingertips 
Impassioned kisses 
From dripping lips 

Soapy skin 
Bantam sighs 
Your silly grin 
And long goodbyes 

Blessed and beautiful 
Persistent and true 
My every desire 
Did breathe in you

Worn blue jeans slide off 
Daddy’s waist, resting on his hips. 
The back right pocket is molded 
around a wallet. 
The way he moves– 
There’s a stride with the right 
Drag with the left. 
He’s too careless to really give a damn if he limps. 
His clothes are as worn as he: 
The dull fleece jacket 
Lies unzipped on his person, 
Flapping with each broken step. 
A blue-battered t-shirt matches his weary eyes 
And a corduroy cap stiched with “Kubota” 
(his favorite brand of toy). 
He sees me and smiles 
I try to hide but it’s unavoidable. 
He loves me, he knows me– 
And we’re in the mall together 
On his only day off. 
And over his shouder 
There’s a shovel.

In the mornings, she fancies 
A brisk walk in the ivy, low to the ground. 
Her footprints staying hidden by the carpeted mat 
As she daintily chooses each step. 
She then sniffs along a cement path that curves 
Around front stoops to a fence in the back… 
Where she can see everything going on down below. 
The path along the fence opens up to a cul-de-sac 
That she crosses in a graceful trot. 
She hops over rubber plants and carefully 
Enters the forbidden rose garden 
That is filled with dew-soaked, yet fragrant pink pedals. 
As she weaves between the flowery bushes 
She warily avoids thorny branches and combs the woodchips 
With her snout to discover an unknown scent. 

In the afternoons, she is game for a three mile trot 
That stretches her legs and fills her tummy 
With an abundance of fresh air. 
As she walks down the street, 
On sidewalks and bike lanes, 
Her head is tilted up to the cement walls: 
Her ears smooth back into Full-Stealth-Mode 
As she becomes a cunning con contemplating 
A leap to the other side. 
So light on her feet, she slips past houses 
With dogs in backyards and none of them the wiser. 
She dislikes pine needles immensely 
And prefers a jagged weave around each pile 
To prevent crunching them with her matted paws. 
One wrong step and her lovely gait 
Transforms into a three-legged hobble 
As her foot is stung by a thorn hiding amongst needles. 

In the evenings, she wrestles, nipping fingers, 
Swinging rope-toy, looking for constant attention. 
Get her riled up and the crazy-switch 
Clicks <<ON>> scoot – scoot – scoot 
Upstairs, 
              Downstairs, 
On couches and coffee tables, from bed to bed, 
Then on the floor with tail straight in the air 
And paws stretched out in front as she is ready-to-pounce. 
Her tongue hangs out of her mouth and to the side, 
With eyes wild and waiting for you to make the next move. 

After dinner, she lounges on couches 
Resembling nothing at all that is disastrous or destructive. 
While lying on her back, tucked in between 
Cushions and pillows, she drifts off to sleep 
With paws dangling above her and toes fluttering… 
The product of puppy dreams.

Painted nails 
Point perfection 
Tainted sails 
And love is lost 

Crawl to surface 
Fear pulls you down 
Drowning in lace 
Silk, ribbons, and curls 

Silver Glistens 
Above blue eyes 
Hear her miss him 
In sad smiles 

Drive to win 
Know the rules 
Haunt the sin 
In dreams that cry 

Silly wishes 
Beautiful hopes 
Butter-soft kisses 
Indefinitely melting