Travel

(A haiku collection)

Tiny specs of soot

Settle on a sweaty brow

City fingerprints.

_

Walking New York streets

Transported to foreign lands

By strange tongues in my ear.

_

Small take-out boxes

Scattered on living room floors

Map out travel plans.

~kfu

City Heat

(A haiku collection)

The calendar turns

Heat clings tight to bare, moist skin

Singeing autumn dreams.

_

Russian bathhouse heat

Follows me through city streets

My sultry escort.

_

Pavement burns my skin

Searing deep into my flesh

Like our last good-bye.

~kfu

My Postage Stamp Addiction

Tenement walls crumble down on me

Scattered stones fill flooded wells

Urging roaring rapids forward

Down aged fissures into hell

A hell of postage stamp proportions

One constrained corner of a cube

On an island stacked tall with millions

Haunted by loneliness and solitude

Was she just as unforgiving

To the ancient beasts that tread her soil

Tossing chaos at quadruped creatures

Basking in their strife and toil

How foolish man must seem to her

Settling like swine into her squalor

Drunk off her balmy stench

Willing to toss her every last dollar

I look up from these debased depths

Light peeks through boarded up skies

Tempting me to claw my way out

From this coffin where I’m buried alive

But Manhattan’s mire pins me down

Stuck like a fly on a strip of trap tape

Wings futilely fluttering, trying to tear free

Realizing for certain I’ll never escape

For she enchants me like a demon

Intoxicated by her potent charms

Swooning in lustful adoration

Like a heroin hit shot in the arm

I try quitting her cold turkey

Watch life’s beauty start to fade

Rush back in a New York minute

Regretting I ever strayed

She’s like no other lover

Keeps me awake so I never sleep

Digging deep into my pockets

Her entertainment isn’t cheap

No matter the cost, I pay the fee

Offering my soul upon a platter

Whispers of back rooms with privacy

Discovered through underground chatter

Her hidden gems like sunken treasure

Buried deep beneath the streets

Tumbling down the rabbit hole

For “Drink me” and “Eat me” treats

Sliding further into a dream-like state

I question the tears I shed

A life without these blissful retreats

Is one I would surely dread

So I climb back into my magic box

With secrets I’ll never reveal

Lips spread wide in a Cheshire grin

Caught in this Wonderland’s web of appeal

~kfu

The Banshee’s Call

I waited until a black hole swallowed Apollo

and then me to call on you

letting my voice erupt like a banshee’s howl

bursting forth from a dark cave

bouncing through a grid of steel beams

bringing glass castles to the ground

broken

I sent smoke signals swirling languidly

into an already tumultuous Gotham sky

where the Hyades washed them away

patrolling the air space between you and me

extinguishing flames before they grew

preventing further fires from erupting

defeated

I buried my thoughts in a field of flowers

digging holes filled with Forget-me-nots

pulling their petals until truth was exposed

covering it back up with fertile soil

nursing hope to life with Persephone’s tears

then crushing it underfoot like a worthless weed

destroyed

Finally, I bottled up the laughter from those days

tossing it to the murderous Sirens of the sea

and as it vanished, sailing out of sight

I wondered if you would attempt to retrieve it

wrestling those infamous mystic monsters

for one more chance with me.

~kfu

Somewhere Over Skyscrapers

She landed on this isle

Blown by a twister from the West

No pup or shiny shoes on feet

Just a smile and unrelenting zest

She danced about the grid

Falling into cozy quarters

Encountering a spectrum of strangers

Unlocking doors to foreign boarders

There’s been no omnipotent wizard

Granting her every desire

She’s traded in a lot of hats

To find one that inspires

At times the brick road lost its luster

As hardships and greedy monkeys swept in

But she stayed her course and wrote it out

Finding her strength in paper and pen

Skeptics may laugh, call her a dreamer

To which she simply replies,

“I’d rather be swept up in lofty pursuits

Than regretful of paths never tried.”

~kfu

Happy Hour Meals

My belly’s full of dollar deals

Happy hour specials made into meals

Shells stacked high on icy cubes

Sauces and creams if you choose

Hurry up!  Crack ‘em open, let ‘em slide

This seafood smorgasbord won’t last all night!

~kfu

What’s In a Word?

Poet?  No, Poetess!

The term implies sex which, yes,

I have.  It’s obvious.

A voice I give to prose and verse.

Whether it’s high or low makes it no better or worse.

It’s word choice that’s the moving force.

And, so I choose a word

With a double “s” that serves

To honor my feminine curves.

~kfu

Love

Love, that ever-elusive monster that you speak of,

Does not dwell within these hardened walls.

We do not cross paths in secret chambers.

I do not tremble weak-kneed when she calls.

Heed my warning, my lustful friend, and do not fall victim.

For her doting and adoration are flippant.

One moment she’ll warm then curdle your blood,

Claw your chest, dig your heart out, and rip it.

~kfu

Mess! Mess!

Mess!  Mess!  Everywhere mess!

Could be home to a little mouse nest!

Mismatched shoes, mounds of clothes --

Some of them soiled, some smell like mold.

Mess!  Mess!  Everywhere mess!

Creating so much stress!

Baubles spill out of small treasure chests --

Some tarnished and old, some made of fool’s gold.

Mess!  Mess!  Everywhere mess!

Can’t even see the top of that desk!

Bills stacked up, papers in piles --

Some past due, some waiting to file.

Mess!  Mess!  Everywhere mess!

I blush at what I confess!

Shake my head in disbelief --

Then step outside with a sigh of relief!

~kfu

The Forgotten One

I imagine a musty corner cubical

Sat beside pink perfumed soap

Basking in bubbles leaked from your brain

Stored high up on sticky shelves

Next to boxes of morning blandness

Expanding intestinal walls to explosion

Swept under squeaky bed springs

Caught in grimy slipper fluff

Exploring Sahara crevices of sullied paws

Drowned coffee grounds plunged in a heated press

Tossed out with morning garbage

Roasting fragrant in smelly street cans

Fragile flowers preserved in manila walls

Forgotten like virginal wedding gowns

Sent plummeting over rocks to swim in shallow waters

I imagine tropical breezes and turquoise oceans

Shooting rainbows and lollipops like rockets

Through expanding skies of dripping tar

And watching the pitch shut out the warmth

I clear my clouded eyes of delusions

As you step nebbishly out of frame

~kfu

Pain

Agonizing twinges

Rocket up the spinal shaft

Paralyzing cerebral rhythms

Jacking up the kinetic path

Breath stops, heart flip-flops

Eyes close, cold sweat drops

Down furrowed brow lines

Hitting lips like liquid fire

Motor movements freeze

As lightning surges higher

Breath stops, heart flip-flops

Eyes close, body rocks

Pinched nerves send shock waves

Rolling through the core

Limp limbs give way

Crashing to the floor

Breath stops, heart flip-flops

Eyes close, vision lost

Gasps of air taken in

Tissues hug the ground

Clenched teeth barring me

From emitting any sound

Breath steadies, heartbeat evens

Eyes glaze, pain weakens

Puppet strings pull me up

From a puddle on the floor

Vertebrae lock in place

As pain slips out the door

~kfu

Prelude To a Kiss

Lips stained red like ripe raspberries

Dripping sweet confessions in his ear

Long locks of fire lash his face

Exposing it to ebony’s keen stare

He pulls her in like corset strings

Breath flees faintly to the night

A sigh slips out inaudible

The scent of Jack so slight

Lashes flutter like fairy wings

Dusting coarse tufts of facial hair

Noses dance cheek-to-cheek

Lids lift open locked in a stare

Hearts hammer out harmonious notes

Prickles of anticipation surge up the spine

Soft petals part plump with dew

Hands pull fistfuls of copper twine

Shades shut out prying glances

He trespasses without a sound

Falling into her tender trap

They tremble like leaves on a bough

~kfu

Alphabet Soup

Coils of covers mummify me

Past arms’ reach emptiness expands

Across cotton folds, concrete worlds,

And over glass ridden sands

A body there is meant to be

Erasing silence with comforting breath

That hugs my core quite hungrily

Filling this hole to its depth

But all I see in day’s first blush

When orbs skim the vast, cold air

Is an empty shell left next to me

A fading scent lingering in webs of hair

So now I fill that hollow grave

With words like alphabet soup

To melt the icy heart sick soul

Whose lips fell frozen and mute

~kfu

The Trap

She stares into the mirror

At a plain and ugly face

Wouldn’t dare step foot on city streets

Without paint and hair in place

She scours beauty magazines

That tell her backside dimples need a cream

Starve yourself, skip dinner

Because objects in the rear are wider than they seem

She spends vacation time in hospitals

For a nip and suck off the hips

Returns to work looking caricaturized

With fat injected lips

She drowns her hair in peroxide bowls

To cover up the gray

While waxers rip body hair right out

So she’s as smooth as baby’s first day

She stares into the mirror

At a plain and ugly face

Brainwashed by impossible standards

Stripped of confidence and grace

~kfu

Valentine,

Eat your fancy box of chocolates.

Shove those stems where the sun don’t shine.

If one day for love is all you got,

You’re no true love of mine!

~kfu

Lost Stars

Stars are gassed out in the sky above my head

A honeycomb network of electric dots fills the void

I find comfort in solitude, eyeing the chaos that I fled.

Worker bees wake up, bodies weighed down with dread

Funneling through tunnels that spit straight to cells

Stars are gassed out in the sky above my head.

Office speak encrypted in emails that no one read

From bosses perched on cushy seats with panoramic views

I find comfort in solitude, eyeing the chaos that I fled.

Drones succumb to office lobotomies, emptying their heads

Green buds sprout dreams crushed under the man’s shiny shoe

Stars are gassed out in the sky above my head.

Creative communities emaciated, talents left for dead

Swept to outer boroughs like rubbage to the wind

I find comfort in solitude, eyeing the chaos that I fled.

Freedom to foster fresh ideas and reject what’s spoon-fed

No longer a dancing puppet but conductor of my own thread

Stars are gassed out in the sky above my head

I find comfort in solitude, eyeing the chaos that I fled.

~kfu

An Understanding

He stands so stoic and strong

Never wanting to say good-bye

Knowing she is forever gone

But not really understanding why

Her struggles become his own

Never leaving her to fend for herself

Even now that she’s fully grown

All he wants for her is happiness and health

Distance makes it difficult

To lend his helping hand

Inability to act creates senseless guilt

More than he can stand

She’s always sought adventure

Welcomed impossible challenges, too

He’s always wished success for her

Never doubting what she could do

All his words filled with love and praise

Have pulled her through tough times

Always yearning to explore life her own way

Giving everything a solid try

He stands so stoic and strong

As the tears well up in his eyes

Knowing she is forever gone

Maybe someday he’ll understand why

~kfu

Stolen Peace

Familiar features flicker past the peripheral of my eye

Like inkblots fitting the pattern of an ever elusive face

Muddled memories shepherd me among the strangers at my side

My heart ripping past my chest, urging body to make haste

Trudging through motley crowds, thick like quicksand

Foolishly trying to grasp the veil that shields truth in secrecy

Uncertainty billows up like smoke suffocating me where I stand

Uncovering this puzzle piece promises to set my mind free

Dancing between the masses in a game of hide ‘n’ seek

A zigzagging silhouette my target in this chase

No matter how close I get he’s still too far to reach

My thirst grows more intense as I struggle to keep pace

Darting down subway stairs to platform edge on tippy toes

Peering into packed steel pens for my thief to turn his cheek

Hands reach out, grabbing fistfuls of air as train doors bite closed

Left to forever chase that phantom down dark tunnels in my sleep.

~kfu

Laundry King

Time for a wash ‘n’ fold

Water hot or cold

Treat that stain

Somewhat in vain

‘Cause even Shout

Ain’t gettin’ it out

Stuff it in

Watch it spin

Tumbling around

With a swishing sound

Then a rinse

All within minutes

Spin has spun

Wash all done

Time to dry

But not on high

Or in a blink

Clothes will shrink

Fabrics tumble

Dryer rumbles

Colors swirl

Like ferris wheel twirls

Open door

Duds fall on floor

Snap them up

Before catching who-knows-what

From grimy ground

Where germs abound

With a pat

Stack them flat

Stuffed in a bag

Clean garb’s your swag

Headed home

Chore is done!

~kfu

Fair Flower

Memories march on with the changing of seasons

Under an ombréd canopy of midnight blues

Exposed flesh stung by salty sea breezes

Sending shivers that surge and rattle me through.

How long can one heart burn before losing its fiery heat?

Oh, to possess the shining stamina of space’s celestial stars!

But lives are like foam bubbles dissolving in a wave’s sullen retreat

Only the strongest, most resilient ones voyage very far.

Oh, to be as coarse as sharp seashells strewn on sandy shores

Caring not about the scrapes and scars inflicted on supple skin,

But turning cold and callous creates a creature even worse

Dwelling in icy isolation with a fate and future far more grim.

Refusing to fall asunder frozen tundra of glacial glue

Stuck on numbing my emotions like botox for the brain

Each morning I’ll wake a fair flower dressed in drops of dew

Petals seeking sunshine, growing stronger with each rain.

~kfu

Frozen Fortune

She lies forgotten on Gotham’s grim streets

Like a broken umbrella left in a cab’s back seat

With only a sweater as flimsy as a feather

To shield her from winter’s inclement weather

Wounds splay open, unable to heal

The pain they cause she cannot feel

Limbs numb and frozen like icy tree boughs

She spews sad confessions and futile final vows

Teeth chattering at strangers to drop copper in her can

So she may pay Charon for passage to Lucifer’s land

Her eyes like cold crystal balls revealing the end in sight

As this Inferno swallows her slovenly soul with its arctic bite.

~kfu

Winter Weather

(A haiku collection)


Our city of sin
Buried by Devil's dandruff
In a giant's dream.
_

Silent snow drifting
Pink tongue catching cold droplets
Before they touch ground.
_

Icy crystals seal
Dusted lashes frozen shut
Like cold windowpanes.



~kfu

Bonds Unbroken

Unspoken words spit out on crumpled sheets

Strewn on the floor like evidence at my feet

Revealing pent up emotions, buried deep in a coffin

That begged to come out and not be forgotten

Of times when warm smiles stopped the rain

And heart-to-heart chats eased the pain

Sometimes a step back helps us finish the race

Not like a rat but with dignity and grace

You are not lost, out of sight but not mind

Bonds grow deeper with the passage of time

I hold you near, tucked deep in my heart

Next to fond memories so we’ll never part.

~kfu