Vacillate Virtue

Does it bite? Does it burn?
Does it chew? Does it churn?

Does it buzz? Does it crawl?
Does it push? Does it maul?

Is it red? Is it fast?
When it comes, does it last?

When the eyes of those near
wince in hurt, close in tears
Do you stop?

Do you see?

Do you know
you're not free?

Thirst

Waves of intermittent glee
crest and crash away
from me. A silver sunset,
a bare shoreline, the languid,
liquid arch of time. Love wets
my life in seasoned forms;
iced hard in cold and freed
in warmth. Much like to earth
it sinks its knees,
rushes roots and sprinkles
trees, boasts blue mountains,
sings in springs, swells in clouds
and sleets in wings; the wish for
love to stay
one way, captured, cupped,
for countless days,
flows with dreams
of being drenched
in one final, fluid,
exquisite quench.