Rick K. Reut Around A Word

(ACROSS THE YEAR’S EDGE)

…slipping out of sight.

You move from the window ledge

in the dark that surrounds the light

across the year’s edge…

…slipping out of sight. You move from the window ledge in the dark that surrounds the light across the year’s edge…

January 2005

(NIGHT COFFEE)

…out of the window. Still

night coffee starts to spill…

…out of the window. Still night coffee starts to spill…

January 2005

(STAR)

…telling you who you are.

A star slipped out of your eye

when you looked at the sky

and saw another star…

…telling you who you are. A star slipped out of your eye when you looked at the sky and saw another star…

January 2005

(VIEW OF THE DAY)

…of the day that had run

out of time. You knew

that seeing a bleeding sun-

set would alter your view…

…of the day that had run out of time. You knew that seeing a bleeding sunset would alter your view…

January 2005

(YEARS-LONG)

…that it may be all

you can recall

now. It was so

years-long ago…

…that it may be all you can recall now. It was so years-long ago…

January 2005

(THE SOUND OF LIGHT)

…the sound of light.

The sound of the night

looks like the sound

of the dark around…

…the sound of light. The sound of the night looks like the sound of the dark around…

February 2005

(BREAKING ALONG)

…to nowhere. Another day

is breaking along the way…

…to nowhere. Another day is breaking along the way…

March 2005

(SO DOES THE NIGHT)

…seems far away.

So does the night

in the daylight.

At night, the day…

…seems far away. So does the night in the daylight. At night, the day…

March 2005

(SPEAK SILENT)

…does. Do it in black and white.

Speak Silent like the night…

…does. Do it in black and white. Speak Silent like the night…

March 2005

(RAILROAD TRACK)

…moving from point A

to point Z and back

to point A. You stay

on the railroad track…

…moving from point A to point Z and back to point A. You stay on the railroad track…

April 2005

(RIGHT THERE)

…waves like a pirate flag

in the wind. Your soul’s right

there — in your body bag.

The dark hair of the night…

…waves like a pirate flag in the wind. Your soul’s right there — in your body bag. The dark hair of the night…

April 2005

(TWO SIDES)

…sides. Things seem to

have at least two…

…sides. Things seem to have at least two…

April 2005

(TWO WORDS)

…led to a speech.

You wrote two words.

They led towards

two more words, which…

…led to a speech. You wrote two words. They led towards two more words, which…

May 2005

(AROUND THIS PLACE)

…of it. The sky

is wearing a dress

of darkness by

a house of glass,

stone and steel

somewhere around

this place you feel

in the background

silence that’s there

when no one’s aware…

…of it. The sky is wearing a dress of darkness by a house of glass, stone and steel somewhere around this place you feel in the background silence that’s there when no one’s aware…

June 2005

(HARD TO TELL)

…dream you’ve already had

sound like a farewell.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell

a goodbye from a bad…

…dream you’ve already had sound like a farewell. Sometimes it’s hard to tell a goodbye from a bad…

June 2005

(HISTORIC FIGHT)

…and turned into a part

of many a work of art

about the Alamo night.

In that historic fight,

many a bleeding heart

stopped. Many were torn apart…

…and turned into a part of many a work of art about the Alamo night. In that historic fight, many a bleeding heart stopped. Many were torn apart…

June 2005

(ON THE OTHER SIDE)

…on the other side

of the nighttime machine.

Someone seems to be seen,

though he tries to hide…

…on the other side of the nighttime machine. Someone seems to be seen, though he tries to hide…

June 2005

(THE FIELD OF YOUR FEARS)

…onto the field of your fears.

These shadows have lived for years

in a flat where lights seem

to go out like a football team…

…onto the field of your fears. These shadows have lived for years in a flat where lights seem to go out like a football team…

June 2005

(CRAZY)

…around after

your crazy laughter.

The wall is grayer

than a thick layer

of snow. The ceiling

seems to be stealing

your mind’s attention.

You want to mention

it to somebody.

But there’s nobody…

…around after your crazy laughter. The wall is grayer than a thick layer of snow. The ceiling seems to be stealing your mind’s attention. You want to mention it to somebody. But there’s nobody…

July 2005

(IN SEARCH OF SOMETHING)

…in search of something that cannot be seen.

There is a shallow shadow on the wall,

looking for someone’s recently lost soul.

You change the channels like a snake the skin…

…in search of something that cannot be seen. There is a shallow shadow on the wall, looking for someone’s recently lost soul. You change the channels like a snake the skin…

July 2005

(SOME DREAMS)

…to have some dreams

that are insane.

Watching the rain,

somebody seems…

…to have some dreams that are insane. Watching the rain, somebody seems…

July 2005

(THE TRACK)

…each train of thoughts on the track

to something you don’t understand.

Your brain begins to black

out in order to end…

…each train of thoughts on the track to something you don’t understand. Your brain begins to black out in order to end…

July 2005

(TO SAY A WORD)

…before. Try to say a word

that has never been heard…

…before. Try to say a word that has never been heard…

July 2005

(AFTER THE RAIN)

…the rain starts after the rain

stops again. And again…

…the rain starts after the rain stops again. And again…

August 2005

(A STREETLIGHT)

…you see a streetlight

and shadows that fight.

Deep in the night…

…you see a streetlight and shadows that fight. Deep in the night…

August 2005

(AT FIRST)

…out of things that are free.

At first, you lose just one.

But then two lead to three

and so on till you run…

…out of things that are free. At first, you lose just one. But then two lead to three and so on till you run…

August 2005

(UP TO GOD)

…again? It’s got

to be up to GOD.

Just how many more

mornings must we

witness before

we become free…

…again? It’s got to be up to GOD. Just how many more mornings must we witness before we become free…

August 2005

(WAY BACK)

…after the sunset came,

the sky turned red, then black.

Nothing appeared the same,

going all the way back

to when that summer began

to end. Once again…

…after the sunset came, the sky turned red, then black. Nothing appeared the same, going all the way back to when that summer began to end. Once again…

August 2005

(A YEAR)

…which you don’t like

to talk about here.

It’s been a year

or so of your life…

…which you don’t like to talk about here. It’s been a year or so of your life…

September 2005

(IN THE WINDOW)

…your ears hear

around here.

The picture in

the window looks

like you have seen

it on a book’s

cover. Your eyes

despise the lies…

…your ears hear around here. The picture in the window looks like you have seen it on a book’s cover. Your eyes despise the lies…