Tonight (When the World Ends)

Oceans evaporate,

Volcanoes erupt,

Blue skies interpolate the basins

Where waters have dried up,

There is no escape

From the phenomena that affrights,

So lose yourself in me

For the world will end tonight.

The woods, they'll smoulder,

Crops will slump

Like a boxer does in his corner

After taking one too many lumps,
But for them, there is no succor,
Nor another round to fight,
So stand tall with me
When the world ends tonight.

Nowhere to hide
From that which affrights;
But you'll be by my side
When the world ends tonight,
And though the crops have died,
Tears won't afflict my sight,
For all the nutrition I need,
You'll give to me tonight—

And though we're about to die...
I have no grievances to cite,
For all the love I needed,
You gave to me...tonight.


—Kevin Waring

Into the Wilderness

The path you’ve chosen is challenging—
It is of the lesser traversed:
The trees that abound are imposing,
And something in its shadows always seems to lurk,
Although they provide a nice canopy
For when ominous clouds are wont to burst,
Reassurance offers greater security
When things go from bad to worse.

And when that happens,
When you feel you can no longer endure,
Illuminate the sky with the brightest, red flare—
I will hear your cri de coeur.


You love hot tea,
Hopefully you’ve got some in your thermos,
For when cold ensnares your tiny body,
You’ll need something warm to hold to you close;
Let it spur your insides,
Singeing, even, your underclothes,
Until you’re a human bolide,
Leaving ablaze trails in your afterglow.

And when woods are alit
By a barreling mystique,
I’ll know you’ve opened the soffit
Beneath where your bones creak.

Because beneath that luminous exterior
Lay a spirit that looms larger than those trees,
And a heart ten times warmer than any estival breeze;
You embody the fervor of a raging river,
Churning as it thrusts unto where it empties...
And like the body... to which it delivers,
Your potential, too, has limitless boundaries.


—Kevin Waring

You

You get to kiss her,
You get to hold her hand,
You get to watch her stir,
As you're perched upon her nightstand,
And I believe wholeheartedly,
Nothing offers a more breathtaking view,
Switch places with me,
For I'd give anything to be you...


For a day assume my anguish--
Let it prick you like a bed of needles,
Til each incision begins to hemorrhage,
And all you bleed is everything you feel,
Even then you won't understand,
No not even a skosh,
That though your names may be etched in the sand,
I'll always love her the most.


You...lucky guy...you.




- Kevin Waring

Three-Legged Race

Peering into the future,
Our backs squarely to the past,
Downward we glanced at our legs bound together,
And started tentatively at the gun’s blast.

Slow and steady is most prudent,
It is not about speed;
Alternating the roles of teacher and student,
Is perhaps the best way to succeed -
But in a partnership where no roles are permanent,
I FAILED TO TRULY LET YOU LEAD -
Never could I have not been so insistent,
And all I can say to you now is, “Please, don’t leave.”

I am tempestuous...
The minute, I’ll cavil...
Putting up with me has been arduous,
But I beg not to let what binds us unravel -
I’m not thinking about the finish;
My only concern is to reconcile,
For winning is second best -
Second best...to seeing my friend smile.

I want to say that I’m sorry,
For lately I’ve made you do the opposite,
I know you’ve a lot to deal with daily,
Without having to put up with my bullshit -
You know these three-legged races aren’t easy,
But we’ve come too far to quit...
You’re leery?
Filled with regrets?
Give me another opportunity,
And, hopefully, I’ll change that mindset.

I KNOW YOU’VE A LOT TO DEAL WITH DAILY,
WITHOUT HAVING TO PUT UP WITH MY BULLSHIT,
YOU KNOW THESE THREE-LEGGED RACES AREN’T EASY,
BUT WE’VE COME TOO FAR TO QUIT...

Seeing as how I couldn’t care less about winning,
Can we please take it back to the beginning?
The journey back can also be the beginning going forward,
And I promise this time to be less untoward -
To be more understanding...
To let your foot plant before mine on the seward...
I love having you on my team,
Losing you, I cannot afford -
I do apologize for any wrongdoing...
Please don’t leave whose life you’ve transfigured.


- Kevin Waring

12.30.11

Night has fallen…

Tightly, I press my cheek against the pillow,

Close my eyes even more tightly and imagine,

The next time I’ll hear your voice say, “Hello,”

For some time has passed—

I just know the month ended in -ber,

And it's ironic the time gap is that vast,

For every time I think of it, I can't help but to shiver…

Time, silence and distance,

A deadly trio when working in concert,

And on it, I won’t dare write a treatise,

But know, if it has its way, in the end I’ll wind up getting hurt…

I’ve lost too much in the past to lose again—

I have no choice this time but to win.

— Kevin Waring

I'm Not Leaving

Rain was falling the size of pistachios,
The ground was muddy enough for a sow,
But lie over truth I regrettably chose,
And I was not leaving 'til she heard me out;
At her window, I cast pebbles,
An old pen that'd run out of ink,
I'd stand all night in the cold—
I couldn't care less if I got sick...
So let the rain varnish my skin,
Until the rain itself becomes my shroud—
This weather won't dampen my determination;
I'm not leaving...until she hears me out...


—Kevin Waring

Beaucoup de Miles

You're not a walk down the street,

Nor are you a trip across town;

The path to you is with obstacles replete,

But I'm going to make it there someway, somehow...

I've estimated the distance,

Out of curiosity's sake,

And even if I readjust the coordinates,

Over 400 miles still would separate -

Now, some would think the journey too onerous;

But the reward would more than compensate,

For you're the only you I know in existence,

And you're worth tempting any fate.

So, no, you don't live next door,

And you're not a "stone's throw away";

The path is long to the Jersey shore,

But I'm going to make it there somehow, someway...

This time last year...I was reeling;

The victim of a great deception,

I was on the verge of numbing all feeling -

Becoming completely deadened to human emotion...

That was before...YOU came onto the scene,

And so sweetly laid waste to that foundation;

Swiftly YOU scaled the scaffolding,

Deconstructing and dismantling,

Until all the barriers I'd erected were completely broken...

THANK GOD FOR YOU.

THANK GOD FOR YOU.

THANK. GOD. FOR. YOU ♥

YOU are the greatest you I know in existence,

And were worth tempting the fate of a repeat outcome;

However, a part of me still awaits that instance,

When things end abruptly

And I'm left brokenhearted...and feeling dumb -
That's why I agonize in prolonged silence,
That's when I lose my aplomb;
Whenever there's a break in correspondence,
I fear our friendship is on the verge of becoming entombed.


So, never let it die...
Or be prematurely laid to rest -
Don't send to dwell above the sky,
What has given me so much happiness;
Don't let me let things go awry -
Correct me before I create a big mess,
And... lastly...
I hope you, lovely, have a wonderful Christmas ♥


Though you don't live down the street,
Or a "stone's throw away";
The path to you may be with obstacles replete,
But I'm going to make it there somehow, someway...




Until then, in my life, stay.




- Kevin Waring