“Rest Stop” M. Murphy 1996. Photograph.
Shovel It (Love Shit)
A collection of 35 poems. Spontaneous, sustained afterglow effect; Spewing a Writ-of-Detinue, of mandamus fantasy and marginal experience.
This book deals with the topic of Love. And how it is viewed from the many different lenses we see through, and the masks we adorn ourselves with to enhance the “whatever you want to call it” factor of attraction.
No matter who you are with, give it your all. Don’t ever be afraid to speak your mind and don’t criticize one another baselessly, for that is what you reflect; Moreover, listen to what each other has to say, not just verbally; and, seek to find resolve by embracing your personal differences to strengthen your common bonds. By all means, be interactive.
Sterilization of the moment is the realization that we, as humans, are driven to procreate, then to nest, then to move on. Those that stay and linger do so for love; in its infinite definitions.
Separately; Men conquer, Women collect. Male and Female, Ying and Yang, Alpha and Omega. It is the delicate balance of the two made whole that works the magic and defies all known description.
As for the cover photo
This was 1995, on the way to New Orleans and Mardi-Gras, perhaps in Tennessee along route 81. Stage one of a non-stop road trip, lasting a lifetime in the duration of 18 plus hours, in a Toyota Tercel. Then it was off to Daytona, then back home to our Nation’s Capital. I swear, I must have listened to Led Zeppelin III over thirty times in the span of seven days.
While at a gas station, filling up and emptying out, I made this picture; probably 10 hours into the opening stretch of this one particular journey. The image stood as a metaphor for the way my mind had perceived the synthesis of the relationship I was in at the time.
I had just driven through a horrendous storm. The pelting rain; battering the little Toyota like Niagara Falls. And, the wind had made itself visible by adorning tree limbs, trash cans, and road signs. The once invisible specter of turbulence now had physical substance and I was driving directly in to its path. For 8 hours in the middle of the night, the storm unrelenting from Winchester, Virginia all the way into Tennessee, along the Shenandoah Valley.
Those 8 hours foreshadowed the next eight months that were to follow. You do your best to steer clear of the debris you can see coming at you, and hope that what you don’t see doesn’t blindside you.
We all have to clean up the messes we make along the way; Love Shit, Shovel It.
Enjoy,
M. Murphy
BOOK FOUR – SHOVEL IT (LOVE SHIT)
Sacrificial Woes
My sacrificial woes beg
To unopened eyes, along the edge of the world
I remember a moment
Don’t forget moments
The bodies swayed
To the rhythm of the night
And the heartbeat of the rain
Holy dance, fruitful paradise
What aires linger about
Stagnant and polluted
Whose hands be it
Pushing
Our Door
Our door has started to open
And the light inside is blinding
To find a part of you, you find a part of me
Our door has started to open
With every passing day
Passion and love will reign the day
It’s open all the way
The Effect
Although, the effect does wear off
The compulsion still exists
The finish line is there
The race is not a race
‘tis cloud, the mind
The endurance task
The time will hath not measure
For years it will seem
As for the past
Slipping quickly through junctions
Going by like water and falling snow
Filling in the cracks
Round peg, round hole
Square for square
Hands in hands
Lips to lips
Arms on arms
Bodies tangled
The cry of love
Deafening silence
Screaming without voice
The song
Poking the needles
In the appropriate places
A Voice
A voice
Of settling calm
Tone of serious imply
Know just how far to reach
The jar on the shelf
Your eyes know the distance
The Eyes
The eyes took me in
To a place like home
Warm soft, inviting
And deadly mysterious
A smile and a deep breath
The exhale of a spring day
With its eternal distraction
To usher in the summer heat
Wishes and dreams
As a small child would
Love and desire
What hope is for
Like To Touch
I’d like to touch you if I might
Your eyes sweet tastes of wine
And I’m drunk falling in your arms
C’mon and hold me till I die
Wash away the tears I cry
I won’t question why
But my love will simplify
I’d like to hold you if I may
Your lips paralyze my walking stride
And I’ve died kneeling at your feet
C’mon and hold me for tonight I lay
In bed with the sheets pulled away
We sleep like spoons side by side
Dishing up love, slice of pie
Train Of Love
Is it a train of love?
Of vanity wants
Car after car
As far
As you can see
Will love catch me?
Unaware
At the crossroads
Of indecision
Like it always has
Am I just a wanton fool?
Sick and deranged
Such as my companions
Know me
Caught unaware
Take Me
Take me from this place
Remove my tidings bind
Leave the strings behind me
‘Tis love I need to find
I’m stretched and pulled apart
For the right of the right, of the right
I’ve given too much already
I nearly lost my sight
I will not be needed
And I know I will be missed
My family means so much to me
But I dream for what I wished
Get out of this love hate state
Into more serene
To flow my ebbing senses
And love out my dream
Right Now
Right now there are no doubts
Of where I want to be
But I need to see you soon
From this place I will flee
Moving like a slow calm wind
To fill your luscious sails
Sail upon your sea of love
A surface leave no trails
The force that pulls me to you
Getting wilder every day
But I need to see you soon
That’s all I have to say
Barefoot
Will we walk
One day
Hand in hand
Barefoot
Through the sands of life
On the beach of togetherness
Alongside an ocean of love
I’ve thought this
From the moment I met you
My arms open up to greet you
They rest in a treasure
Of woven silk
Whispering
This new day greet’eth me
Sun shining
Through my open door
The shadowed pattern on my floor
Ever rising
Children walking by my stoop
They see everything
Chaperones
Miss so much
Of the view
Did anyone take notice
How love and joy
Spilled out my open door
The shadowed pattern on my floor
Whispering
Apparent
I took a walk
To clear my thoughts
Of the ever apparent
I could smell somebody bar-b-queing
That warmth
Of a thousand memories
Woven between fresh cut grass
Making things ever apparent
Water Lilies
Water lilies
Float on endlessly
They sunk when a stone was thrown
Ripples
Was all that was left
It should not be right
For they won’t rise up
The world will stay down
All is under
May Day
May Day, May Day
My basket case
Hung around my doorway
The lilies bloom
The petals flow
Reminding me of you
A neighborhood counsel
Judges each basket
No psychiatrist will
Shave Off
A stirring calmness surrounds me
I tremble upon reflection of you
Knees shaking with an unknown joy
A mystery that is binding, as
No other contract is able
And I woke in the morning
To an empty bed with lonely arms
The waiting s both killing and kind
Whiskers itching my face remind me
To shave off the years between us
Gas
I woke with a terrible pain in my stomach
Gas I suppose
Interrupted my dream of you
Crawling, pacing, hurting
Shaking and trembling
Never ceasing
Still needing to work
Still needing to dream
I clean for therapy
The gas man knocks on my door
Here to turn on my gas
After two months
When the day I want
My gas turned off
Still crawling and pacing
Shaking and trembling
Poem A Day
A poem a day
Till we say
Hello
Face to face
Treasure, our love
Forever, my love
No boundaries
For the undying
Your petite belly
Tattooed of lust
My body
Tower of passion
The dream unfolds
Music
Our anointed souls
Lost to it
The grace of your neck
Welcome
My tender kisses
Finding home
Across The Miles
Easy to visualize
Living with you in the future
Feeling now
How right it seems to be
I see loving you
As I see I always have
Came naturally to me
To say I love you
I reach across the miles
Between us
Put my arms around you
And stay there
So I don’t get knocked to my knees
‘Tis you that I must please
Surrender unto thee
I am at your command
Parade
I think of you, like I always do
Went to the circle this morning
The parade came by
As I drank my tea
I miss you today
In bed we could lay
Or walk amongst the trees
Hand in hand
The silence would speak for us
Hunny
Although it seems I cannot stop
Thinking about you comes easily
Shop till you drop
My friend
The ways get so complicated
Patience wears thin
My one agenda
To be emancipated
The ease and comfort
Of your friendship
Atonement
And forgiveness
Awkward timing
Not out of place
Grabbing at the re-set
Winding hands together
Winding hands, holding hands
Playing bread and butter
(not) Often shall we trip and fall
And get back up again
My friend of time
Gone by no more
Hibernation complete
Where’s the hunny
No Body
No body
To write about love
Too right about love
All wrong
Smeggeriffic curses
Jizzmatotious eyes
Beaming out boners
One eye, one eye
Getcher’ one eye here
Watch it they spit
What a crock-o-shit
Darling
Darling, you send me
Eyes from thirty feet
Squinting
Of sorry, not me
Refrigerator light purse
From across the bar
Sign up at the door
For consensual sex
All bars should have
Fuck rooms
And bathrooms
Pick your scent
Smell it out
Human animal
Horse Race
No different than a horse race
You place your odds
You make the bet
Long shot to win
The big payoff
Belly up to the bar
Bet on the horsies
Which one should be shot
Which one pasture to stud
Blinders and peering eyes
Fanfare
Vomitrotious
Beautiful high stakes
Against all odds
Six To Nine
Six to nine
Can play the game
So erotic
With the device
Automated
Dairy cow milker
That’s hole milk
Got milk
Pearly white mustache
Have you seen
Me, nutritional values
Like the concern
Milky Treats
Milky treats
Come to me
Both of you
To please me
Looking for my mouth
Seeking out my hands
Petted like a lamb
Tied To Me
Tied to me
Your hands bound behind you
You cannot see, for the mask
All too willingly
Spread your legs to me
And tell me all about it
The hair, how it hides
And outlines
The gentle curves
Of supple flesh
Moistened by my tongue
You would like to take me in
For the night
To occupy the deepest room
In your cottage bungalow
Thighs
Thighs work up a sweat
Surrounding the treasure
Buried within
A sweet furry blend
Smoothness to the end
Grooved for my tongue
I can smell you
In heat
Beg to give meat
The inches hide away
Hips slide this way
Nestle deep inside you
Ball Sack
Sweaty ball sack
Private aroma
A long, long ride
Thick and wet
Head out
Spitting and drooling
Bobbing
Up and down
Tower of strength
Blood flow
Vein popping
Miss directed
Smooth
Salty taste
So I’m told
Too good
Velvet folds
Layered
Pungent
Pudding
Looking for a spot
To park
And re-park
And re-park
So hot
This weather
Soon the rain
Will come
All is awash
All is said
All is done
It was fun
Erotic Playground
Erotic playground
Daisy trouncer
Smooth texture
Wanna be
Eye wash hurricane
Sign bender
And you know
What’s best for thee
Careful you
Don’t skin your knee
Tape roll masquerade
Fearless bluff
Spread frosting
Cover mistakes
Tell me how
Sit on my face
A last supper
Upon the table
Banquet feast
Parted and able
Clinton
Bill Clinton
(and) The Presidential Penis
Fucking those who want
To cash in
On their own terms
From the beginning
In turn we will see
Intern we will see
Petite
Sweet petite
Incense meat
Let me lick your flower
Up and down
And all around
To get a creamy shower
Prisoner
I wish I had
A dining room table
I’d set you upon it
And eat you
Like a prisoner
And his last meal
Leslie
Leslie’s ass munch
Vagina licker
Apple fritter
An a cream cheese
Pie
Bruised Lip
Get in the car
Bruised lip
I miss you
Misunderstanding
Everybody fell in love with you
I was no exception
But I did understand
You and me
Perhaps (I’ll) never (find out)
Where your damn shoes are
We got bad information
From a one called friend
Who built a wall between us
And painted it with jealousy
And lies and noise, fuck that
If you only knew
Perhaps (I’ll) never (find out)
I still love you
Pulp Fiction Potbelly
Pulp fiction potbelly
I want to touch it
Run my hands around it
Kiss and caress
Your little potbelly
Play a ritual of the hands
To memorize your shape
Trace my lips around your world
And lick the salt of your taste
The inside of your hands
Right around the wrists
Up the inner forearm
Both my tongue and lips
The curved road to bliss
Play a ritual of the hands
To memorize your shape
Walk my fingers up your arms
And hold them into place
Wrap my arms around your waist
Let me stand behind you
Look into the mirrored surface
Reflect the Garden of Eden
Puzzle pieces now fir even
Play a ritual of the hands
To memorize your shape
Our bodies fit together
And lock in to place
The Spiral Saint 