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As a songwriter, I sometimes write lyrics before I have music to go with them. Some never find their melodies. One day I realized that they didn’t need music to be heard and, so, my poetry was born. I published two volumes a few years back (both are now out of print.)

Since it’s National Poetry Month, I thought I would dip into my archive and post one or two.
Enjoy!

Seconds and Thirds

my dear sweet
my summer surprise
if you only knew
between each breath
behind the smiles
underneath every bit of banter
lies a resounding fear
an echo of our combined pasts
and our tenuous present
sad sometime ago
and funny
this shoulder is for you
these arms

my dear sweet
the seed of my sighs
if you only could see
the cloying fog of regret
that settles upon me
i am in perpetual need
of your brand of comfort
wrap me up
keep me warm
on seattle grey afternoons
and i will cool your storm
of santa ana red memories
we are the walking wounded
limping into love

~Xio Axelrod

The End, The Beginning

now i know
when morning rises
all of this will have changed
and there will be more questions
more lies to be told

it could not last forever
this throbbing aching night
courting release so subtly
while we scream into the wind

whatever we make of this
time won’t let us forget
that we were once worthy of love
may we be again, someday

~Xio Axelrod