To An East Coast Poet

East coast poet, If you have fallen, you have fallen From a heavenly place To bring enlightenment To the ordinary spaces In which mortals live With such tenderness and longing But for which they are lacking The ability to adequately express Those wondrous and life-giving emotions. But you breathe life and hope Into all their gentle caresses; You illuminate the way Little girls and mothers Wear their dresses; You document The heartbreak of unkindness And the failure of appreciation Between people in hurtful relationships. Here in the Midwest, I have fallen in love With red roses trailing white picket fences; But neither the roses nor the fences belong to me, But if I ever meet you, I will at least steal the roses And place them in your lap. Tonight, I will dream of your mother’s finger Entwining your hair when you were only a small girl; And if I step into the moonlight, I’m certain I’ll cry.