Take Any That Sails
Copyright © 2026 Michele Heeney All rights reserved. All poems and original written material in this collection are copyright © Michele Heeney. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the copyright holder, except as permitted by applicable copyright law. First published in 2016. This edition published in 2026 by Sage Publications LLC ISBN: 979-8-952459-00-7 (SC) ISBN: 979-8-952459-01-4 (HC) ISBN: 979-8-952459-02-1 (eBook) Printed in the United States of America.
Take Any That Sails Michele Heeney
Contents Time ................................................................................ 1 Uncharted.................................................................... 2 Tomorrow ................................................................... 3 Time ............................................................................ 4 Two Thieves ............................................................... 5 Wild Horses ................................................................ 6 Shiva Speaks ............................................................... 7 Trapped ....................................................................... 8 Art ................................................................................... 9 The Art of Wine ........................................................ 10 Transformation ......................................................... 11 Poetry ........................................................................ 12 Shadow Side ............................................................. 13 Lady Art .................................................................... 14 Nature ........................................................................... 15 Carmel Valley ........................................................... 16 El Rio Grande ........................................................... 17 Mount Tamalpais ...................................................... 18 Monterey Summer .................................................... 19 New Mexico.............................................................. 20 Fool Moon ................................................................ 22 To Men of Progress .................................................. 23 California Goodbye .................................................. 24
Love ..............................................................................25 La Bebida Especial ...................................................26 Live Wire Fence ........................................................27 To Run Alone ............................................................28 Love Song .................................................................29 Celibacy ....................................................................30 Catch Me ...................................................................31 Standing at Your Door ..............................................32 Spirit ..............................................................................33 The Dance of Shiva ...................................................34 A Drunken Dragonfly ...............................................35 The Red Shawl ..........................................................36 Last Night..................................................................37 The Knower and The Known ....................................38 Soul Soup with Biscuits ............................................39 Why You Came.........................................................40 Meeting the Shadow .................................................41 Madre De Las Estrellas .............................................42 It Was Your Country.................................................43 Politics...........................................................................45 Glass Soldier .............................................................46 Recession’s Wedding ................................................47 Two Women ..............................................................48 Willing Inmates.........................................................49 Wrong Box ................................................................50 Severely Anemic .......................................................51 Going Down Slow.....................................................52
Zen ................................................................................ 53 Buddha’s Request ..................................................... 54 Zen Again ................................................................. 55 A Flight of Hours ...................................................... 56 The Past .................................................................... 57 The Most Beautiful Bird in the World...................... 58 The Philosopher’s Stone ........................................... 59 Trip to Nirvana ......................................................... 60 Etc. ................................................................................ 61 Perchance to Dream .................................................. 62 La Loba ..................................................................... 63 Sweet and Sour ......................................................... 64 To an Old Love ......................................................... 65 From Moon Till Morning ......................................... 66 Fallen Petals .............................................................. 67 Calling....................................................................... 68 Under the Rug ........................................................... 69 No Chance ................................................................ 70 Mexico ...................................................................... 71
1 Time
2 Uncharted My conscious mind Has its own Unconscious mind That rests On a dark Uncharted island That floats on a Collective universal Sea Blown about By hot winds Born of primordial Time Long before My mind Met its mind Or this Mind-filled body.
3 Tomorrow We are day-eaters all, Gluttons of time, Mindlessly taking in Morsels of moments That will be served But once. Tomorrow we'll drink A bitter brew Of stale regrets To clear our mouths And minds Of half tasted Yesterdays.
4 Time Willowy aftermath Of half remembered dreams, Gossamer mist dividing Today from forever. We watch our hours From a door beyond And pass through In silken slippers.
5 Two Thieves Age takes youth Death takes more. Age dusts the windows Death shuts the door. Age takes beauty Death, hope of spring. Age takes laughter Death, everything. Age steals thoughts And times once known. Age takes memories Death leaves its own. Age knows good times Death knows none. Age takes many Death, everyone.
6 Wild Horses Where are all those wild young horses That sped across my landscape? With flashing hooves and blood red eyes, With steaming flesh and panting breath, They tore through tender land, Kicked up soul and sinew. Led by one young stallion, Passion was his name Passion was his life, Freedom followed at his neck Across my fresh green earth. So wild, so huge, so free they ran With many more behind them. Through white of day Through black of night, Up hills of wonder Down valleys of regret They stopped for none Nor knew a master. Now, I only hear their echo, Feel the last of shaking earth. They’re all but gone, Riding toward another golden sun, Another promised land While I must stay To taste the dust of mine.
7 Shiva Speaks Look to the sky. No beginning No end. Beyond the edge Of the universe, My home. No borders No boundaries Only infinity. For me Time is A circle. No first No last But Always. I was Before eternity I will be After eternity. Contemplating Space and time Brings you closer To me. Come closer.
8 Trapped We are all born free. Soon, time comes stalking The net drops down. Tender minds, Tender flesh Ensnared, Sins recorded, Runaways captured. Trapped. Trapped, Then thrown To shadows. Long before we die,. We are ghosts. Grey ghosts Condemned to haunt The few Who got away.
9 Art
10 The Art of Wine Decanting rare wine From spent hours with Lingering echoes Of memory. Uncork the bottle, Strange music flows out, Shards of mementos, Bits of the past. While the measure of time Continues distilling A jug of bitter dross Into a wine Too rich to drink.
11 Transformation The small poet Takes the fine pen To probe thin nerves Of invisible emotion Causing liquid tears To evaporate Into transparent air And the whole world Shifts.
12 Poetry When writing As with living It’s often best To be still, To wait, To listen For the right words The right meaning That lives not In the mind But in the bones. When lost in confusion, Leaning too close To logic, Trust that the light Will find you, That mystery will Solve itself. Trust in fruition Where beauty and form Will materialize From a deeper, Untamed region. Pushing,pulling, Beating on the door Leads us Off the scent, Where only Stillness and letting go Will see us home.
13 Shadow Side Where is my dark poet, The seeker of shadows, The reader of dreams? Where is my night angel Who watches at evening As the blackbird sleeps, Knows where the rabbits run As the night hawk hunts, How the river holds the moonlight? Where is my secret self Who flashes golden spurs At dawn? Then gone.
14 Lady Art Often wears A filmy wrap That veils Her hidden meaning. Yet, through A tiny pinhole In her gown The artists Inner spark Is sought And found, A moment more The pinhole’s Doubly sewn. Yet, for one Speck of time The sensual form Is fully known.
15 Nature
16 Carmel Valley That restless Soul of mine Finally slipped It’s silver anchor Over the side, Deep into that Green and golden Patch of earth. I, of course, Kept roaming Through other Charming lands While my soul, Still tethered To the anchor, Stayed.
17 El Rio Grande Clouds alive With mist and wind Dance through The branches Of old cottonwoods. The Rio Grande Caresses their reflection. A scattershot Of swallows Blows about like bursts Of black confetti. The banks That holds the river Breathe silent prayers Of stillness, As the river sings Her autumn song.
18 Mount Tamalpais Weary of wishing Soft lay me down Spent of ambition On your cool ground. High mother mountain On you I rest, Peace from you fountain I drink from your breast. Cradle me sweetly As I sleep by your streams Humbly I seek thee To nourish old dreams.
19 Monterey Summer Heart-breakable star drenched sky Velvet black in deep July, My blood turns to honey wine. Warmed by the breath Of ocean winds that drift Through tall and flaxen wheat On waves of summer heat Our skin turns pink, then peach, then tan, Sweet apricot juice stains My shirt and hand While you hair is blown about Like wild corn silk in the breeze. Sweet July and August Run together and soon We feel as young as any Yearling doe beneath the moon Grazing on fallen plums at night. All but forgotten Cold February’s chill, Month of brittle bones, Of frozen dawns Without the bright warm sun’s good will. Stay, O sweet July. Please linger long. Too soon comes the weight Of winter’s crushing wheel When wine turns again to blood, As bones to steel.
20 New Mexico Raw west winds Sweep across Wide mesas, Exquisite sky, The canopy. Willful spirits Rip through Troops of juniper. Only the deeply rooted Stand. All else Long, long since Blown away. To the pleasure Of the desert gods Coyotes sing Their crazy love song To this fearsome beauty. Such is my interior canvas; A wide, clean-swept soul scape In pale earth tones. Yet, sometimes In deepest sleep I dream of cool, Moist nights, Soft mist rising Off verdant fields.
21 How could I not? When celtic rain runs with Ancient memories Through my blood.
22 Fool Moon This big full moon With it’s neon grin Takes me by the throat Lets the night witch in. This blue full moon Takes a hold of me Won't set me free Till the end of night. That bright orb hanging Keeps my brains clanging Gets strange ghosts banging Like some old barn doors. This cool moon glow With it’s ice blue light Has it’s grip on me Till the last of night. Till dawn.
23 To Men of Progress Please don’t Blow up The moon. We have Grown quite Fond of her. The tides Of oceans, The tides Of our bodies, Have fallen in love With her magic Push and pull. In love with Her light in The night sky, Her hope in Darkness and foreboding, Her play of Form and change. She is The silver pendant The ancients Have passed down. Leave the moon To her eternal birth. Haven't you done enough To earth?
24 California Goodbye We've filled our basket with roses, With bits of dark autumn moss, Bright beads of dew from springtime, Last winter’s delicate frost. We've fashioned coats of velvet To wrap us from the wind, Bought sweet wine from far off places, Crystal glasses to pour it in. We’ve waded through silken rivers With fish carved of amethyst, Tied ribbons of rainbow around our waist, Wove threads of gold wheat for our wrist. Though my heart is filled high with sorrow, I gently let go of your hand I’m off to another beginning, Another enchanting land.
25 Love
26 La Bebida Especial When it comes to love I sometimes find A small sip of poison Is just as fine As a big, full glass Of the best French wine.
27 Live Wire Fence Had I only known one Touch would send shots of Lightening though my bones, My heart, my skin, So sharp, so deep, a bolt Of raw electric To scorch my body up and down Singe my hair, my upper Lip, burn holes in my socks, My shoes, searing through the Floor, into the cellar. Had I only thought one Touch could blind my eyes so They could not see the present, Burn my ears so They could not hear the now Leaving me stuck, staring At the past. What once was tranquil is Burnt to ashes by the heat. Still, after all this carnage I want another touch.
28 To Run Alone I am too responsible of late Keeping my needs, my hopes Behind a heavy gate, Sending Wonder Girl to run about Shutting pain and feelings out. Once in awhile my heart breaks Through the ice Of that cold, grey lake It’s drown in twice, Stings me with it’s hot reality; You with your love Are not here with me. I run alone so well it just seems right To give my all on this long, low, solo flight. But since you’ve touched me with your face It seems now a sad, a sorry race— To run alone.
29 Love Song A flutter of emotion Then sudden flight On frantic wings. Freed From a twice lock cage My heart went flying To sing silent Notes of hope Upon your window sill.
30 Celibacy When I knew for certain No man would soon be near, I took the angels on. In that coupling My heart blew open. Then beauty, That had been a stranger to me, Poured forth Like golden waterfalls.
31 Catch Me Catch me. Don’t let me win this game. Use your finest net, Employ your fastest yacht, Please you really ought To catch me. Grab me by the hand Demand I understand I’m running out of time. Lock me in your arms. Catch me. If I don’t stop soon I'll crash into the moon Out in cold dark space. What a crazy race! If it seems the clouds I seek It’s not. I’m just too weak To cease this silly game. What I truly need Is an end to all this speed. So if while gazing at the sky You see me flying by, Kiss me on the mouth And catch me.
32 Standing at Your Door I once had A blood red heart. It sang It soar, It sailed. Now it’s stuck To the sole Of your shoe. Now there’s a hole In my chest Where my heart used to be. So I’m here at you door To say, I want my heart back.
33 Spirit
34 The Dance of Shiva Eyebrows singed Nose blistered and red Lips cracked and scorched My kinetic soul stood still, My body melted, Mind and thoughts burned Like torched paper. What happened? One tiny spark Off the silver heels Of the Eternal Dancer Kissed me.
35 A Drunken Dragonfly I am the deep black ink That keeps the stars afloat. I am the endless cosmic night. I am the life force of every living thing. I am in your blood, your secret heart, your soul. I am where your spirit goes at death. I am the measure of wisdom, of compassion, To whom all great religions call, Though they’ve yet to speak My language well. I write the music of the spheres And teach the birds to sing it. I am your prayers answered. Still, you do not know Me. Won’t catch My name on solar winds Or hear My voice in ocean waves. You're like a drunken dragonfly That rips his wings off While in the midst of flight Wake up! You're missing quite a show.
36 The Red Shawl From time To time, Quietly, Disguised As ordinary, The spirit of peace comes to call. Wafts in On sweet Scented incense, Shyly slips A soft red shawl Around my Shoulders. Then, Just as I Speak her name (As would a startled sparrow) Peace departs.
37 Last Night In a dream I heard the word “Divest”. I watched my hand Let go Of all my Worldly treasures From my silver Treasure chest. Then, just before Reaching for the door, The door to eternity, I saw myself stand naked, Naked and luminous With fantastic Golden wings.
38 The Knower and The Known The great creator Wished to know The joy and pain Of man, So He created lovers. Man wished to know The mind and purpose Of God, So he fell in love.
39 Soul Soup with Biscuits What must be done To be real? What must be done To be whole? Simply this: Be crushed by the weight Of your own choices, Wounded by Endless labor. Return to your private journey One thousand times Only to fall One thousand times more. Marry you fiery heart To your frigid intellect, Sit down and eat Your own raw soul. Anything less Isn’t real, Anything less Isn’t whole.
40 Why You Came You are What you are here To find. You are The treasure You are seeking. This crazy labyrinth You're traveling Leads only inward, Where you may find What you are here To find.
41 Meeting the Shadow As he Lingers in The depths Of soul He meets His fool, His failure, His sinner. He walks awhile Among them, Hears their stories Hears their lament, Then grabs The light Of self forgiveness To fly up, Up and out.
42 Madre De Las Estrellas Santa Maria, Cosmic feminine of celestial lands Help her accept the abundant gifts You have kindly placed in her hands. Mother of the stars above Let her feel your sweet blessings Of gratitude and love. Santa Maria, May she be permitted To forgive herself For sins not committed. Queen of time and space Hold her up to the moon That she may kiss It’s snowy face.
43 It Was Your Country I know you've yet to find The words To hold the feelings. So, let me say it for you. The truth, the beauty Of the dream Was real to you. You held the keys. It was your country You're now an empty Clay container Falling to the ground. It’s over. The jackals have won. Of course they won, You didn’t know You were the enemy. The blood is on the wall. They’re sucking on your bones They’re eating your children’s future. They used your dreams That are now Just a foolish memory.
44 You're no longer needed. They wish you'd walk Out into space And disappear. Ninety nine plus one Now equals one. So, have I said it right? Have I said it well enough?
45 Politics
46 Glass Soldier Sent out In glory And speeches Returns home In broken Jagged pieces. Why speak Of such sorrow You may ask, Because we all Are soldiers Made of glass.
47 Recession’s Wedding I'll buy the wine I’ll make the bread, I’ll wash the sheets For the wedding bed A grand day it will be, The day we wed. And you, my love, Bring stones for soup.
48 Two Women She said No To two Yes To one. That’s why Her story sounds So strange to you. You said No To the wide high way Yes To the comfort train. That’s why Your story sounds So odd to her. She chose The call Of unconscious wilderness Not the lure Of hearth and home. That’s why She still discusses The joy and cost Of freedom With a thousand angels On the mountain’s Rocky edge.
49 Willing Inmates You're never going Where we have been What we have seen You'll never see What we know You can’t imagine. You may have more But more is not enough. Do you ever listen To the wisdom on the wind? Lift one foot To follow your own path? The prison bars Around your mind You've forged yourself. Will a hundred lifetimes Come and go Before you simply Open the door and Leave the cell?
50 Wrong Box Please don’t put me In your box. It’s not my box. It’s much too small, My spirit’s grown To ten feet tall. I won't fit in A box at all. If you feel you must Rename me, Label and contain me, Then wrap me in A bag with rocks, Drop me in The deepest river, Or put me in a jail With locks, But please, and now I’m begging, Please, don’t put me In a box.
51 Severely Anemic Your conversation is Verbal cotton candy Sticky, pink and fluffy Dissolving into nothing In my mouth. Chewing on sweet air, Gagging on spun sugar. Tell me Something real, Something brief, or witty A few nuggets Of wisdom, A morsel of truth. It may not be Grade A But after talking with you I feel the need To tear into A big chunk of Red, raw meat.
52 Going Down Slow Coming back To where I started I remember Why I left This plush Velvet prison, This sea Of bland tranquility, Where all the rules Are set. I’m going down slow In this bog Of conventionality, This subtle brutality With not a soul to save me.
53 Zen
54 Buddha’s Request Boundless compassion? I’m still busy Climbing The slippery, slimy Tree of self Growing out of The soupy swamp Of Samsara. Boundless compassion? The very minute I get out of This damn tree.
55 Zen Again We are always At the present moment The sum total Of all our past decisions, All our future dreams. Ah, not so Says the stranger. We are always The sum total Of that quiet being Who surely lives In the presence Of the ever present Now.
56 A Flight of Hours In the day Before tomorrow, In the year before The next Pay attention To your hours Or you may Find yourself In the desolate forest Of pale memories Where, if you dwell Too long, Time brings you to The end of all tomorrows. Pay close attention To the hours Of today, For, unlike Robins in spring, They do not Fly home again.
57 The Past Is an imaginary quilt Of about three hundred Choice patches, A few thousand Colored threads. The sheets Long since Gone to tatters, Then to dust. The bed frame? Well, it no longer Stands at all.
58 The Most Beautiful Bird in the World Could be you. An ethereal spirit bird; One wing of Wisdom, One of Compassion. You could fly On the winds Of pure kindness Into the golden corona Of the sacred sun. But you will need Both wings.
59 The Philosopher’s Stone When the odyssey Is over, All the tigers tamed, When there is nothing left To rail against Except the wind, The cold, The seasons, There is still One lesson waiting That can change lead To stunning gold. The lesson is Forgiveness The lesson is The last, And certainly The deepest.
60 Trip to Nirvana To reach nirvana Go sit With a cat In your own Back yard. Passport, Cool travel gear, Hiking boots— Not required. Just the cat, If that.
61 Etc.
62 Perchance to Dream Slowly slipping Into the silent Stream of sleep, Sinking softly Into quicksand Half an acre deep. Leaving sticky tangles Far behind, Towards the arms Of vast unconscious bliss, Letting go The restless Racing mind. Traveling down The edge Of the indigo abyss. Down, down Once again To kiss The constant lover, Sweet Morpheus.
63 La Loba She is a wolf, Wild sleek and grey She hunts by night She sleeps by day. No one can catch her, No one’s as swift, From one hill to another She silently shifts. You may see her at dawn, At daybreak’s first light, A flash of wildness, She’s a dazzling sight. Their’s dew on her coat, Mud on her paws, Blood on her mouth, Meat in her jaws. She is a wolf Wild, sleek and grey She hunts by night She sleeps by day.
64 Sweet and Sour Alone again, Alone at last! Alone again, Alone alas.
65 To an Old Love Oh what a masquerade I played to please you. You left anyway. I simply could have Been myself, Then, at least You would be leaving Me.
66 From Moon Till Morning We sailed softly Through the satin sky, On towards the lemon moon. Off starboard galaxies floated by As we sang our sailor’s tune. By magenta morning You were gone from me, Slipped off into the night, Now I wander alone On this star-filled sea, Adrift on this astral flight. Sometimes I can just Catch sight of you, While you skim The face of the sun. I doubt we’ll sail together again, As I steer my ship of one. Compass in hand, Wind at my back, I steer my ship of one.
67 Fallen Petals She’s a special breed of rose Hold her too close She’ll wither, Not close enough, She’ll die.
68 Calling Over here, This small voice Calling from a corner Of the universe. Over here, Come find me. I have a world of wondrous Jewels in my pocket. Come find me, I’ll share Them all, One by wondrous one With you.
69 Under the Rug The Chuckawalla Baby Bite Choo man Lived under the living room rug. He was absolutely terrifying Even though he was The size of a bug. He had long green teeth, Blood red eyes, Frequent raging fits. One day the dog Came galumphing by, Smashed him all to bits. Apparently a paw Came crashing down, Caught him in the neck. Although it’s been A year since then, His wife is still a wreck.
70 No Chance You are so firmly planted In a world of force and logic, Can you dare imagine A translucent, subtle world Of flow and light. I find no way To break you open To the fantastic luminous That so easily Exists for me. No chance Of our worlds colliding. We're not circling The same sun.
71 Mexico Mexico, warm Mexico Your sunsets glow, Your colors flow, Your sweet winds blow. I hear the whisper Of the brown Madonna's song The music of fiesta wafts along. I love your high Sierra Madre Your salty sensual sea. Please, Mexico, Save a little place for me.