Venice

It's been raining all day. The streets are flooded.
According to Darwin, I'll soon grow fins,
becoming cold-blooded.
Then, I shall explore all the ins
and outs,
of Venice, buried below the reflected clouds.

As for now, I sit in a coffee shop, whose ceiling is designed to resemble the sky.
The moon, like a fishing hook, looks appealing,--
it catches the eye....
it catches me by the eye.

To ***

We broke the night reflecting on existence.
My pillow absorbed your scent, and I grew
to hate the concepts of "space" and "distance,"
for both are defined by the absence of you.

We're like two lines... or rather, two points,
cursing the fortune, which one day fenced us,--
but no matter how long we flip the coins,
the probability, dear, remains against us.

Stubborn fingers refuse to dial your number,
protecting the ear, which now, dreads silence.
I turn in my bed, -- less than half in slumber,
as conscience confronts the drooping eyelids.

But, even in dreams, the mercury laps the zero.
And all that is left is to sit and observe
the fleeting time in the rear view mirror
and gasp when the road makes a sudden curve.

Cold February. Heated furnace.

Cold February. Heated furnace.
And you, my dear, refuse to sleep.
And lights across the window sweep,
And droplets freeze upon its surface.

My eyes meet yours. We dim the lights.
And suddenly, as one, we're breathing
My hands, around you, interweaving,
I recollect the gone-by nights.

My flesh is burning, -- raging wild!
"My dear, I'm ready to confess..."
You place your hand upon my chest,
And softly whisper, "save it, child..."

^

Biography

Andrey Kneller was born in Moscow, Russia. He began to write poetry when he was thirteen years old and since then has written over 350 poems. Some of his poetry was accepted for publication by "Unlikely Stories," "Monas Hieroglyphica," and "Gentle Reader" magazines. Fluent in both, English and Russian, Andrey has also translated poetry by Aleksander Pushkin, Boris Pasternak, Vladimir Vysotsky and other Russian poets. Currently, Andrey is a senior at St. Raymond High School in the Bronx. Next year, he plans to attend a four-year college and some of his top choices include Harvard College, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University and Boston College.