Glorious, life-giving sun.
Spreading rays spreading down to my spreading fingertip branches outstretched.
Kissing forehead, cheeks.
Gently waking me, washing off sleep. Fading out dreams.
Bringing me back to the place where the nightmares can't reach.

Cloud cover rolls in.
Shivering arctic wind shivering into my shivering limbs curved to fetal position. Ice-burdened branches.
Stinging nose, toes.
Forcing me under the surface through the crack in the skating pond.
Bones rattling like chains holding me in this overcast prison.

You awake in me the same excitement as the sound of the coffee pot bravely bubbling up something inside like the elixir of life that makes day-to-day, tedious trials more bearable.
Thousands of cups of coffee shared with you, talking out problems and people, with one rule: No pity parties at Purdy's, so we'd take walks.
Walks and talks and walks and talks, getting to know you, and me. Getting to know the feeling of Richmond beneath our feet, and we were free. Save, one passing comment on the adrenals and caffeine.  
And unknowingly, you taught a broken girl how to trust. Taught her that growing together with someone, like good coffee, is not something that should be rushed.

Metaphorically, you are a sly simile,
Stealing my heart
Like the smooth criminal
You often pretend to be.

I am the ineffable euphony of
Melodious sing-song
Slip-falling through the space
Between tone-deaf ears.

Such handsome hyperbole
You have turned out to be.
Pompous, peacock-ing Adonis
Lending love that's just platonic.

Alliterative rhythmic rhyme
Ticks the tumultuous internal time.
Fleeting fiend, you soon will find
Lust in lieu of love is a loathsome, lonely life.

I was a glacier
Before the white-hot steel shard
Melted me from the core,
Piercing deep, touching my heart.

Now I am a pristine tropical sea
Teeming with innumerable life,
And I draw you inside.
You lose yourself in the ebbing tide.

Quickly you learn that
There is no controlling this force you have unleashed,
So you just go with the flow
Of the swirling ocean, me.

Swimming, exploring inside
You know salt water can never quench this thirst.
Pure joy smile touches sun sweet lips
You're caught up, content, in the glorious surf.

Watching you these days
Is like watching a snake bite victim
As his bulging eyes glaze
First a general malaise, then no hope of being saved.

The serpent's fangs injected venom
Deep into your veins and then the fear set in,
The anger penetrated your consciousness,
Pulse forcing poison, cutting off oxygen.

Higher and higher, your heart rate
Makes the venom strangle sooner,
Squeezing your heart in its burning hand,
This is the serpent's last revenge for you not being her man.

She sneers as she strangles
Surreptitiously from the inside of your chest.
Soon your lungs have deflated,
And your struggling heart is compressed.

All I know now is that I need to find,
A new heart for you, so I offer up mine.
I cut open my chest as my lungs begin seizing,
Extract my last gift and place it in your hands, bleeding.

But little did I know, I was a moment too late,
Because then in your eyes I saw you had accepted your fate.
You gasped your last breath, and I gurgled out mine.
The serpent has won. This is not the first time.

The storm rages wild outside the window
But with you in the room, my breath seems to slow
Till my fears brought on by the thunderbolts
Are not very much
Not even a little
Not even at all.

The glare on the wine glass from the glow of the fire
Warming me up from the inside and the bits of exposed skin
Till the chill from the wind
Is not very much
Not even a little
Not even at all.

As pleasant conversations turn to unspoken evaluations
Your eyes start to smolder
Till the space between our fingers
Is not very much
Not even a little
Not even at all.

I will be there
When the small hands cry copper red
And the night closes in
Like his hand around your throat.

I will be there
When the purple-black-blue
Pervades the fleshy pink in-between
You think everyone sees.

And when the yellow soaked shorts
Clash the scarlet-splattered shirt,
I will be there, scooping you up
In arms soft as feathers,
Strong as steel.

There need be no more fear.
As long as I'm living,
I'm with you.
I'm here.

Strategically I situated myself
So my like end would repel you,
Like magnets, I move when you do.

Whirling about in a silly little waltz,
Every step you take towards me
Leaves no change in our proximity.

Until one day I will let myself go,
Allow our poles to situate themselves out,
Resulting in my North to your South.

There is nothing more that we
Can possibly do
This force something ingrained in me, and in you.

It can't be controlled.
It's a scientific fact.
Just something that happens: Opposites attract.

Tell them that
You need me just
As much.

Then they won't
Think I'm
Crazy.

I love you.

Once upon a time,
In some imaginary land,
I knew exactly how it felt
To be with you, hand in hand.

When we kissed in this made-up place,
My head swam, and sparks flew,
Goosebumps rose, knees got weak
For me... But not for you.

But once the stars have left my eyes
And my heartbeat's not so rapid,
It's then I see that this was all a dream.
It never really happened.

When you look at me,
With eyes indifferent and dead,
I know this place where we were "we,"
Only existed inside my head.

I wish I knew just what to say.
That perfect thing to make you stay.

You know my heart, it breaks, my dear,
Because "I love you" is not what you want to hear.

You say you are Switzerland,
As a metaphor for your indifference.

But, it's not really fair
To say that the Swiss don't care.

It's only that they don't want to fight.
And I'll tell you what, baby:
Neither do I.

I miss the warm whisper
Of your breath on my cheek.
It was the vaporized reassurance
Through which, I could do all things.

Panic
Throughout
Scary
Dreams

Patience
Tried
Summons
Danger

Personal
Turmoil
Self
Doubt

Post
Traumatic
Stress
Disorder

Please break the hands
the gears
the cogs
Of the clock

Which ticks away
the moments
the instants
the seconds
the time

Until our ultimate
fall
defeat
demise.

We are not yogurt
Neither are we milk
Nor any other perishable item.
We need not be made
Of fine, fragile silk.

Help me reinforce our supports,
Our columns and beams.
Don't allow ticking time
To rip us apart
At the seams.

That doesn't have to be us.

Funny, how in this
Tomb of a room,
Thoughts bloom
And threaten to consume me.

It seems that always,
In the shower,
Sin's washed clean,
And ideas flower.
So, forgive me if
I take an hour
To set my demons free.

I'll clear my head,
Calm my heart,
Relax my nerves
In this much needed time apart.
This is my chance
To go back to the start,
So I can be the only one you need.

I've learned that poems are like tattoos;
Using specific names just ruins the art.
But, I want to ink your name so deep into this page,
It bleeds through, and stains my heart.

I like you because you have let me be me,
Whatever that means.
Whatever that means.

You'd never mold me, change me, or readjust my seams.
You like me for me.
You like me for me.

I'd let you change my accent, my haircut, unimportant things,
Just don't cut my wings.
Just don't cut my wings.