while others dream
she lies
curled in her shell
a snail of underwear and eyelashes
with each blink
the blue glow shimmers on her eyes
reflecting a calm sea
that used to know fire
but where is the tempest?
where did the
grasping groping clutching
fingers lose their way through her hair
they were supposed to arrive by now
while the figures wait
shrouded and distant
at the bus stop
is it possible to light a match that has already burnt out?
Oct 11, 2016
Oct 11, 2016 at 5:14 AM UTC
the watch in your pocket
keeps ticking
moving forward
the world turns
while you're lost
often the words
the caution and hate
about villains and demons
trickle through
"their goal is to hurt"
they say
of those others in the shadows
but what do you do
when you find yourself
in the darkness
it's still ticking.
Aug 2, 2016
Aug 2, 2016 at 11:46 PM UTC
the seed
nestled in the safety
of the soil
enveloped by pressure
looks upward and hopes to grow
slowly
inching
further
the seed charts its course
each step
feeling the weight of earth
pressing downward
as it breaks
the green exposed
the world pushes back
"am i not supposed to see the surface?"
the seedling asks itself
confused and shamed
shunned
it retreats
it tries again
asking forgiveness for its persistence
minimizing its existence
struggling to fit into cracks already exposed
rather than forge them anew
slithering through
the path forces it farther away
it reaches the top
but here there's no sun
angry
the seedling wonders why
she must say sorry in order to grow
and that her dreams are cause for apologies
Aug 2, 2016
Aug 2, 2016 at 11:33 PM UTC
when i was younger
i was never able to pour
my hands shook too much
trembling with each thought
each drink i attempted to serve
would splash right out
i put too much force, too much pressure
or simply didn't give enough
i'd shake the cup
the spout
change my mind on the direction
flighty and afraid to give
there were many stains
in my childhood
some never washed out.
slowly i learned
how to steady my hand
my enthusiasm sparked over many glasses
passed around to visitors
a bartender
with no cost
i searched for myself
in the midst of others
in the missing hours
in the scattered napkins
i never stayed long enough
to learn if they liked the drink
eventually my arms grew weary
all of the vessels
heavy and solid
they wore on my mind
i had given too much
it was only when i had stopped pouring drinks
that another's lips
asked for a sip
with hesitation
i poured a cup
...
he did not drink
instead we spoke
while the ice melted into the glass
finally he took a taste
of the watered down basin
i was sure he would spit it out
we had waited too long
and i didn't think it was good in the first place
he looked up from his glass
and i felt conscious
of my freckles
my crooked smile
the way i laugh when i’m nervous
i wanted nothing more than to melt away
when he politely asked if i would pour him another cup
as he had finished his
and then that i knew
that this cup was meant for him.
we shared our drinks many times
he poured me new and exciting tastes
and i returned the favor
there was always the right amount
of sweet in the drinks he served
happiness was found in the cabinet
where our cups clinked together
until the day i found myself
waking up, stumbling around,
and my cup had grown
confused, unsure
i poured his drink
he sipped his morning coffee
but there was some remaining when he left
how could that be?
i asked myself
glancing around, expecting the sunlight to whisper me the answer
i grabbed my cup and ran off
not wanting to let the drink go to waste
but not knowing what to do.
through the street
through the grass
i wasn't sure what i was looking for
when i saw them pass into my gaze
they gestured me over
the blanket beside them, a gesturing hello
we spoke of the trees and souls
and how one could fall in their sleep
the wind tickled our hair
as our colors fell into one
natural and free
we laughed and i remembered the cup
burning in my hand
not empty
i placed it in their hand
as if that was what i was supposed to do
i told them i had made this drink
and given it away, but some remained
without realizing that it could be wrong to share
a smile was all it took
for me to realize
that this cup is made for more than one.
Aug 1, 2016
Aug 1, 2016 at 1:16 AM UTC