My heart belongs to the ocean.
Its size comparable to the vastness of the latter –
open and embracing to waves
of possibilities that carry
all my visions and ambitions into uncharted waters.
A message in the bottle: “Take care of it. It is yours.”
But the map that I hold did not tell me about love.
It did not tell me about you.
It did not tell me
that love is a device that could
throw me off my navigation. It did not
tell me that I would have to go through this again:
to make me feel so small in this infinity of feelings and expectations.
I recall that day when our eyes met across a sea of people.
My heart that day was washed ashore.
Curious, you picked it up. Wondering,
perhaps, where it had come from
and what stories it had to tell.
You leaned in closer and I knew you would hear more
than a tapping rhythm – but entire songs of joy, laughter, sadness and longing.
Captivated you were by this heart,
a bold sailor, who had sung the songs
of joy and laughter – ultimately, the song of adventure.
But I still do not know much about my rescuer.
(Or my captor?) We are now at full speed,
cutting across sea and sky, day and night
and mostly at night where the two lovers meet:
while the sky covers the sea in a blanket of stars, I look up
to see your eyes – blue pools of gentle mystery.
Day breaks again and again and I remember
why I am here in the first place.
There is a dream.
There is a plan.
A map that did not have you on it.
My heart has docked but not for long.
And soon we both know a ship will sail.
To where and with whom? Wouldn't we
Both like to learn.
My heart has washed ashore. “Take care of it,” the ocean says.
“For now, it is yours.”
Feb 21, 2016
Feb 21, 2016 at 1:50 PM UTC
The seagull squawked:
Are you dead?
I cannot see him - there is sand
In my eyes. A crab (it must have been)
Scuttles across my foot;
Picking up scraps at the seaweed
Wrapped around my toes: the vibrant
Green now worn out from its trip
Across the seas.
Land ** We rejoiced,
Docking at Island ---
It's your turn to name it.
Log Number 712: we are intoxicated
With a tropical fruit
That made your face flush
Putting every sunset to shame.
And at night we play a game
To guess which is sea or sky.
You are my mirror.
A gentle breeze caresses my thigh.
Are you awake?
You whisper, your breath tickles
Condensing into dew
Landing on the tiny hairs of my ear.
The sand feels like mud but
My mouth is dry
I lick off the trail of sweat
On my upper lip - it is hot
I open my eyes to the sun screaming
at my face: Get up. You're late.
We had begun falling asleep
At different times.
You built a tree house
It made your heart race
And there you drew a scape
What was there to look beyond?
One night the sky had
The sea turned into smoke
You followed the beating
Of thunder
So distant you couldn't
(Listen to me) yell Watch out!
Lightning --- the water shimmered
As you disappeared.
(Water)
Log number 890: we are capsized
(Water)
The crab picked out
The sand in my eyes
Dragging the seaweed to my mouth.
I chewed then spat and the seagull squawked:
"Are you dead?"
No, I said. I think I have arrived.
Jul 6, 2015
Jul 6, 2015 at 8:26 PM UTC
I used to call them
"those mass produced
Hallmark Cards"
and it was card
after card
letter after letter
you said "I love you"
in more ways than one.
Dec 30, 2014
Dec 30, 2014 at 11:28 AM UTC
You are
a gust of wind that
pushes me into a clear pool
a depth of ocean
that pulls me with enough
force to catapult me into
the sky. (oh I am afraid
of heights)
But I free fall -
the air muffling my scream---
a slap of wild earth
against my skin -
you are
a landslide - I slip
through a waterfall
your grasp I float
with ease in a river
flowing towards
grass. I roll to dry
the dew crowning my hair.
We lay on a net full of stars.
Another day awaits.
We are new.
Dec 30, 2014
Dec 30, 2014 at 10:32 AM UTC
Another wave rushes over me
My reflection scatters
in both sky and sea
Flooding my mind
with tiny whirpools of what can
And cannot be.
Another wave rushes toward me
I close my eyes and wait silently
A roar it makes,
It towers, it strengthens;
Then crashes below my feet.
Another wave, I see it coming
This time I run without the warning
A fish drowns in water
Not knowing where I've gone
Or where I'm going.
Another wave I see above me,
I slow down my breath, counting
One. Two. Three.
I pause, my eyes wide open
To find ripples of possibilities.
Mar 25, 2014
Mar 25, 2014 at 12:11 PM UTC
Tag - you're it.
And so is that, this, over there, here -
All things I have or cannot have,
A part of reality or a dream
That I consider #1 in a series.
Shall we compare notes?
We have the same thoughts -
So many thoughts we can hear
but do not listen.
Instead we leave a blank
to be filled after what is done
and what has been said.
Not what is intended
and should have been.
Less is more, they said.
But the list goes on,
Lost in translation.
Jan 12, 2014
Jan 12, 2014 at 11:29 AM UTC
The whole in me
Is filled with you;
Expanding as I reach out
To pull you close
Until we both disappear,
Only knowing
Where we could choose to be.
Dec 13, 2013
Dec 13, 2013 at 10:20 AM UTC
Your love
Is a blanket that wraps me
And tucks and folds away
Any aches in my body;
I rest my hands
On a cup of tea
And shudder from the cold that is
Extinguished by your touch.
I relax, as heart beats play
A rhythm of warmth
Carried by the sound of
Your breath
That flutters like
hummingbird wings,
Buzzes like
A bee hovering
over a flower which sways
With the morning breeze.
Pollen tickles my ears,
nose, neck
The gold brushing against
My skin
Ablaze with a fire
From your eyes;
They lure me into a desert
oasis of shade,
Pools of sweat refresh me.
I melt in your arms
Your hands
They draw away
the curtains to reveal
an orange sky.
For every season,
Nothing changes.
Nov 17, 2013
Nov 17, 2013 at 9:36 PM UTC
Rise!
Rise I say!
Rise with the sun, the eternal fire
of the world's glory,
burning on and spreading
wildly across your face
piercing your eyes,
and yes, piercing
into your soul.
It's breath
exhuming the shadows
that surround you.
I am born of light and color.
I am alive, once again.
And I am reminded of a Power
far Greater than I.
But am I worthy?
Do I have the right
to bask in, let alone,
witness this ascension
this celebration
of such authority?
And because you are generous
Time has painted
An entire symphony for you:
Of dancing ribbons of yellow and orange hues
Of the deep, profound murmurs of the earth
The whispers of the trees
that are carried with
the songs of the wind
and the birds in flight.
Flight---yes, you are flying.
Even starlight
accompanies your path
as you descend into the horizon.
The final note?
You beg to differ.
Rise!
Rise I say!
Rise with the sun, the eternal fire
of the world's glory,
burning on and spreading
wildly across your face
piercing your eyes,
and yes, piercing
into your soul.
It's breath
exhuming the shadows
that surround you.
You are born of light and color.
I do not wish
to remember you
during noon or night
but with daybreak
where you are alive, once again.
Nov 5, 2013
Nov 5, 2013 at 7:44 PM UTC
I hope you don't mind
I ordered ahead,
One
Slice
Please. And a glass of water.
I already chose that corner, too
My usual spot that's
Cozy, vacant, comforting
as always, I like to lift the plate
To touch my nose as I
Indulge in its rich, moist smell
That already makes me feel
I cheated.
I count the tines of my fork:
One, two, three, four, five -
It's cold
Would I like a cup of coffee?
No thanks, I'm waiting for someone.
My glass is empty,
And because the rain hasn't stopped
Windows and doors are being shut tight
To keep me from knowing
All but this in front of me.
I've paid for what I ordered
So I swallow every bite
A push down my throat is dry.
Hello, Silence. We meet again.
Nov 5, 2013
Nov 5, 2013 at 9:22 AM UTC