a gentle, timid, quiet soul
held back in unknown chains
many years a dormant stirring
boiled-over passion remains

then a swift break - glass ceilings down!
observing ancient law
society errs in naming most
she conjured her wild claws

If apologies could reverse the spindle
Unraveling the whole sweater until
We're shepherd's again, I'd take the time to
Appreciate within, the fine line between
Consent and Guilt.

If apologies could take us back to that
First time we made eye contact
I'd be ready to fight my own arrogance
To dispel the venomous traits
Before they seek to own your
Elegance

If apologies could make whole again
What was never meant to be broken
I'd never learn my ******* lesson
Since stone erodes slowly in the wind
Cause at our core, we're all just grains of sand,
And "sorry" is more than just a word, it's
My only hope to make amends.

Oh butterfly,
You visited me
In times of sorrow
In times of need
You eased my pain
But strange you came
In a cold November day
So gently I let you go
The next day you returned
Back once again on a wall
As if watching out for me
I know your soul, oh butterfly
Of the garden you tended
I loved as a child
So now I will miss you
With tears in my eyes
My father shall miss you
My siblings shall miss you
Your grandchildren shall miss you
All of the family shall miss you
But come the Summer days
As the children see a butterfly
That makes them smile
With the beauty it holds
I know it is really you
Always watching over us
My mother so deeply missed

The silence of desire
Hidden in quiet moans
Of those secret passions
Going unheard tonight

Fingers delicately exploring
Places of invisible needs
Pretence of a silent stranger
Imagination of *******

Breathing growing faster
Anticipation of his touch
Releasing the waterfall
Inside her wanted dreams

I've been keeping a journal of trips I wish you'd taken with me.
An album of photos you should have been in.
A list of nights I wish you'd spent in my passenger seat.

I've been collecting all of our favorite pieces of myself in a mason jar;
Fireflies to leave by your bedside so if you wake up in the middle of the night you won't feel alone.

I know too well the hourglass purgatory that is your absence;
Frighteningly similar to the sensation of waking up in empty darkness, unable to remember falling asleep.