My son runs, wrapping arms around
my nebulous waist.

"l love you, Mom!"  He squeezes tighter,
as if letting go would be his black hole.

"I love you, too, " I squeeze back, absent mindedly.  (Where is the cream? I need coffee.)

"I love you more!" he breathes, without pause.
He gazes into my eyes,
searching my planets.

"Oh no, that can't be true," I retort.
I forget the coffee, his eyes are starlight.

"I love you to infinity!" he exclaims,
staring harder.

He wants to sail the Milky Way with me.

"Me too," I reply, and remember oxygen tanks.

I'm speaking in light years, and I hope the sound waves will catch up to him.

His face cracks into a million years of forever, before he lets go,
dancing across the universe of our livingroom,
his solar system intact.

At least for now.

I sat down with you
In the coolness of the night air
Watching you sip Dr. Pepper
After a long day's work
I listened to the sounds of summer
Watched a few stars twinkling
In the jet colored sky
We were happily chit-chatting
About this and that
We were all together
Just us three
Oh, those summer evenings
Gone forever
Only shadows remain
Touching my heart

**~Marian~

To infinity and beyond isn't just a saying for me, it's a life goal.

When I was younger I used
to think
I'd be the cheerleader
all the boys want
I used to think of
being the popular girl
with a perfect family
and no doubts about life
I used to think that
kids like me
were weird

Now I sit here
and think about life
But now I don't see much
of a future
My veins are hurting
I want to see their blood
but I don't
because I don't want to see the therapist
my father threatened me with
If you really look
the scars are still there
waitin to be broken open

Now I'm thinking
of the food I just ate
And it's lingering in the back of my throat
while I'm debating if it should come back up

Now I look in the mirror
at myself
with pity
I feel sorry for the girl
from what seems long ago
who though she would have
the perfect life
Without all these thoughts
and pain