Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow—
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream:
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand—
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep
While I weep—while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

Before I went in the morning
I left you my heart
Not wanting to disturb your rest
I quietly ripped it out of my chest
And stored it in a cardboard box
I'd imagine you'll be quite flummox
Debating whether this was sane or insane
So allow me to plainly explain:
I had to depart from you
But my heart could not bear to be apart
I felt it distressing in my chest
For it loves you so freely and pure
Tearing it out was the only cure.
Don't ask why or how
Just know it is yours now
I don't mean to impose on you
Just propose you care for it
Like one would care for roses
Place it at whatever spot you feel it should grace
Treat it right and it will treat you right
Just please, please don't let it go to waste
It won't last forever - for my heart is finite
But there is still many fine nights to come
So enjoy it while it lasts

Dear future lover,
Please be kind.
Touch with only the softest hands
For I've felt the worst.
Please don't be impatient
I may be difficult at times.
I will feel lost without you
For I loathe being lonesome.
Please be gentle with me
Don't pull on my petals.
A smile in its rarest form
Belongs to you and only you.
Please, future lover,
Be faithful to me alone.
I've felt the sting of betrayal once
And I am afraid.
Please never doubt my love
For you're always on my mind.
Never doubt that I dream of you
Each and every night.
Please, future lover,
Give and you shall receive.
I would wake at any hour
To soothe any agony.
Never fear my help, dear
We all have our nights.
Never doubt that I understand
And I won't doubt your frights.
And please, don't ignore me
Just tell me when you're hurting.
I would help in every way
I'd never be a burden.
Finally, future lover,
Know your arms are my home.
And though you may be far
Never let me sleep alone.

We drove down memory lane
Cigarette cartons scattered at our toes
Trying to end our days with the setting sun
We switched lanes.
Our teeth chattered in the wind
Car top down, my top off
Our fingers blue and our eyes red
We took the wrong exit.
Dangerous turns down dangerous streets
Doors locked, windows up
We recognized the signs at first but
Something changed.
The engine sputtered and your hands tightened on the wheel
I tensed, my shoulders locked just as our eyes did
And we crashed.
Our hearts skidded on the pavement
Road burn kissing our skin so gently
And just as the sun was gone from the day
So were we.

I wish I could sew the states
closer together
and stitch you in right next to me.
I wish I could kick the tectonic plates
so hard that they overlapped
and destroyed everything
that is separating our heartbeats.
what do I have to do
to wind up next to you?

How does someone think of something so beautiful,
as something like a poem or a book.

How does one simply write their feelings down like they were breathing?
It takes time for some, but others only mere minutes.

The beauty of what some people make
the flow of the words that relate to so many...

How does one accomplish it?
How can a person achieve something so beautiful?
with just a flick of the wrist