I know that there have been times,
down the bruised and misread years,
when I have been hard and cold.
Perhaps even seeming to be cruel
But, please remember who I am
And where it is I've come from.
Born to gossip and scandal
and raised in the family war zone,
trust and tenderness, at times,
seem illusory to me.
Unknowable.
Like smoke in my hands.
But I still try.

                                  By Phil Roberts

I'm going to close my eyes
and step away
for a little while at least.
It is my fervent hope
that i have walked gently
among your poems.
And with all my heart
i hope i have never kicked up the dust
made a fuss
nor been unkind.
I can only hope that my words were enough,
whether it be an "oh that's lovely"
to a " ******* you're a genius"...
i hope they were enough.
I think i will come back...
maybe
probably
i don't know.
All i do know is that
this fluffy little bear
is going on an adventure.

Enslaved ?
But the tangled breath
of green thoughts
encrusted by bark
touch drives your
veined forage wild

As you sink roots
deep into the flesh of
insatiable desire
you strip down to
truth and grain

The flowers of the Sunflower
turn to greet the sun everyday
As the sun travels across the sky
the flowers follow
And as the sun goes down
they droop over in mourning

There are clouds covering my soul
and I know the rain they're crying
is hurting your heart too.
I'd make it nice and shiny
just so you can feel the warmth,
but I don't know how to do it anymore.
Clouds of silence darkening me whole
unspoken words I have for you
are dying under the tempest
while the blank page stares at me
and I feel useless.

A rain of fire
burning us both.

The sun always shines after a storm
and I hope
a rainbow will appear
before these falling flames
will turn us to ashes
flying over the ocean between.