"How do you get
To 'Happily Ever After?'"

It's time for
The next chapter
No use hiding
It anymore,
What I'm after...
And want to capture...

In the next pages
There will be
New muses
For my heart
To fly after
Because it's time
For the next chapter

Time to put myself
Out there
And live
With no regrets
Because no one
Ever found
A love
Without moving,
Guarded guise,
And closed eyes

It's time for
The next chapter
No use hiding
What it is
I'm after,
What I want
To capture
In the next chapter

Is there ever
Such a thing...
As Happily Ever After?

No longer
Trying
To follow
False hearts
To the edge
Of the earth,
Finished
Pouring cups
Over lost love letters,
Lit up by the smallest
Flame,
In this moment,
I’m my only
Friend and enemy.

It's
My Torture,
A Long Lost Love;
At the same time,
A curse
As these words
Constantly
Haunt me
Like little ghosts,
Throughout
The Day.

....And night.

In dreams....

All the time.

2019—
I have a roof over my head
and warmth in my body
and a healthy heart and food
I have family and friends
That share love from near and far
And a job that pays my bills and
Gives me a purpose in life
I know not all are this lucky
The other day
I passed the homeless camp
Near the highway exit
To see two men
Carry away a body of
Someone who died there
And load it into a van
It was a downcast day
And some aren’t so lucky
My wish for 2019 is
That everyone would
At least have the simple
Things mentioned
At the beginning of this
None of us ever know
When we might end up
On the other side
That no one
Seems to love.

Sickened
In the bones,
Aching,
And sore.  

Crying
Uncontrollably,
Asking,
"What for?"

Laughing
Without
End,
At other times.

Fled
From the rush,
Attempting
To overcome it.

In the beginning,
Dopamine
And Oxytocin
Lined a glass ledge
Like Sugar and Salt.

Naturally produced,
Lost
Clear sight.

Shortly later,
Norepinephrine
Drenched
And dried
On the string
Of a kite,
Then took
Flight.

Stood in the break
Between you and me…
I said goodbye knowing
That you weren’t the
Right one, you see
Through me,
And I could see
Through you.
Doorway,
Was a gateway
To embrace and
Know that we
Would never be.
You see, you weren’t
The one for me,
And there is
Someone else
Out there
For you, maybe.
I knew as I
Gave you one
Last smile and
Waved farewell,
That was
The last
Time I’d
Ever see
You
Again.

Thick forest, blankets
The open air.
Pines and maples
Smell naturally fresh.
All worries, float away.
Eyes open to a new day.

I lie here on the water
Swimming
Day turns
To burning crimson
A darkened sky
Moves in with it
A single shooting star
Flies by
Disappears into thinness
Sky drowns out
Starlight
Clouds blanket
Moonlight
Ground catches
Dawnlight
Night ends to
Daylight
To welcome
A new day

Riding a pale blue bicycle
The ghost of your past
A passenger set free
It's like you're seventeen
All over in a dream
The beach breeze blows
Your hair with the wind
Scoops all cares up in a
Plastic Sand Bucket
Covers your Toes
Until they surface
Where seashells
Are found on the cove
Waiting to see what's
Hidden behind
The next turn

Northern lights
Scrape the edge
In planetary surrender
Hold on if you dare

It's a magnificent globe
It spins and dances
Streaked in glimpses
Of burning light

Atmosphere's emeralds
Bloom in radiance
It's a moving painting
Frozen images remain

Pure radiance can only
Be dreamt up
In day dreams
And warmth and
Colors that surround

What happens tomorrow
If today dies?
Fate aligns together
In another life
See you there
Where time bends
And there are no ends

If I wanted to call you
You’re no longer there
If I wanted to see you
You’ve disappeared
Up to where
The angels exist
On high
You’ve disappeared
Up to where
The sky meets
Paradise

If we aren't
Living in
A computer
Then why do
All our devices
Run on wires
Waves
And electric
Cables?
Soon nobody
Will be able to
Live
Off the grid...

Astonishing impressions dripped from the ceiling-
They revealed repellent markings sought to arrest
The soul.

Rubbed the surface of a lamp far too many times
Thinking if I'd closed my eyes and made a wish that
I'd never know my heart
Could feel this way

Once thought that something so special could exist in this life,
Once thought that the covering was strong
And wouldn't chip away like cheap paint scratched slowly

Embellished what could be in so many stories with no end.

Gray morning mist
Walking into the waves
Separating in two
Before you.
Water crashing,
Moving,
Becoming one
Ocean.
At the end
When you
Reach the sand,
Arms wrap
Around
Holding you,
The sun,
Welcomes
The end of
Two waves
As they become
One ocean

One thing to remember in this life
Is that you always need to have the
Best of intentions for you because
You're all you've got when it comes
Down to it, so take care of yourself
Until the end, it's not always easy,
It's sometimes hard to remember
Difficult to do but you only
Get one you

What if you forget
These worldly things
What if you forget
Your heart breaks
What if you forget
To breathe, in
What if you forget
That what really matters
Beats deep, within your
Chest
It’s echoing
Hear it,
It beats on, & on

Optimistic,
The answer to
Every First World woe
That plagues the soul.
Optimistically,
I must wake each day,
As it's hard to tell
What lies ahead, anyway.  
Optimism prevails, always.
If only it was
That simple.
The only answer
Is to see the world
Optimistically.
Easier said than done,
Sometimes,
It flies too high
Like a caught Dragonfly,
Leading to dread and disappointment
When captured in the mouth
Of a ravenous bluish bird, big appetite.
Against all odds,
Remain
Optimistic.

Slowly over time
We created
This land
Created this
Other world
Brought to
Light & Life
So bright
Brought so
Close to
Another space
& time...
Created this
Other world
Somewhere
Between
Yours
& Mine
In its
Own time
All with
Words
&
Rhyme
You brought
Me closer to
the
Other world

This is “Our Place,”
The spot that we met,
On a beautiful morning,
I’ll never forget.
It seems like only yesterday,
How the time did fly by.
“This could be our spot.”
The coffee always hot.
You entered with a warm
Embrace, and a smile
Crossed my face not
To be erased, I feel like
This could be “Our Place.”

That night
Deep purple--
drenched
Every  
Ounce in amethyst
As dragons danced
On cloudy scraped
Wonders
And fireworks dripped
drenched
Every
Inch as they
bled down
Drew in on the soul
With sunless sails
Cast out
To Catch
A sullen breeze
Strung
A firefly kite to catch
What was left
Of what can
Be seen
Of the night
Thinking on
What was out--
Of sight

Cold can be so warm,
On the outside of truth

Crashed below the water
Heavy and sunk
To the bottom
so far, so far
From where
The edge scrapes life
Underneath disguise

Took hold
Of temporary
Youth
Reflection holds the truth

It is so cold,
In open air
Above the pool
Where bodies swim
Say hello
Meet and embrace
In the blue

There is love, up high
Reaching
Reciting
What you believe
Love under the surface,
Scratched away
To find proof
On the outside of truth

I’m not ready
To face this,
I’m not.

I’ll never be
What they
Need,
None of us will...

It’s time to live
Completely
For me.

It’s only then that
I can be there
To face this.

It’s only then that
I’ll discover
I can break
These chains.

It’s a struggle
We all face
In this world,
The fight
To overcome.

They step in to
The local grocery for
the weekly shop.
A soldier in a
Green apron stands
Bravely, sanitizing
And passing out
Carts.
Once inside,
The shelves are
Almost empty in spots.
Customers who once
Looked full of emotions
Now appear devoid of life,
Going through the motions.
You touched a surface?
Repeat, "Don't touch my face,"
"Don't touch my face."
Check out time is here at last,
Thought there would be
Longer lines but
Not many people are inside.
The cashier asks,
"Did you find everything you need?"
With a smile as if pretending
"It's business as usual."

One lady says at least she found
Paper plates which was a
Welcome surprise.
It's our turn, and we are
Told we have more than
The allowed amount of meat.
(We only have three small
packs of beef)
And explain we are a family
Cooking in this week.
The sky outside is rainy now,
Should be a tornado warning today,
But there's no telling when
The world will end
(It's easy to be 'in our heads')

Experts write about all
Possible scenarios & outcomes.
Human minds do what
Human minds do in these
Situations...
"Paper or plastic?"

Close your eyes,
Thoughts
Passing in-and-out----
All the time...
Singing songs
Of many genres.

I think I've
Heard this one
Before,
And the rain
Gently taps
On the windowsill,
And leaves on trees
Whisper-
Sleep please.

The mind playing
Tricks,
With each paradox.

My finger circling,
A square box.

Always
An illusion,
On the outside.

Contradicting
On the inside...
Are our lives,
Sometimes.

They play constantly,
Until drained
And empty.

Diving into
Dark blue waters,
Waves
Overcoming
The undertow,
Pulling and pulling.

It's all in...
What you believe.

Traveled through the channels, as we all do.
All best wishes & raincoats, turned around before
The tunnel started, just made it on the metro line
Before the doors shut tight, right as I was inside,
Held the railing and stared out to what fell behind—
Empty lifeless passage where none are meant
To remain, among the chill and lack of heat & laughter.
Darkened skids and tracks left & said goodbye.

What scares me most
Is that you are my ghost
Visiting past and future
Thoughts passed through
Never led me back to you
Here on earth our paths
Didn’t cross
Fully alive
Nothing to lose but all
Was lost
I tried to
Bury the memories
Never made
Never meant to be
One day I told myself
That you were my mirror
Now I see clearer
Did I hang on
Only because
It was loneliness
I feared?

Perception: "In the eye of the beholder"
Frostbite: Can lead to the loss of fingers and toes, if careless
Heat Stroke: Sometimes fatal but can be avoided
Sleep: A necessity
Sugar: Sometimes deceiving
Salt: More than meets the eye, combine with sugar
Awake: What salt does to the tongue
Dreams: Escapes from reality

Eyes: Windows to the soul
          The most intriguing part
          Of the human body, to some

Everything around
Is just a stage
Say you are a
Character
Running in
The woods
A deer or
Little Miss
Red Riding
Hood
Playing
The game
Trying to
Stay alive
They say
A cat
Has nine lives
A Phoenix
Can come
Back to life
And only
The strong
Stay alive
Is everyone
Placed in
A maze
We self
Create
Doing our
Work
In a world
That was
A
Perfect Slate.

Clear day—
Lavendar meadow stretches for miles.
Partly cloudy, no chance of rain.
The sun peaks out just enough
To light a field of golden grain.
I’m comfortable here,
In a summer dress,
Blanket on the ground,
Picnic set;
I look around,
And there you are,
Walking towards me
On this dreamlike day.

It’s like a part of the world has stopped.

Clocks hold
Hands ticking
Seconds are
Mechanisms
To keep us
Then let us
Go...
Don’t…

Hours pass by
Not meant to last
A smile, a wave, a kiss
Blown fast away

If you close your eyes
I'll close mine
Maybe we'll see
Pictures past

You want a piece of this darkness,
It's yours,
You want to be set free,
To let it be,
Centrifuge, holding force
Strength come back,
Wrap around,
Unexplained universes
Fall into the arms of time,
Take hold,
Break through,
Light specks above the cold
Leave behind their traces,
Golden sky explodes,
You want a piece of this shine,
Let it glow

All is for the best she says
Heart upon the ground
Each day the sun sets
Once more
Tomorrow brings hope
Somewhere to be found
It's something to hold on
to
With each breath
She takes
The idea of a whisper
Lost for all the time
It takes
A notion of a smile
Found somewhere in belief
Buried and covered
Beneath the lies you told her
Some she believed
She slowly picks up a piece
To place it back together
Another missing
Each day the sun rises
Once more to welcome
Her home
With open arms
And a spirit that
Might one day
Be whole

Puzzle of 12 different doors,
All put together
Minus one missing piece,
Yours.

Yellow tabby sits in the window,
Tail sways from side-to-side  
In rhythm with the droplets outside,
Outside where the lake’s surface
Is broken by a thousand beats on its drum,
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, over and over.
Tears cascade down from heaven’s gates,
And create flowing streams that boil with
Steam and pressure to form a fountain
That splashes from the surface to the sky.
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, over and over.
Yellow tabby sits in the window,
Eyes move from side-to-side,
In no particular rhythm with the outside,
Outside where the lake’s surface
Is no longer broken by a thousand beats
On its drum.
The sun emerges
To clear the stage.

Traveled through
The cursed forest
Bewitched under
Spells for miles
Swam across a
Quicksand tank
Filled with snakes
And then jumped in
The murkiest lake  
Found it a mistake
Only to be caught
Confused and dizzy
Inside a crystal ball
Until the glass
Cracked and I found
A way out and then I
Ventured through
The queen's castle walls
And it was off
With my head yet
Somehow I dodged
The ax and then
I was fighting off
The headless man
On his horse with
A mask and so I
Kept moving along
Until I ran away
To a better time
All in my mind
To let the good in
Let's pretend

I said I’ll leave this in your hands,
(God’s hands).
You said I don’t want to pull
You into this darkness
I’m struggling with,
And misery
Loves company.

One thing's for sure
Within is a soul
That's pure
It's meant for love
It's meant for more

Smoke from a blown out candle
Darkness, pink fuse, wick now
Extinguished in the emptiness
Watch it move across the room
Watch it move
Laying in the dark gazing at
The sky across the Milky Way
Connecting dots and destinies
Moving towards the ground
In this grand illusion
Hidden reverie that captures and
Takes away the day
Quietly

Underneath
Is skeleton,
A soul lives
Inside
These rag n' bones

Flesh & blood
Runs beneath
Warm in
A river of veins
Finding heart

A soul at ease
From the inside
Releasing
In words from
These rag n' bones

If a raindrop
Was bigger
Than human size
What would be
Seen in its eyes
Could you step
Up to it
And go inside
Would it be
The span of
An ocean
or the size of a door
If you walked
Inside
Would you swim
Or sink to the floor
If we were its size
What would we see
Looking up
Would grasshoppers
Be giants
And clouds
Vast galaxies

Raindrops
Sing as they
Patter beneath.

A choir
In
Song,
Ground
Catches them,
Listen.

No need to be down,
No need, no need.

Look up as these
Elements fall.

Raindrops,
Make her want to dance,
Swim
In Anchor Fog.

Breathe, as you know
You are free as
The tempest.

What is so happy,
About this,
Not this feeling,
Stomach sick,
The burn of day
Moves onward
Slowly masking
From within,
Blending
Rain and sugarcane
Surrendering
To the sound,
It pours down
To the sound
Of distance
Flesh on flesh
Tangled in a net
Surrendering
To you
Inside my mind,
Do what you will do

No fun to drink alone
Wine glass
Hold the phone
Memories to be created
No fun to eat alone
Making an amazing dish
Of honeyed fish
Walking to pancakes
Hand n' hand
A storm, ready to land
Staring into those eyes
They change color
From time to time
Holding you close
Never know when
We'll get this day again
Rainy days are the best
Because there's
A safe place to go
And find shelter
From the storm
Rainy days are the best
Arms that hold
And dreams that unfold
Everyday in our minds

Rays
Embellish
Ancient
Statues
That lay
To rest,
Upon
These
Legs—
Strong;
Secure;
A Fortress,
Standing
Stable.

Dust
Off
The Wooden
Table,
Soon.

To see with clear vision.

Don't worry,
Anything
That you want,
Or "think"
You need,
Is all within
"A mind's reach."

A coal drenched
Back splash,
Represents
A Backdrop
In the night.

The hands of
A clock can stop,
But time
Continues on,
So close your eyes.

What is it that you're reaching for?

Transparent, Turquoise
Lines the air-
A contrast
Against
Something
Not there...

The rest is
Up to you.

Reached
For your light
In the black
Of night,
Thought I
Felt it faintly,
Your hand
Fell into mine,
Heartbeat
Frozen,
Would
Your heart
Melt into
Mine...
Maybe
We are
Onto
Something
Real,
This time.

I can't hold this in
Any longer,
The need to live,
To be free and
To love me
And realize that
If I ever give my heart away
That person should
Bring me joy
It's okay to cry,
Never let someone
Tell you it isn't.
It's okay to feel raw emotion,
Doesn't mean you're damaged,
Just means that you feel
And that you are real.

Yes,
This is real
Right now,
Or is it?
Still
Don't know,
No?
Is it all
Really "Relative?"

Is what
We see,
Merely small pieces
Of waves, Of frequencies...
Chosen by
The system...

To trust it,
Doubt it;
Or, none
Of the above.

It's my radio,
It's yours too...
It belongs to everyone?

We all see
Through
A different lens.

His is winter
As he paints snow-
Theirs is different
Since surviving
The war; Different
Each day.
Hers right now,
Is magical
As the wind blows
And colors
Impose
On her fate
Unknown.

Stations
Changing
Constantly,
In these
Realities.

In my head,
Yours,
It is all in
Our heads.

It's easy to,
         Fall fast...
Some say not to be afraid,
At the same time,
Don't be blind.
Sand for miles; Waves rolling;
Grey as the day.
It's hard,
          When it seems so right;
Then reality sets in,
As you realize if
This continues,
You'll never be whole,
Within...
You ignore what doesn't
Feel like the light;
          Only to emerge
With new insights.

If a feeling
Signals a siren,
Please listen to it.

We only get one life,
That's it-
Unless you believe
This isn't the end,
And one day
We are each reborn
To a new
Physical form.

That's what I believe,
Some might think
It crazy.

We can also live
Multiple lives
Within this One.

What do I mean?

For instance,
When someone
Survives a disease
And comes out
Differently
On the other side,
That person
Emerges
In rebirth
Within this
Same life.

Life can change us
In many ways,
Good and bad;
To be reborn
Again.

Hands together,
Feeling peace
Released.

The waves
Roll in as the sun
Shines
Down on them,
Brilliantly.