Thinking about getting a tattoo
But, I take pause...
Looking in the mirror
I see my body’s already covered
Marked in invisible ink
Every inch of my bare skin
Painted with the joy and pain of living
From my heart to my hips
Color faded here, but poppin’ over there
Memories designed by your hands
Others etched on my own
A collection that makes me smile
Among a few pieces I regret
So, about getting a tattoo...
I guess I’m not ready
Because I can’t think of a tattoo
Meaningful enough, yet
To write over any of the life I’ve lived

The treasures in my heart
The envy of the gram
Experiences buried deep
That shine light on why I am
Their worth is priceless
Telling them is cheap
Respect my map of pain and joy
And some remain yours to keep

Do you ever have those days
When you miss someone
Who you can’t let go?
And, even worse,
You can’t say what’s on your heart.
So, it just breaks
In silence,
Except for vague booking
On social media, i.e.,
Leaving a lame *** clue
That your heart quietly shattered
On the floor.
But, being the unicorn you are,
You fetch your broom,
Bristles made of positive vibes,
To sweep the loving mess
Back under the rug.
You magically summon
A glass heart to hold,
Just strong enough to fill it
With Crown, ginger and biterness.
And you smile again, loosely
At some other sweet soul
Whose hoodie you will use
To wipe the tears that come
Back later that night
In the flood of missing
The one you tried and failed to let go.

You caught my attention with your flex
Before long, I was high off your ***
October hit different with you deep in on top
Started catching feelings and couldn’t stop
Drinking bourbon and holding hands on flights
Going rounds both days and nights
Laying in wet beds with my head on your chest
Strong heartbeats and hands wash away stress
Around town we try to stay out of sight
But you’re my boyfriend at poetry night
My legs are still shaky and my mind delirious
When we talk over coffee re: taking this serious
Near recent strangers who felt quick at home
Despite addresses we don’t keep alone
A million slow jams play in my head
Thinking of you singing in bed
Playful text and emojis on the phone
Turning cameras off to video our own
****, all of this happened so fast
My heart trembles to think this might last
We could be soulmates and make music forever
Go on adventures in this crazy life together
One Christmas we could be six by the tree
Like two stars fated for domestic harmony
I also understand you might not chose me
But will be forever grateful for this fantasy
So, for now, at this party, we pretend it’s just Me and You
***, ESPN and breakfast, at a table for two

I’m not a plant to water
I’m a fire to let burn
I don’t keep company
With rain or sadness

You can’t delete the story of your life
You can repress it or not
You can filter it or not
You can share it or not
But it goes with you to your grave.
All of your joy, pain, envy, burdens, regrets...
Feeds the soil in which you will rest.
And all of your contributions in this life
Nurture and inspire those when you’re gone.
So write a story that mostly brings you peace
And empowers others in the way they write their own.

The tide, it rolls
Back and forth
Refreshing and playful
Teasing the senses
But, Love can’t stay close to the shore
For the water is too shallow
When the timing is right
Abandon insecurities in the sand
And jump through rough waves
To arrive where the water
Rises to the beat of your heart
And Souls can dance in the deep

@letemflow

Your heart’s biggest burdens
Will steal your sleep at night
Engage your mind with intention
To shrink worries down
So that you can be consumed
By the rest that your body and soul
Needs to heal and grow

The sound of your voice
Changes the tone of my day
It makes me want to
Lay my head on your chest
And listen to your heart all night

@letemflow

I empathize with women
Who do their best,
To survive the life they got;
I respect women
Who strive to do better,
To make the life they want;
And, I adore women
Who do good,
To create paths for us to choose.
I promise always
To do good...
To do better...
To do my best, to walk kindly,
Side by side with each of you.

I thought I was above rejection
Immune to heartbreak
But it turns out, I’m capable of
Lying here alone
And coughing up pain
Your silence is the only treatment
God grant me the strength
To tune you out

I swear this is true,
This excuse I give you...
I held up our flight
Trying to get a poem just right.
My mind was on my words,
As I sat watching the birds.
I was penning my heartache,
At the wrong gate!
Then luckily, I heard you call,
I jumped up and got on the ball.
To the right gate, I ran like the wind,
Just need to shove my coat in the overhead bin.
I see your eyes glaring on me breathless,
Kids and adults equally restless.
I smile and thank them for waiting
They shout ‘give her the mic to prove she’s not faking!’
Hold crap they are serious
I’m not just delirious
So, I read my poem on the 2267 flight
And the passengers clapped to my delight.

Only the mind
Is more reflective
Than the warm sunlight
Bouncing off the fresh snow
Out of the ***** window
Of a fast train
On a long journey.

My heart fills back up
When you pour apologies
In my cup

@letemflow

I hope I
Inspire you
To feel
Yourself
On another level

When a sweet-scented papaya
Ripened on the last day of Cancer
It’s as if her fruit was destined
To be picked by a Leo,
For whom only her deliciousness
Could satisfy his ego.
Grown from a single, mother stem,
She swayed in the Island breeze
And played with nearby volcanoes.
Her flower spiraled into five parts,
Each like a unique chapter of life,
The last still longed to be written.
Wild and yet connected to her base,
Her foundation was noticeably scarred
Where leaves of her own were borne.
She was known to open up some nights,
The flesh of her fruit amber in the moonlight,
Superior and capable of self pollination,
But preferred the closeness of others.
She thrived when her home was moist,
Though nearly drowned in a few summer storms.
But, she always bounced back,
Nursed by creatures she befriended in dark soil.
She had the intuition and sustenance needed
To arrive as nature intended,
And let go into the hands of a Leo.
She recognized him by his warm charm
He was drawn to her playful confidence.
And, so the story goes,
She invited him to taste her soft fruit.
A Papaya at her peak,
When she was most vulnerable and ready.
And to his delight, he consumed
A mouthful of unforgettable raw flavor.
Volcanos erupted, water flowed, sun beamed.

My most poignant memories
Are tattooed under my skin
Ink that runs through my veins
Carried to and from my heart
Some release serotonin to my mind
Others let go tears from my eyes

@letemflow

Approach me as if...
Your only competition
Is my little Black dress
Say something classy
Highlight my best features
Match my inner dopeness
Hint at something interesting
Hug my curves tightly
Don’t mind who else notices
Unzip me slowly
Make me drip like my neckline
Get me high like my hem
Keep my insecurities a secret
Handle me on gentle cycle
Have my back on a whim
Make me want to put you on...
over and over again.

I miss you like summer
But know you can’t stay away for long.
It’s nature’s way
For you to find your way back.
Until the season changes
Anticipation of you keeps me warm.

@letemflow

A little girl
Following a straight and narrow path
May just be staying in the light
And warmth of the sun
While she is plotting
A beautiful moment
To run off course

@letemflow

A Papaya at her peak,
Amber skin glowing in the moonlight
Both vulnerable and ripe
As nature intended
The strength of her vine
And her sweet-scented flowers
Drew him near
She invited him to taste her soft fruit
As if filling his mouth with words
She needed to hear
And his ego was satisfied by
A mouthful of unforgettable raw flavor

I want to sit on your lap
And whisper
Words of appreciation
In your ear,
Like this...
I’d tell you I’m grateful
For you, being right here, right now
I’d say I’m impressed
With all the ways you know how.
I’d praise your hard work,
Your passion and ambition;
I’d thank you sincerely
For cleaning up the kitchen.
I’d tell you I can’t get enough
Of the way you smell
And that the father you are
Is **** as hell.
I’d share how safe I am
When you hold me close
I’d say of everyone,
You “get me” the most.
I’d count my lucky stars
That you put me first
I’d admire how you respect me
At my best and my worst.
Straddled on your lap
I’d tell you how amazing you feel
As you appreciate me back
Deep and real.

One of the things
I love most
About the northbound train
Is the art
That gives life
To the tracks.
While the river bends,
Cities light up,
Buildings crumble,
The graffiti, it speaks;
It says I’m not allowed,
But I belong.
While the factories smoke,
Churches point upward,
Lotto billboard pops,
The graffiti, it shouts;
It says I take risks
To be heard.
While the bridges arch,
Traffic stands still,
Telephone lines wrap,
The graffiti, it raps;
It’s says what may be dark
Is also colorful.
While the junkyard piles up,
No trespassing signs warn,
Comedy shows advertised,
The graffiti, it weeps;
It says time will heal,
But I will not forget you.
I am merely passing through
This fine cultural gallery
Generations felt worth painting.
Appreciating the pretty concrete,
Imagining the stories
Of lovers, fighters and punks
Still begging to be expressed.
Wondering what bold message
I would moss spray
If I got off at the next station
To tag what’s in my heart.

He seemed happiest
On Friday nights,
Driving towards
The casino lights.
I used to get jealous,
Sometimes got mad,
But the last time he went
I felt empty and sad.
While he gambled
With the queen of hearts
The two of us
Drifted farther apart.
Saturdays would come
And I’d be asleep alone;
It was usually 4 a.m.
When he got home.
He’d win often enough
To keep craving the high
Until I played my hand
And said goodbye.
The fix I discovered was
To stop wasting my time
On Fridays with hurt feelings
Over a bottle of wine.

You’re not my blood
But I call you my sister
Kindred spirits
From another mister
We laugh till we cry
Share clothes on the fly
Admit our worst over glass of wine
Tell each other we’ll be just fine
Get lit and dance in the rain
Wipe the tears in times of pain
We are love without ***
Trials without tests
Friends we call best

Two spirits dancing
Who don’t drift apart
When the music stops

@letemflow

Since breaking my heart
I’ve rebuilt one
Capable of loving
Myself

@letemflow

In a hazy moment
I feel like the weight
Of the world
Is in the pit of my stomach
Leaving little room
For mindfulness or motivation
I reach for my coffee
It slips from my ******* hand
Spilling all over the counter
The Barista smiles and says not to worry
I’m grateful
While he cleans up my mess
I take a moment to breath
My problems don’t disappear
But I’m more clear and ready
To deal with them

If a relationship ends
And energy seeps out
From all the pieces you broke
Just to fit together with someone
Whom you never imagined you could
Become unglued,
Then recommit to loving yourself
Work on becoming whole
So that you don’t ever have to rely
On another person
To complete you.

@letemflow

I enjoy a man
With soft full lips
To pull me close
By my curvy hips
Gently pull my hair
Kiss my neck
Tell me I’m ****
And get me wet
Dim the lights
Play that song
Master the basics
To turn me on

We are relational by nature
Yet conditioned to relinquish
Our power to others
So much so that
We romanticize only someone
Outside ourselves
Can complete us

But when a relationship ends
Energy seeps out
From all the pieces we broke
To fit together with whom
We never imagined we could
Become unglued

Be whole with everyone
So that when that One exits
Who made you feel
Like you were on cloud 9
Doesn’t send you
Falling from the sky
Depleted

Give credit where credit is due
To yourself for all you have
Shared and not given
Love yourself as much as
Or more than
The love you are capable of receiving
So that you can clap back
In moments of self doubt and despair

Your scars are as inevitable
And as beautiful
As the next relationship
You don’t lose yourself in