isn’t it strange

you loved a human so fiercely you dissolved into him.

even stranger

you wouldn’t change a thing.

come, come with me
on this backward path
of shattered mirrors
and sidewalk cracks

walk, walk with me
and listen to the sounds
of the wondering birds
and things the wind found

dance, dance with me
at a bashment of bashful bows
wild twists, sylph-like twirls,
and elegant falls

lay, lay with me
in a passage of dreamt things.
i will place my heart
in your palm and try, try to breathe

breathe, breathe with me
can you not let me go?
melt away the malarkey with silence and
cure the angry thoughts with “i don’t know”

speak, speak with me
confabulate, but don’t ask what i feel
for i’d be reticent, or worse,
pre-occupied from thoughts by what’s real

meet, meet with me
can you find me halfway
in a field of resplendence
at the end of the day?

run, run with me
get you wild (like untamed flowers)
make you leave
(he’s a forest fire)

fall, fall with me
Wonderland doesn’t hurt if there’s two
when the Queen of Hearts sees ours
she won’t even conceptualize what to do

sink, sink with me
when i’m drifting, drowning, and there’s nothing left
but promise me you’d swim to shore
if it was between loss and loss of breath

leave, leave with me
and shall the world pull you away
in my heart, I’ll keep the pieces
of the promise that you would stay

scream, scream with me
tell the air and the dirt and the weeds
what is dry, what is broken, what is hurt
what you need

hold on, hold on with me
to memories and tales of the trees
of climbing limbs
and freedom in little things

stay, stay with me
in this bleeding, beating, of hearts
don’t get too close, but
don’t go too far

trust, trust with me
though it's complicated
and whims take the garden signs
and try to repaint them

pray, pray with me
see, the petals scattered to the breeze,
are not a concise coincidence
but the story of an averred belief

grow, grow with me
i hope that love will show us how
it starts as a seed, then a bud
then a vow

dream, dream with me
of crepuscular magic and roses in June
droplets are constellations
and irises the moon

feel, feel with me
in your embrace i seek shelter
hands like daisies in my hair
feet intertwined, we're ivy, but better

wonder, here with me
we don’t know what we’ll find
but if you keep me safe, dear one,
i’ll keep you wild.

Colors mix in the vainest of ways,
in the strangest of states.

A sunset makes sense
blue, pink and yellow shine soft,
exchanging compliments.

but if a bird shares his view
blue is how to fly, how to wash,
and how to feed.

What does that mean?

Pastels know how to dance.
Have you watched them before?
They lift hearts and tickle hairs.
They don't care what's on your mind,
but give each thought a chair.
It's a world of wonder through
their eyes. Let us explore.
Let us try.

If you’re feeling bold,
mix in some orange, wild green,
rich plum.
Ramble and embrace and relish
in the present tick of the clock,
before the paint dries
and we‘re back to the start.

When we're curious,
change the palette to gold.
Add some earth to the mix,
browns and tans to keep us grounded.
Canary to teach us courage,
honey to give us a hold.
You are every shade of yellow,
all at once, never cold.

Can I tell you a secret?

There is wonder in the deep hues.
Magic in the woods.
The night sky is brilliant
if you think to look,
look up,
with purple swirls
and silver ideals.
Mystery fills the lavenders
and the periwinkles and the crystal cyans
and whimsical teals.
There is uncertainty in the depth.
The ocean waves are fierce,
hard to control,
the dreams free,
the souls impossible to mold.
There is extraordinary wisdom,
Every heartbeat a way to pray
new ways to see in the twilight,
perspectives that are invisible in the day.

Is that what scared you away?

For I am the blue,
the cornflower petals
far from the path
the space between the sky
and the world
when the sun goes down
the sapphire glints floating far from the learned,
from what you know.

When I asked you to stay,
and you promised me time,
I thought it was in our shade
it was yours, not mine.
Do you mind?
Being stuck, dried up in the fear of it all?
Yes. You can stay in the hues
you know all too well.
Maybe ask amber for a dance,
have coffee with cream,
snuggle close to mustard,
hold on to bronze's warmth.
Don't mix too carelessly,
Be careful the paints don’t touch,
the brushstrokes don’t show
It could ruin the lines.
Remember your lines.
Stay safe. Stay yellow.

What if we turned the wheel?
There is curiosity in your blood,
I can feel it waiting to bleed.
Like watercolor,
Searching for the canvas to accept its gift.
You are eager to skip into another palette
you are ready to see another world.
Let's feel all the hues,
use every shade,
dance with the primaries,
one two step, one two.
Mix up the tone with their creations,
until we invent new pigments,
until we run out of names
for all our formulations and hues
Let us walk the rainbow.
Turning light to color
Back to light again
Let me show you my view.

I know. You know.
You never know
what you'll get.
Painting with the rain
instead of an arranged set
can lead to a storm, nothing but grey,
nothing but dark,
but at least even then
there's no regret.

Yes, colors mix in the vainest of ways, the strangest of states.

And perhaps yellow and blue don't have any more skies to paint.