We'll never know each other
In touch, nor in thought
Our words won't reach
To greet our ears

When the night begs for company,
And lonely is our bond
Our eyes won't lead us to link

We won't hear,
But our soul's will whine and yearn,
When we think of things that can't be

When the unknown is as vast as the infinite,
Yet circumstance writes lines to a script

We won't know what it's like,
But in a different life perhaps,
As time records,
Etching it's marks upon our faces

Perhaps, we'd laugh,
Maybe we'd love,
We'll never know
Estranged,
As if having once met

An empty swing hangs from a tree
Drifting in airs varying touch
Vacant in his mind,
Where light shines upon the grass,
Stretching and leading
While shadows kiss the base of it's warm bark
This tree has a memory,
As the swing longs in its drift

This place
Where she used to reside,
Radiating magic and captivating flowers,
Remains dormant

The swing longs,
The tree mourns
The light, slightly dimmed and muddled

While remnants of her enchantment
Leave the scent of life and beauty embedded in every space
Her words once touched

Your words
Stick like dried glue
Held in my head,
I felt your hands without ever touching them

I miss the vision of what those words
Led me to believe
About you,
And the way your eyes matched with forest green

We talked briefly,
But a lifetime was told
Like an infinite book written with no pages

Your words stay as a reminder, though
Of the notes between the lines
Encased in a deep well within,
Where the water permeates my soul
And never dissolves the feeling shared in that moment

I'm unhinged
But pleasantly refined,
Transforming you into a
More interesting version of yourself
But I'll do damage

Your friends will look at you different,
Family too,
Watch, as you stumble and bumble about
Making claims with your filter-less freedom
I've seen it with all of them,
You are all the same

You'll laugh and play,
While I saturate your soul
Until, like the rest,
You'll forget
We know each other

"It's been a while"
She said, standing vacant
"I guess I crossed out the thought
of seeing you again"

Your lips, still young
I remember when we both were
Embraced in a hold of fate
That crumbled like an ember cast from the blaze

I stare quietly,
Eyes accusing with the same prejudice,
The wind and cold air entrap me in that old solitude
As you shine ever-bright,
the same

"It's good to see you", I say
Mustering a grin,
Knowing years have changed me,
As I turn and walk the other direction

You are invasive, and uninvited
Yet you appear every so often in my dreams
Sometimes I wish I would wake,
So as to catch you, and ask you to leave
What reason could you have?
To dance and flutter about,
To remind me of a carved tree?

When my eyes open,
My thoughts are flooded,
The floor within, stained with mud from your visit
A sign of your passing
As you are invasive, and uninvited

I see your flower has grown tired
Wilting slightly under your hand's weight,
Time has stretched its pedals,
and moisture left its stem

I see it dreams of youth,
It clings to the memories of the suns drink
Thirsting, it stays dormant
resting,
Under the shade of your palm

I still feel your eyes locked to me
Imprinted, and stained behind the veil of years

More than the memory of  forgotten scents
More than time stacked upon
More than the sun and moon,
Dipping and flipping day after day

You could never know,
As the fading eye's light grows,
and at most trust's
as the chill brushes the cheek

So here, an Ode to you,
Once, more as a toast to the past
Where the light in my fading eyes grows,
and at most trust's
as the chill brushes the cheek

Said "goodbye"
A thousand times
Tears long dried,
And lost in rhyme
Back to think if smoke could see
A blink sowed shut, that memory
But yet you linger,
A haunting float
I've cursed once over,
Once more than most
To accept the blame
A lost love friend
To taste the sour,
Never feeling again

Someday we'll go
One and all, we'll know
Where fall jades meet garden spades
And luster leaves with orange glow

And through your eyes
A resting soul,
At last on these grounds
Where heaven's sold

A pillow for your heart,
And sweater for cold
Casting dreams to the stars,
As our lives unfold

As jade turns to bronze,
And finally bronze to gold,
The *****, laid down
As we lie on a blankets fold

The book will cast meaning,
With ours fingers linked bare,
Someday we'll go
One and all, we'll know

Automatic fingers,
Robust and tracking wild
Ready to fill and flutter with the rush of caffeine
A sip starts a spiral,
A spiral starts a cascade
Of feelings and rapid thoughts, erratic as flies
They tell stories as chicken-scratch letters,
Fragmented, but conjoined,
Portraying tales as slides in an old projector movie
Or an old orchestra of nostalgia
From a set list of what once was,
and certainly no longer is in sight nor sound
A sip starts a spiral,
A spiral starts a cascade
While the morning sun continues to rise

A reflection shows
A face which I chose,
To make-shift grins
and tiny innuendos

But behind the veil,
Lies a face more pale
And oh so much more visceral

Was the eight after the four?
Perhaps the three past the seven?
I take it time has changed,
Along with my memory

An encryption of numbers
Outlines a path of old feelings,
Leaving me wilted like a flower
With no sun

And if by chance,
The digits align
Would your tone lift up,
Or would I find a stranger, as perplexed as I?

Two,
No, Three
It has to be the pattern,
The right collection of numbers this time

In dreams, it seems
That sky latches to the earth
When in morning's thought,
Branches outward toward rebirth

An idea is loosened,
While untold stories are shared,
A naked conscious once stowed,
And troubles told, now lay bare

As the day, the shade waves
As a blink, your hand in mine,
The dream's shied is stronger
Like an intense kiss wrapped in time

Until the next eves reserve,
For new stories yet to come
Always
In dreams, it seems

I can feel my eyes weighing down
Twisting and fluttering in stasis
Like being lost in a maze of rapid, never ending turns
All while traveling to a destination unknown
And I miss you
I miss you like I've never known
My hard-worn wings,
Confused and without a purpose
Waiting for the task of knowing
Dreaming of the day,
When we trace the outline of our own song
The weight
Sinking in my chest,
Bringing me to gravity's mercy
It's been years,
As I've been a lost leaf scattered amongst the wind and trees
Flowing through the air,
Refusing to land

"Good night"
I should say,
But I can't,
Dream with
Lights and
Sounds
Blaring in my head
Until dawn
Breaks
Her breath's muse

Heat
searing our backs together,
I'm apart of you
as we're apart of this dark
I can see nothing else
as this low lit shelter,
sticks like smoke and vomits hardship
scream at me, but
take care, if you dare
as the world spins, we twins
muster a laugh and shake hands with our fingers crossed
knowing we feel less and at the same time, so much more
than the others
alas, you're apart of me

There is a place,
Stored away in my mind,
Where it's always summer
And there's always time

Where once we are
As we once were
All of us light,
Lifted wings of birds

Friendships forged thick,
Permanent in cast
The seasons never change,
No cold comes to pass

We are still there
In my mind, it's certain
Their pen-drawn faces,
A blink draws like curtains

This place,
Where twilight is permanently sealed
Where together, we'll always be
In a sun-cast lit field

I hear a gentle tune
sweeping across the plain
With wind, carries the song of friendship from afar
I see such beauty in the green vastness in front of me,
Sun peering down through the window of blue sky

A shadowy dread clouds my thoughts
For the bond that was created so long ago
Still, I remember
When you passed through my arms
Down into the earth's hands
Your eyes faded to forever

The tune calls me back to you,
To remember what was lost,
To accept this reality
Of sun covered in smoke
harrowing over a war torn land

I hear a gentile tune, but lose sight of you now
As your face distorts over time
I can't picture your complexity,
But remember this melody
Sweeping into my skin as I drift off to sleep,
Hoping that when I wake,
I wake up home again

She said,
Your eyes are endless
You've seen things and remember
Sometimes I look at you and know
You are somewhere else

She said,
I see pain deep inside
When isolation becomes you
And my touch
Fails to turn you whole again
When the light leaves you,
And the breath that escapes is frost
When you sleep, but never dream

She said,
I'll follow you,
But I can't stay long,
Lost in your eyes, where I lose myself
But my keep-sake heart is your token,
Take it in your palm when you go
Each night,
When you sleep and never dream

She looks at me
Eyes glowing with relief
A grin, stretching to tomorrow
She looks at me
Touching her eye's with mine
As I,
Warmly invite my lips to hers
For a minute
It seems possible
That she,
and me
Might form we again
Just as she looks at me

Everyday
The clouds bunch up
Glue themselves in place
and sit with the sun buried infinitely beyond

There I wait,
Staring sorely at the dial
Crawling it's way
Towards the end of the day

The hand ticks past the six,
Past the years I knew you
I'm not the same person, you know?

The past six,
Were used to reform
Shape and shade my feelings to something real
Someone,
Authentic and bold

Six times I looked back
'Watched as my reflection changed
Shrewd and concise hands on the clock
With passing ticks that led me here, now
Waiting to look back again after the next pass
Until at last, another six

I hate that I've become so strong,
It relieves me when I can cry
To feel tears is to breath air,
It reminds me that I'm alive
I smile as much as I can,
I spread love as it's rare to come by
Yet, my brow lowers in a stoic tense,
As hard is deep in my eye

Cast your fears into me
Blaze with uncertainty
Fall apart,
As the world shreds around you  
But hold fast,
With resilient hope,
As my hand's steady yours
For I am always here,
For you
For you

When you've reached the end of the field
Straw hat locked n' tow,
I trust you'll whistle back
That ole' song that we both know

The one we've never hummed together
Yet, the tunes' known by heart,
Without words to connect the meaning,
The feelings grow from grass's start

And when twilight breaks apart the sky,
I hope you'll hold the notes to glide,
That moon's gaze might set fire to guide,
as we remain dizzy in the dusk

Yeah,
We'll be whistling until last,
All dreams, realized, lived and passed,
That ole' song,
More like a map, guiding us back home

Your ghost glides past me,
translucent and light
The details in your face,
a transient blur at the sight

A white veil clings to your streak
as I remember the journey,
Linking lifelong to your palms would have been unpleasant,
Surely

An unmistakable specter,
You, drifting through walls,
Each glance from your apparition
Gives your spirit new call

A time when clouds ruled over clear
the pull was steady and growing stronger,
Now, your ghost passes by
With my bound to you, no longer

This leaf's life cycle is much like our own
it grows from a much more mature tree
blossoms and ages,
changes with the seasons,
explores and fly's with the wind,
and eventually,
withers into bits before it's absorbed back into the earth

I brought it to you
so you always know where to find me,
beyond the pines,
waiting to grow,
change,
fly,
and wither
with you

kissing you eyes closed, or open
wondering where my feelings are,
floating around
aimlessly
tossing aside vulnerability,
all while dreaming somewhere real

whose face is it?
kissing eyes closed, or open
casting care into the soul
meeting touch with lasting sensation
stretching to the stomach,
tingling with lifting infatuation,
and carrying forward,
flowing down stream

Laugh with you
Language of love-
Lift you up,
Or free your numb

Just a moments notice,
Wilting heat-
Silk laid dress,
dangles shoulders to feet

Teach you to sing
Sober in sight-
Fair skin face,
Brisk hair in night

Risk emotions wild
Tampering patience with speed
Stomach-
Jittery,
Teach you to breath

The window cracked open
Enough to hear rain meeting grass
He sits,
Nested between a pillow and the glass
Gazing out into the gray
The smell of fall holding his body in place,
As he ventures into his thoughts,
to distant places and memories
A gentle storm wrestles above him,
Opening a portal to another time,
When he first discovered his love for solitude
Often,
It was easier to day dream about the world,
rather than to be apart of it

Cold hands with a warm honeyed kiss,
A greeting he's conditioned to miss
Like a star itching for an appearance through a cloud
She wonders,
Digging through layers of knitted blankets
After celebrations and tangled banquets
Was there ever a time when her touch wasn't found?

One and two,
Sure, it felt true

Three and four,
The heart can restore

Five and six
Scars start to itch

Seven and eight
Pain is tied with fate

Nine...
Please don't make me count to ten

A gentle melody carries in
a lifting calm from the middle of the field's embrace
This pause,
in which I briefly catch your glance
Assures in that moment,
I know I am exactly where I need to be

A small island town,
off the coast of Saint Ignace,
Is home to a memory called Forever
Quaint walls line much of the infrastructure and interior,
leaving the scent of mahogany sprawling out of great history

The roads are paved, but with no cars to drive them
Forever rides an old rusty bicycle with soft magenta trim
Lush maple trees are plentiful here,
With fall dyeing their leaves a brilliant red and apricot orange

Sounds of  horseshoes clapping to meeting cement are
everywhere, as their carriages glide behind them
Yet, their faint accents are masked in Forever's peace,
Quiet rests in her arms at all times

This is her home,
Where other memories come only to pass through
Forever always resides here
Here, where the crystal tide of Lake Huron, brushes up upon her shores

Time will grow us,
The sun will age our faces
We'll see things good and bad
Life's map will reveal itself to us,
We'll follow it together
After we reach the end
I'll look back and smile
Knowing we held hands the whole time

Toss in a locket,
A felt pen
A straw hat with a feather
To the pile of possessions gathered  
Some cards,
A snare drum,
A photo of a dog
Who shared an love equal to his owner
Toss in this pile, the items that smile
The pointless and priceless alike
For each one's random scrap,
Fuels the spirit in another one's life

I see you,
Resting in the bed,
Laying on your stomach
Longing eyes glued to me,
Glued to you,
There is a game I play
Trying to read your thoughts,
Studying your lips
Wondering,
Do we know each other?

Drawn to the dark
Ash colored eyes
Soft assuring voice
Void of untold lies
Reaching for a hold
Family left in stride
Drawn to indifference
Skin tattoos the sign
A cigarette in tow
Bottle in her right
Usually unknown
Her bed for the night
Stoic still hands
Hidden glances held
Art of her heart
Secret potent spell

Sitting on the shoreline,
Feet dangling free
Watching the loons fly
Their call echos to me  

Surrounded by Foliage
Covered in vast trees
The years gone by fast
As chipmunks come and flee

Woodpeckers rattle
Bonfires crackle and blaze
Mosquito zips past
Reminding of passing day

Water kissed,
Burnt, until orange bursts
How soft, the hue of purple is
Caressing the waters thirst

Life is drawn here
Right in fresh air breeze
So heavy, it acts as sedation
One to guide tired eyes to sleep

Sitting on the shoreline
Soul rested for the week
Caressed by nature’s touch
Until back home, I’m rushed to see

it's hard to believe
this
is created,
seeing you, see me
across the lake
years ago,
in another life,
with the faintest light,
the moon made us glow,
when our breaths locked
and our eyes shifted upward,
in perfect unison

I know we can’t,
but do you think we could,
stay here for a while longer?

she rips though,
dipping the sky black in despair,
the faint hiss in the distant air that is her greeting,
marks death for those who wait to see her closely
she wears a jet black skirt of debris,
as she spins her deadly dance across the marked land,
ripping and shredding
those who would try to court her
those poor souls,
bold enough to think that if they stare hard enough,
she might extend a merciful hand,
she never does,
she,
the deadly renegade mistress of the heavens,
spares no one

I'd shatter the mirror,
if I knew it would release your gaze.
The lock keeps your brain racing relentless
as your eyes hold the whip
and mascara, like an addict
Fortifying the belief that the real you
Isn't beautiful enough

You're smart like that
Making me feel bad to give you treats
Sheltered in a dark corner
Your eyes glowing with fear,
or so you would have me think
Are you afraid?
Or just fishing?
Waiting for me to sit down next to you
Sweetening my voice
Hand out with one of your favorites
Is this your way of getting your way?
After you come out,
you act as if nothing happened
Your tail coiled up with confidence
Is that a smirk?
Perhaps I've been outsmarted again

What appears pleasing to the eye,
Seldom satisfy's the soul
What breaks when the spirit tries,
A wretched lesson, needed once told

A hand that reaches towards the sky,
Embraced with authentic love’s bold
Mends a life-long curse,
A fragmented trust, reformed whole

Dandelions
he looks for them,
scouring the fields all day in the spotlight of the sun
searching amidst the sun flowers and lawn weeds
careful not to step on them,
their bodies, flimsy noodles rooted in a crowded world
each clothed in simple beauty
he counts them,
he counts their pedals,
measures their heights,
compares their contrasts
all without picking them
he remembers the ones from before,
where they grew and lived
even when they turned to seeds and flew away
the field plotted with tags
a memorial and a birthing place
for memories gone and those still yet to be

I'm afraid I can't feel anything
Pinch me,
Wake my skin up from comatose
Take my worn face in your hands,
Run your fingers through my hair
I need to know, I can feel something
Get close,
Sing to me
Touch the back my neck with wind from your lips
Pluck my emotions like stings on a harp
Make me feel warm,
Melt me,
Teach my eyes to trust yours,
Perhaps my senses will come back,
One at a time

There's a song that I know,
When I hear it, my soul speaks
Like a whisper in the woods,
That grows beyond boundless reach

The sound lifts to the clouds,
It speaks more than just truth
Though, not a word is uttered,
Not a note left uncouth

I wrote the name down
On my skin with a needle,
To speak with my soul often,
Or, during a position gone fetal

A connection that explains all ties,
That won't compromise works with wager,
A reminder of self love,
Sewn to the softer angels of my nature