I bind my eyes to the paper
And settle into your skin
I gather up your soul
And let the journey begin

I fall into that fever
That I’ve heard about before
But only in your pages
Always crying out for more  

Our fingers intertwine
Until we’re one down to the bone
And I dance in your shoes
Until I breathe your breaths alone

Beneath the power of your fate
I wander through your vale
But the colors of your cosmos
Render my own world much too pale

I fall in love with every story
Live every life that they might lend
But to my own I must return
Because the stories always end

For every person there is a moment
When all that has ever been
Ceases to be
When all that you have seen
You know you’ll never again see

I will call it a beginning
Because it hurts too much to end
And a beginning bears the hope
That these torn edges might just mend

We are born to face our moments
And like soldiers march ever toward
That inevitability before us
That all consuming sword

From a distance the moment rises
And sings a siren’s song
We gasp at the beauty
Of that moment we’ve sought after so long

When it ends we still march forward
But those who look back are struck to see
The path we’ve always walked
Now ceases to be

I was running
Running
Running
I ran strait to the sea
Inside a dream
I thought
I saw
A path just right for me

For a time
I don’t remember when
But at that time it seemed I knew
For a slice of eternity
I knew just what to do

I am a cactus in the dead of winter
A lemon tree in Washington State
An existence fragile as parchment paper
Falling into the seat two seconds late

Just a millimeter above the water
A degree above the freeze
Pretty words
On ugly paper
That no one ever reads

I was born in the ocean
Eternally free
And on occasion the waves
Set my soul out to sea

I was born in the ocean
And were it my will
I could swim forever away
And be traveling still

But my part of the ocean
Is a beautiful blue
With an undertow that tugs me
Forever toward you

I was born in the ocean
But I will never be free
Because I love this small puddle
More than any great sea

Early beginnings
Too long we refrain
Hiding sharp truths
Beneath our nails
Coming clean in the rain

Sour words breach my peace
While we stand under the drain
Picking bugs from the gutter
Praying they might
See past our insane

The doors open wide
And up, and up we climb
What's happened and what will
Is forgotten for a time

We drift on through purgatory
Your shoulder on mine
We doze off to a world
Where we are just fine

We sleep for some hours
The driver moves slow
Falling asleep on the bus
With miles to go

I remember you
When you fell and scraped your knee 
When you sat in the sand and cried 
And I just sat beside you quietly
Because you had the saddest face
That I had ever seen
 
I remember you
Back then your hair was long and black
And mine was short
Sliced strait above the gum you had stuck in it 
 
Now your hair is short, and blue as the sea
And your parents hate it
But it's still just as beautiful to me
 
I remember you 
When you said we'd be cute together 
And I thought so too 
But that didn't stop me from saying "ew"
Because I was afraid you'd say it first 
 
I remember you 
Whispering ghost stories 
Under the willow tree 
And talking about the people
Who we wished that we could be 
 
I remember you
When you found us a group to stand with
And a place to eat our food
When you took me by the hand
And whispered
"Don't ruin it" 
 
I remember you
When you asked if I was lonely 
When you told me to hide what I was
Because the the other kids 
Would only disown me 
But you wouldn't 
 
 I remember you 
You were the tallest tree 
We both knew that you would grow 
So far beyond me
 
I was a raging fire. 
You kept me alive for a while
But inevitably I burned your roots
And we both knew 
 
Your face was sad again
Our conversation dwindled and drifted away
 
I knew you 
Better than I knew myself 
But I don't anymore 
 
Sometimes I see you on the street
We brush shoulders
But I can’t quite meet your eyes

I don’t remember
Where it was you used to live
Or the color of your curtains
Or the advice you used to give
 
It’s been years 
Since I last thought of you
Since I last obsessed
About all the things we might have done
The things I should have, would have, could have said
Time has washed my regrets away
Still, when I see pictures of us together
I would be lying not to say
I’ve missed you