Tell me
Screaming from the rooftops
And I'll swim to shore,
Out of the salt desert of swirling waves,
For to drown in your arms
Is better than anything.

Tell me,
Saying it with your eyes
More than with lips or teeth,
That breathing would never
Be as sweet as kissing you
Until my lungs fill up with laughter.

Tell me,
Whispering among the pines
And I'll brave the wildfires,
Blind and breathless in the choking dark,
For to burn in your desire
Is better than anything.

Tell me,
Voicing it with your every heartbeat
More than with tongue and cheek,
That breathing would never
Be as vital as kissing you
Until my lungs fill up with joy.

Tell me,
Shouting from the shoreline
And I'll climb every mountain,
Up into the ice desert of gleaming stars,
For to hold in every breath shared with you
Will keep time still for awhile.

A taste in my mouth
that lingers on,
even though I have not
shared apricots with you.

A smell in my lungs
that soaks through,
touching my heart,
although I have not
shared hyacinth petals with you.

A tingling in my fingers
that radiates always,
in spite of the fact
I have not caressed your skin,
nor shared any pleasure with you.

A melody in my bones
that thrums in every part of me,
albeit I have not
shared any poems with you in decades.

A mirage in my soul
that dances forever,
yet I have not
shared my essence with you...

I keep breathing
as the deepest blue
fills my lungs with
the fresh air
of salt and wonder.

I keep breathing
as the golden flames
roast the succulent morsels
that fill belly and soul
with pepper and joy.

I keep breathing
as the wind takes me
to new and exciting
places that fill out
the mind with memories.

I keep breathing
as the soil beneath
fills every oblivion
with the emerald
of hope and renewal.

Should I keep breathing
when the depths
of despair
flood all around?

Should I keep breathing
when the fires
gnaw at the bones
of my childhood?

Should I keep breathing
when the stormwind
slashes away
memories of warmth?

Should I keep breathing
when the sands of time
drag my flesh down
into oblivion?

Chasing moonlight
On rainsoaked tiles
Of fired clay
And
Soot stained dreams.

Running barefoot
On late summer grasses
Burned yellow
By
A heavy sun.

Striding bravely
On sharp edges
Of crumbling mountains
And
Eroded eternity.

Embracing stillness
On snowcapped peaks
Made sanctuary
By
Ephemeral beauty.

Yours.