i see him there every day
he always watches me
the town people call him stray
he calls himself free

"there's big fish under this bridge"
he points to a submerged stone
"that's where the whale lives"
I cast my line toward it's home

the old man smiled and watched me cast
idle hands and vicarious eyes
"don't try to set the hook too fast"
"this whale is really wise"

my line went tight, i felt the pull
i yanked with all my might
too hard headed to follow the rule
'let him take a big ole bite"

i threw my pole, and fell in the water
the old man only laughed
he said "look on the bright side"
"at least you got a bath"

(his smile made the water shimmer brighter
his laughter sang with the birds...)

"i'll be back soon to claim my prize
with a heavier pole and line
for me to catch a whale that size
it's going to take a lot of time"

now when i see the old man
we talk of the ones that got away
his wife, his kids, his life
and the fish i lost that day

I think about you around the clock
hey cutie, you're my writers block

what happened
or what's going on
or why he did what he did.

the way she's feeling
the way they're all feeling,
what I'm feeling.
So complicated.

when I cried
and you didn't.
while I slept,
and you couldn't.

why it happened there
and happened then.
What I can't do
and what I can.

why the world is this way now.
why my thoughts have shifted.
why it couldn't be different.


Why?

I don't know.

I have recently grown to appreciate the Fall
Orange, Red, Yellow
Pumpkins, Leaves, Apple Cider
Makes me happy to be named
Autumn

floating in space
with no trace
of the human race

oh wait there's a satellite

I stuck chickens in my baggy tie dye shirt
nuzzled on the couch, coffee in hand.
I enjoyed a deep conversation with a willow tree
and asked how it felt about the other species.
I slid cookies in the back pocket of my tattered jeans
before biking through the morning air.
I smiled at old Ted in the nursing home
with a wink, he smiled back.
I dribbled the basketball with the strong scent
of campfire coming from my backyard.
I danced in the shower
the warm droplets falling on my skin.
I smoked in the sparkling cove
with strangers that became my friends.
I flew off the high rocks
and submerged into cold crystal waters.
I looked into those faded blue eyes,
and chuckled cause' we do that.
I balanced on the fallen limb
and hopped up onto the beautiful stump.
I giggled with my sisters
cause' we made some really mean jokes.
I ate spaghetti with my friends,
and laughed so hard we choked.
I tumbled over tree roots
got back up and kept on trailin'.
I thanked God for this life
and he said you're welcome.

To be what they want
Is to win a battle
To be who you are
Is to win a war

It's strange

that we're scared to be afraid
it hurts to show pain
and somewhat prideful to be vain.

Wouldn't it be easier
if we weren't all so emotionally insane?

It's strange.

cigarette smoke
empty balconies
trippy lights
one band
and it can only be crime funk