And if you think all is lost,
look again.
Surround yourself with happiness,
with love, peace, and good friends.

And if anger overcomes you,
look around.
Don't give into temptations,
pick yourself up off the ground.

And if happiness is what you seek,
don't be afraid to venture on.
While the world may seem so bleak,
paint a new picture, write a new song.

And if love is something you fear,
carry on to find it.
Never let your hopes disappear,
never succumb to the silence.

XOXO
For Beverly and Telma

Crème brûlée
and a clean white dress.
Feed me from your finger -
they called us Silver-Plated:

      an open locket,
      like angel wings.
      Laughter;
      the melting point of wax
      means nothing to us.

Soft rustling pages
and creaking spines
Tales of lost ages
and futures from Mars
All the words of all the languages
and all the years of all the countries
Caught and captured
by ink and paper
and the minds of
ordinary people
like me
and like you