My eldest sister says you have to go through a lot of frogs till you find your prince and he will be worth the waiting, she knows better than anyone.

My middle sister says protect the little girl inside me and empower the woman I am becoming, she's learned this better than anyone.

My stepmother says take it one day at a time and take whatever comes in stride. Let yourself worry when the time comes to worry, she knows this better than anyone.

My father says I'll meet someone new who will make me forget all about him and that each day it'll hurt a little less. He knows this more than anyone.

My mother shows me God's definition of love and tells me every day is a blessing, to give it to The Lord and love the good things. She knows this better than anyone.

I remember all the advice. I remember all their words.

They will remind me to stop missing who I thought was you and start fighting for me.
They'll remind me who I am and even though you had my mind muddled.
They will guide me to make the decisions I want and they will never blind me.
I will be free and clear with the words of those who love me the way I deserve to be loved,
because they are the ones who showed me how to love through their mistakes and passions.
With a full and kind heart, clear mind and steady soul.
Because love is not selfish or indifferent.
Love is not rude or disrespectful.
Love is not what I can do for you or what you get out of it.
Love is kind and attentive.
Love is passionate and wants to meet your dogs before your parents.
Love is intelligent and understanding.
Love is open minded and trustworthy
Love is honest and love never let's you forget you are beautiful.
When you need it the most and when you hardly expect it love is there always.
Love makes you laugh and occasionally cry.
Love is not perfect but love is a fighter.
Love should and will fight for you.

This I am learning better than anyone.

My brain is on fire with everything.
I sit down to write and end up with blank lines and empty stanzas.
Where words of intense beauty and insight should rest are frustrated scribbles.
My lack of aspiration is disheartening.
I can’t unscramble my mind for one second long enough to write a decent line,
Or anything that’s not…I lost my train of thought.
Want to know where it went?
You.
Straight to you, without consent
Like a fly to honey, I’m stuck in the sticky sweetness of you.
See? Even my similes ****,
Drowning in this sad case of writers block.
My creative flow is barren.
My muse is strangled by thoughts of your silly grin.
I set my pen to paper and waste hours on the sap that is my poetry.
Wondering if there is any hope left for me.

The rabbit quickly ran.
“Run, Cottontail, as fast as you can!”
On his fuzzy heels he sped,
Frightened simply by something he read.
“Must be a lie,” he yelled.
He swore last time he saw the turtle he was fast asleep in his shell.

Yawn… Through the early morning stars.
The glimmer catches my smile as I exhale the night.
I sigh and release the long, dark hours,
And look up to watch the sky ignite.

The warmth ****** the chill on my cheeks,
And dries the dew on my drowsy lips.
I unravel my limbs and flatten my peaks,
Letting the Dawn kindle my flesh with golden drips.

The grass just waking up reaches beneath me.
The leaves whistle sweetly to the trees.
I take a breath of sunshine,
And feel the world around me buzzing.

Finally, I can say
“Good morning.”

Our Love is cold toes wrapped warm in quilts.
Through breaths of frost we share soft memories,
Of vague childhoods woven smug with silk,
Embellishments of our well-worn stories.

Our Love is flushed kisses on chill cheeks,
Heavy eyes spent from the sun in your grin.
Our Love is slapping life into numb feet,
Goosebumps from cold fingers on peeking skin.

Our love is bad timing and words that slip,
They sit in the corner to forget that,
We are tripping head first into the pit,
But, Our Love is not weak and won’t fall flat.

Because Our Love is silly faults and all,
Great battles may rage but we will stand tall.

I sit naked peeling away my skin.
As I shed the sunburn of you, I relent my sins.
My tears sizzle like acid down my blistered  cheeks.
I strip away your lies, flaking and pink.
At first you felt warm and honest on my face, slowly stealing away what's sane.
My faith in myself began to falter, my mind preparing to be a sacrifice on the alter,
Of what used to be self restraint.
You are the master of shame, spreading poison throughout the haze.
I will wash my skin pure and accept no more of your petty lures.
You may again spoil me with ******* or the lack there of,
Until I find myself once more lost in remorse,
But I will not forget the feel of soft skin left in your place and what is true and good in this rabbits race.

She kicks and screams at the solid feeling of longing, of desire.
She struggles against it like the shore against the tide but it just acclimates.
Wrapping itself around her, enclosing about her randomly protruding limbs.
Engulfing her until every drop of air is squeezed from her lungs.
Only then will Life resuscitate her and allow Fate to strangle her once again.

Loosing all sense of equilibrium, her mind scatters.
She starts to panic, to dread. She looses composure and self-awareness.
All she can think of is the sweet taste of air, of the comfort every breath offers.
The thought that she may never savor it again is the terror trembling in her gut.