Little bird
Where has your flight gone
Where has your fight gone
Have you lost your way?

Little bird
Where is your fire
Where is that desire
Why have you gone astray?

Who has singed your wings
Clipped you from the sky
Why have you fallen
So far away?

Sprawled in a nest of ashes
And dust,
Tears of melted sorrow
Broken trust
Little bird-
Please fly back to us.

Little bird
Spread your feathers of
Smoldering ash
And let them rage
Release your flame
Cry out-
With a spark
Re-ignite your flight
And rise.

I’ve never been any good at
Using my words,
But I can build a house of bricks
And never tear it down.
My fingertips brush over the
Fine teeth of paper I’ve tried
Countless times to smooth over
With ink for you.

My heartbeat still knocks
After your footprints have long since
Faded and my
Lips still shiver
With the taste of yours.
But I never know
Whether it’s
Love or
Lightning
That we make in between the sheets;
It still sends me into
Shock
All the same.

My subconscious mind is
Buried like pebbles at
High tide,
I am swept into your current
With a choice to
Sink or swim,
And I always
Paddle backwards-
Away from the blood
That’s pumping,
And breath that’s
Humming,
Drumming like my toes on
Cold sheets as I sit
Shaking and
Coated in a damp skin
That longs for something new.

The familiar lull of confusion in a
Quiet mind that’s
Rolling
Like the dice I cast
Each time I open my mouth to speak-
The chances of me saying 3 words I
Continue to choke down
Are dwindling.
The lack of language is substituted
By my mouth with kisses as
My nails scratch at my throat
Trying to force the words out.
Instead I find myself singing songs that
I’ve somehow connected with you.
Is this what love is supposed to
Feel like?

I’ve never been too good at
Using my words,
But I built a house of bricks for you
And I will never tear it down.
So feed my feelings, the ones you’ve
Sewn to the palms of your hands and
Coax the words hidden under my tongue
To your anticipating eardrums,
Or wherever they are meant to
Fall.

Wake me up to the
Scent of your sleeping skin and
Wrinkled linen sheets.
Wake me up to the sound of
Steady breath
And the gentle stirring of our bodies
Side by side.

Fast forward to the afternoons
Where sunshine streams through windows,
Only to settle in glowing patches
Between the contours of your face.
Where a single clock is
Nowhere to be found
And time stands still.

Take me upstairs
With a half-crooked grin
For the after-dinner rituals.
Carry me to your steamy world as
We explore beneath bedcovers
And make new discoveries
For hours at a time.

So my darling, save me from all this
Eardrum noise
And whisk me to the days where
Your arms are my refuge
Your voice is my song  
And our love is simply  
Living.

It grows and moves
Over time and distance combined.
It leads us to the days where
Every day will be “the day” and
Every morning we will wake up to the
Scent of sleeping skin and
Wrinkled linen sheets.

Where our rested bodies will finally breathe
Side by side.

How come they said I would
Make my dreams come true
When all I have are terrors-
I need to wake up soon,
They said everything would work
And we would be fine
But everyday I ask
“Where’s the sunshine?”

You taught me what
Not to do
With all the things you
Forgot to do
You don’t need to block
Me, I know you’re working
Off the clock
On someone new.
And since my
Waist isn’t narrow
My hair isn’t long
I hear terrors
Instead of your love songs.

So hold her tight
Don’t let her go
In exchange I will
Never let my feelings show.

I am
Unfinished business
I know I’m not gold
But I’m the one you’ll remember
After you get old.
After I marry that man that’s always
One step ahead
No more crying your name
In a lonely bed.

Moment of silence
For those who can’t
Speak words for themselves
Moment of silence
For those who choke on the letters
Spitting out broken verses
I am giving you
A moment of silence
I’m right where I should be
Speaking to the devil
I’m speaking to the demons
That perch on your shoulder blades
I’m right where I should be

Moment of silence
For those who can’t be silenced

Close your eyes
Lay to rest
Be mine
I’m here.

Close your hands,
Not into fists,
But fingers entwined
Let’s do this together

Open your heart
I’m here
Lay beside me
Be mine
I’m here.

I’ve been told it’s always
Better to wear your words
Like the sleeves of a sweater
But I need to show a
Little bit of skin this time.

These letters will not
Slide like melted butter or
Smooth, sweet nothings-
They will bite
With a tang
That lingers on

So swallow your pride
Close your eyes
Lay to rest
Be mine
I’m here.