Taking time to glance in the mirror,
I saw myself always the same,
My appearance unchangeable.
Tired eyes, forced smile,
Pale cheeks
Always wishing for more, I’d turn away
The cracked veins of my reflection
Leaving a hundred images of my broken self
Imprinted in my mind
Every glance a reminder of my past,
But all that I could see.
Countless days, endless months
Smiling into the shattered mirror
Until my eyes sought yours
And saw in your stare a new reflection
Of gleaming radiance and joy
Of blushed color, and lively movements
Again, a thousand images,
Images not of solitude,
But togetherness – a union of sorts
That fills my entire being
In your eyes I see my future
Our hands interlocked
With no key to be found to separate them

Sometimes it takes the silent tears
when I'm lying alone at night
  to remind myself that I am alive

A dark room,
A dusty attic
Memories long forgotten.

With the discovery of that old, worn box
Comes a new world
That which was once the norm

The faint, yet redolent smell
Of an old perfume
Takes her to a place long ago
Where they danced and smiled
Blushed and kissed.

A tattered picture of their younger selves
Makes her yearn for the past
His strong, tender touch
His glowing eyes, filled with passion

A package of love letters,
Each envelope worn thin from many readings
Her survival,
In the times of his absence

Her fingers trace over the blotted circles
Created from tears shed over the paper
Her heart breaks again,
Aches for her loss

She clutches the items to her chest
Closes her eyes against the pain
Bows her head, and whimpers,
“Do you remember?”

I cupped my hands
To drink from my River of Dreams
The water was sweet,
It stained my tongue
And cleansed my tear-stained cheeks
My dreams took flight
At the first swallow -
That is when I first saw you.
Unsure and hesitant, I was -
Until I tasted your kiss
The River I drank from so long ago
So here I sit,
Intoxicated
For you are my sweetest dreams,
Come true.

Allow me to serenade you with my lyrics,
Sing you softly to sleep in mysterious expression
Do not fight your slumber - smile for me as you
Succumb to your dreams, whispering a melody
Slowly, slowly
Save your worries, just listen to the sound of my words,
While I enjoy the sweet sound of your sigh
As your senses give way to sleep.

There is an eruption of silence
When we witness the miracle
Of a sunset
A thundering absence of anything
Except you, me and the glorious sky
Golden clouds passing us by
With our faces tilted together
Your protective arm always round my waist
The disappearance of the sun
Painting a portrait of pure divinity
Unbelievable how such a phenomenon takes place
When all is quiet
When there is no need to listen
To startling colors as the day darkens
To your sweet breath on my neck
Silence
Destiny

Light the candle fast,
We will not live in obscurity.
Over the flame, we will think of times passed
Contemplating shadows thrown on purity.

We will not live in obscurity,
Burdened by clouds of hate
Living our lives void of security
Never knowing that it was too late –

Burdened by clouds of hate,
They step on through darkened streets
Assuming that it was only fate
That sorrow they would never defeat

They step on through darkened streets
While we admire the flickering light –
Comforted by its small heat,
We know that love is worth the fight.

While we admire the flickering light,
We see the shadows – accept their vacancy
And the others, they will miss the sight
As we dance, creating a new legacy –

We see the shadows – accept their vacancy
But we will live in the candle’s fire
Refusing to endure life separately,
And giving in to its desire

Light the candle fast –
We will not live in obscurity

Frequently my eyes go unfocused,
Blocking me from the world I know.
I find myself wandering through the labyrinth of my thoughts
Fighting the dilemmas and demons that
Live in the shadows of my mind.

Sometimes I weave through flowered fields,
Wishing to stay there forever
Visiting those I mourn and miss,
Smiling in the sunlight of my perception.

But I must continue through the maze,
Withstanding the darkness and savoring the light
For only in the center,
Past the dead-ends and passageways
Will I find myself and
Allow my eyes to see clearly again.

I never thought I would be here again,
Caught in the web of
Love and happiness
But I once remained in the center
Catching both of the wondrous emotions
And now I dangle at the bottom,
Too heavy to hold.
I grasp to both with all I have
But the silk is fragile
And I am hit in the face
By everything that the web catches not,
By everything that I never wanted to see again
And I want so badly to pull myself up
But I lose strength every day.
I miss what I once had.

I usually avert my eyes beforehand,
Let the steam block the reflection for after.

Today, I took the time to look.

I stared at the body I hate,
The one others tell me to love.
I brought my hand to my chest
Wanted so badly to mutilate myself, my reflection
So that no one else could ever love my body.
My scars on the inside
For no one to see -

I turned from the mirror
Wishing that I had never looked.

Trust is a dark silhouette,
Easily seen in the day,
Against the brightness of the light.
It is romantic under a colorful sunset,
And disappears to the background of darkness.

There they stand before a wall of darkness,
Hands clasped, begging for amnesty.
So long they have been heedlessly running,
Assured in their security –

Shadows now loom over them,
Children weep as their fathers curse
And mothers sit in resignation.
Here I am, no longer part of this world.

Warnings meant nothing,
Outspoken worries provoked only jest,
Murmurs and judgments.
Here I am, no longer part of their world.

The moment of superior judgment has come,
Finding them in a state of desperation.
Mere flecks upon the earth
In the larger scope of the universe.

They sulk in their helplessness -
The bravest of them are now gone.
Prayers are their only consolation.
Here I am, no longer part of their world.

There she stands, eyes trained upward
Her eyes red, hair unkempt
Arms clutched around herself for warmth -
Here I am, no longer part of her world.

Prayers reach me, to no avail
I can be no help to them now.
As the darkness finally overtakes them,
Here I am, no longer part of that world.

Sit beneath the weeping willow,
Let its tears caress your face
Observe the weathered bark
Its gnarled, reaching limbs
As its cascades and waterfalls overcome you
I am your weeping willow,
You are my healing touch,
My sun.

I feel you in the wind that kisses my cheeks
As it enters the window of my heart
The breeze blows my hair back
The same way that your fingers push it
Behind my ears.
I feel your breath on my neck and
Hug myself tighter to sense your embrace
Lean in to the emptiness,
Not expecting solidity…
Appearing from nowhere
In the time that I need you –
The wind’s kiss is nothing
Now that you are here.

I have walked blindly
Far too long
Wishing for the impossible,
The undeserved
I was a lone bird
Flying through endless clouds
Oblivious to my surroundings,
My blessings

I never saw you,
My wingman
Pulling me to safety, familiarity
Until I was too tired to fly on
And you caught me in time,
Mending my heart with your
Tenderness