There's a reason there's a path outside your door
that leads to a road
that leads to an interstate,
that leads to an airport.

And there's a reason that planes fly from that airport
to one near here.

Same reason that airport has a road
that leads to a highway
a highway that they are repairing as we speak
that leads to my town
to a path that leads to my door

And its not just coincidence.

Any more than its coincidence that you are reading this.

I walk the world with thoughts of you
In every place I go
Your voice is on the winter wind
Your footprints in the snow
And every tool I try to use to scrape you from my mind
Cuts your name onto my tongue
And beats me till I'm blind
I layed my head upon your knees and breathed the air you breathed
I cut myself when you were cut to know just how you bleed
Now as I walk this empty earth with nothing but a face
To breathe me and to bleed me
Until I leave this place

A solitary, single, step, is where it began,
Travelling the road, we all must tread,
Letting the world know us, as we are,
Not just how we think we should be,
Compliant members, of our society.

We’re always learning from the past,
Guided to live and enjoy the present,
Our experiences creating the future,
Happiness, success: not destinations,
But journeys, devoid; of all limitations.

First, love oneself, cherishing self-belief,
Ignore jealousy, hurting with malice,
Celebrate, individuality of free-will,
Choosing, spontaneity, or even a plan,
A solitary, single, step, is where it began.

© Paul Chafer 2014

It used to be that I couldn’t get her to turn and face me
I couldn’t get her to lock eyes
And when our eyes would meet
She would ask what I was doing staring at her
And I would answer that I was admiring her
And she was silent

Now we match stares all the time
And we just look at each other
Perhaps we are looking into each other’s souls
But it seems to be too late
Because I can’t move in to kiss her
I can’t tell her that I love her
Because I can’t feel my love for her without shame

I can look into those beautiful eyes all day
Those beautiful brown eyes
Speckled with green
She tells me I have deep brown eyes
Because the phrase dark brown is not meaningful enough
I don’t know what she means by it

I want to watch her as she watches me
But it feels like it’s too late
It doesn’t matter anymore
She turned her head away when it mattered
Funny how you get what you want past the expiration date
I would have done anything to turn her head that day at the theater

She wouldn’t even look at me
I should have known that day was it for me
I wasn’t going to kiss her
I was going to make a point by not kissing her
But she moved in for the kiss
And I couldn’t deny her my lips, as she denied me her eyes

I saw it all coming
With these dull brown eyes
But I went with it
Hoping that I could look into her eyes
Without her laughing
Without her questioning
Without having to worry
I really wanted to see her love me

She doesn’t laugh anymore
She does question it sometimes
She doesn’t seem to worry
But there is no love in her gaze
Just guilt
As if all I am is a bad reminder of the atrocities she committed
As if my eyes carry my love
That forbidden, shameful love
And that love stings her
But she can’t look away
Because she loves the pain

She is a cynic, I like to dream.
She’s calm as a current, I try not to gleam.
She prefers black, I prefer white.
I live in the day while she thrives at night.
We’re opposite as two people can be,
But I challenge you to look closer and see,
We both have thoughts profound.
When we’re together we ignore the world around.
We both view in color and we don’t fret.
Because we both love to watch the sunset.
There is no one for me, but my sweet darling, Annabelle Lee.