We are all born human beings
Born with hearts half filled
And fingers separated
Sealed lips meant for smiles
And eyes blinded at birth
Yet we grow to realize
That we are beings that are worth
More than the flaws that we are
And the scars that we have
The loneliness we succumb to
The sadness we abuse
We are human beings
Whose hearts are are yet to be filled
Fingers left to be intertwined with another
And eyes yet to see the love
We truly deserve
And that one heart
We are made for
That other

n.j.

it doesn't matter
whether it's a girl and a guy
a woman holding a woman
a guy kissing a guy

it doesn't matter
if they fall in love with one other
who are we to judge
who they want to choose as their lover

it doesn't matter
if they live their own lives
if you can't accept that
what difference does it make
if you continue to live yours
in choosing to stay alive

it doesn't matter
if a man and a woman say i do
in front of an altar
why are people disgusted
when two others
accept their love for each other

it doesn't matter
if she kissed her
and he, him
you are just as human
you have a beating heart
and you have the desire to love
just like all of them

n.j.

Pity the fool who does
not believe words can
change lives

Hey Mom?
I miss you.
Like a lot.
I miss dancing in the kitchen
To Madonna and Meatloaf.
I remember singing under the paper lantern
From the dollar store.
You bought it just for me.
I miss your strong, muscular embrace
And your scent of cloves and earl grey and earth.
I miss your long, silky hair
Just like mine.
I cut it all off last week.

Some days,
I just wish I could talk to you,
Talk to you about what hurts
But you hurt.
Just to remember hurts.
You're gone.

Hey Mom?
If you're still in there,
Beneath all the alcohol-infused blood
At the bottom of the cavity in your soul maybe,
Could you peek out from behind the curtain?
If only for a moment.
Could you give me some signal
Some kind of hope
That beneath it all
My mother is still here
On this earth
That she isn't lost to me forever.
That the woman who cherished me in her lap
Swaying me back and forth while I cried
From bad dreams or heartache
The woman who taped up my broken arm
And taught me how to make the best spaghetti
My mommy,
Who taught me to sing with beauty
And shared her green thumb secrets.
Please.
Please.
Don't be lost to me entirely.
Please come back.

Hey Mom?

Pine trees as far as the eye can see
Flames spitting embers into a clear blue sky
Ribs and potatoes nestled into dutch ovens

My world is quiet.
My universe is still.
My life is pure.

A foreign peacefulness
A comforting oneness
complete with operatic songbirds
and the swings of a steadfast ax

A mind sauntering towards problems
far, far away from where we are
disintegrate with the setting sun,
dissolving in a melody of laughter

rest
*you can rest now

Can't even join the
        rat race

Lonely, sitting here
          caged.