the sun wears a cape on its shoulders
and when it fades below the horizon,
the cape cloaks the world in darkness.
the moon finds its place in the sky
to help the sun bestow its light
and guide us out of the shadows.
the stars twinkle to support the moon,
and we find the light in the darkness
until the sun returns to the sky.

I jump into a handstand,
flipping my world onto its head.
the tree dangles from the earth
like my feet in the air.
my hands seize the grass
as I attempt to hold on.
so I reunite with the ground,
and my hands release their burdens.

baby ducks are enveloped
within their mother's shadow,
gliding across the pond.

but under the surface,
the ducks furiously kick
to stay above water.

the air parts like the Red Sea
so a spaceship can soar,
even as the world
drags it down.

she breaks orbit
to release the earth.
she is now free to float,
and the universe guides her.

shrug off the shoulder aches
as laughter bounces off the walls.
shimmy out of the daily traffic
and into the well-lit streets.
clink glasses to accompany a song
in which everyone shouts the words.
when it's over, float atop the world
with hearts buoyed by love.

constant companion
that puts me under its spell -
the world falls away.

it scatters my thoughts,
leaving me in a thick fog
until I slam it shut.

the jagged cave summons me
with its stark shadow.
crystals bearing sharp knives
greet me at the entrance.
my hands stay at my sides,
but I keep an eye on the knives.
as the cave envelops me,
the crystals harness sunlight.
their guidance sees me through,
and the cave is now behind me.

fragile umbrellas are strewn
across the cluttered forest floor,
nourishing strong connections
from all over the world.
their gills are loaded weapons
that fire spores into the air
at the speed of light.
if we blink, we miss it -
and the umbrellas multiply.

when the ocean resides in the cavity of my chest / and the world freezes over / icicles bare their teeth as their menacing shadows creep closer to my sternum / and I choke on frigid air.
he carefully wraps my heart in a blanket / then collects sun rays between his lips / bestowing them onto my heart with warm kisses.
the icicles melt away / and I bask in the sun.

dew rests on sheer leaves
as saplings lilt in the wind  
and I follow suit.

I am forged in a ceramic kiln,
and the sweltering heat embrittles me.
their withering stares set the kiln ablaze,
expecting me to stay rigid and brittle.
I attempted to constrict and be good,
but the fire slowly cracked me.  
the heat still scorches my pieces,
but each piece inches closer
to the outskirts of the kiln
so I can find the sticky glue
and put myself back together.

their fingers twist around strings
that are tethered to firm balloons.
whenever we see them,
they fly above everyone else,
their taunts trailing behind them.
but when their balloons deflate,
they crash into the rocky earth,
and their taunts are buried.
air always escapes.

ink melts through paper
during heat, cold, rain, and snow
to mark every heart.