Walking the gravel roads that my
Ancestors walked before me,
I feel the ghosts of their struggles
Beneath my feet.

But also their voices; laughter,
Infant legs running towards fathers
With shouldered axes and saws and
Smelling of forestry.  

Weary, but not too weary to pick up
A child for an afternoon embrace.
The trees still sing the songs they sang
Them to sleep with;

Bellies full of barley or not at all.
Despair and hardship, yes.
But more. The land remembers
Their lullabies.

(Monday morning, on the roof of an Oslo construction site.)

~

Seagull. Filthy peace flag screaming
His own name upon the city.

It is I! Eater of scraps, leaver of
Droppings!

Sword beak, dagger tallons!
Anti-raven! White blood cell of

Your airborne bloodstream.
The skies would be half a chess

Board in my absence!
I sit on the rooftop drinking water,

Listening to him echo between
Tired buildings.

Norwegian city morning.
Sunny and cold.

I watch the red of mist muffled light
On his wings as he soares towards

The bay for his fifth breakfast.
Today will be an interesting day,

I whisper to my soul as I empty the
Bottle and stand up.

A conductor tapping his baton against
His note stand, raising hands and an

Eyebrow to the orchestra.
Get your Monday in tune, and the week

Will follow accordingly.
Seagull. Filthy peace flag.

Declaring himself victorious
With his every forceless breath.

~

There's a part of me that has to push you away.
I'm like a phone that can only dial 911.
This part of me screams at me like the silence at a funeral.
I've sent out many amber alerts to find the part of me that would let you in.
My mom says that I need to follow my heart but I can't look at my heart without covering in bruises because I can't help but blame it for all the scars left from another life.
You said, "You're something else." And thats the problem.
I have a reflection that looks like a mother burying her child.
I have a heart that feels like a birthday spent grieving.
I'm something else..I know.

I feel like I am one of those sad songs
nobody wants to hear at a party
because they wake up memories,
open wounds,
make you bleed inside
And because in a few moments they ****
Everything that’s left of you.

Because they hurt.

Gone is the wild unbridled passion of our early years
Hands, lips, bodies in constant embrace
Now, as we grow older yet
We are being overtaken by a deeper love
An early morning caress, the brushing together of lips
The smile in your eyes reflecting the smile in mine
This is real love
When the health of Mollie dog and the cats (our boys)
Are the topic discussed over breakfast
This is the time when we become comfortable
With ourselves and with each other
The time when we can reflect on the good times and the bad
The time to reflect on how lucky we are
To have and to hold, real **love

He literally ripped out your heart
You trusted him with all you had
He's the reason for the tears on your pillowcase
The reason for the medical pills you take

Now you feel so alone
You have lost your home
Don't know where to go
He's all you've ever known

He connected my heart to the ground
I've lost so much sleep
I stay up too late
Can't sleep past eight
I curl into a ball
And I remember it all
As I shake and I tremble
Just as I got my life assembled
He just had to go and tear me apart

As everyone is laughing
You lay down your head
All you can do is remember the things you can't forget
I wish this desk could take me, **** me in
So I'd never have to feel this pain again

This ole world has become so dangerous anymore.
People dying for all sorts of reason in todays time.
Even the some of the law officers killing unarm people.
Only way to stay protected is hanging on to Christ.
Praying his Loving protection over us before we step out.
For this world has become tenfold more dangerous in the past few years.
Weather wise as well as people wise, it down right scary.
But believe me, if we cry out to Christ  he shall reveal his protection.
I know from first hand that he shall protect his people here.

To let go of thy desires, to pick up your desires.
By far is the Greatest of Sacrifices O Holy God.
Because by letting go of what we desire the most.
To pick up what you desire from us the very most.
Is by far the wisest of decisions that we can ever make.
For we can not see our future, but you seen it long ago.
So I would rather trust you,  then  to trust myself always.
For you only want the very best for me in everything.
So here I am use me to reach out to everyone you desire me to.

Fill the empty space where your heart is
Walk with such grace even when you're fallin'

The best of intentions
Often lead to broken hearts
Hope graveyards
The memory of warmth
Ghost arms to hold us