i had a dream
the other night,
which was strange, since
i hadn't had a
comprehensible night-musing
for the longest time...

a baby bird
steps out onto a branch,
full of anxiety,
then falls to meet
it's demise.

a mother clutches her child
close to her heart
as the oxygen masks
fall from the sky.

a ****** pulls at the cord
repeatedly,
but to no avail.

a dolphin struggles
desperately to escape the net, choking slowly.

i plummet toward crag and surf.

I hope you know,
I don’t blame you
For the pain you bring.

One does not blame
Alcohol for alcoholism,
One blames the alcoholic;

One could not claim
Heroine causes addiction,
As it is the addict
Who becomes addicted;

Likewise, it would be unfair
To point the finger
At the beloved,
For it is the lover
Who chooses to love.

“Read my poetry,”
I say daily;
I hope that some day
You will do so,
And that then you may know my heart:

For you, and only you,
It beats within my breast.
Every waking moment it aches—
Yearns!—
For you, and yet there may be no peace,
No cessation to this injury;
Perhaps you have chosen another,
Or perhaps it is simply not meant to be.
Regardless, my heart remains
Forever yours, forever broken.

I got too close;
I had to take a step back.
Here I stand,
Trying to catch my breath.
There you are,
Looking so wonderful;
Even a Kerouac haiku
Would pale in comparison
To your sparkling smile,
Your huge, engrossing brown eyes,
And your tender words
That put my restless soul at ease.
You spend more time in my mind
Than even my own thoughts;
I miss your touch,
But you do not miss mine.
You don’t know;
How could you?
I never told you.
And you will never know
How much of my heart you have stolen.
You are the most beautiful—
And unwitting—
Of thieves.
There is nothing to do
But stand over here,
Hoping that you somehow understand
Why I can’t meet your gaze
Anymore.