be ever gentle to thy words
treat them, your tools, well,
cleansing and protecting,
wrapping them in cloths of chamois and moleskin
that they may be well conditioned and
pour forth with a temperament clear and viscous,
reflecting their high honors and a noble lineage,
they are well-intentioned to exist far longer
than your meager temporal life,
upon this ever hasty, ever perpetual, orbit

give them all respect, their fair due,
they are treasure immeasurable,
for which you have been granted guardianship,
custody received from others to be gifted onwards,
yours, but for the duration

so oft we trifle words,
expel them from the country of our body,
without passport and earnestness,
as if they were the cheapest of footnote filler,
day tourists, to be treated as leavings,
refuse for daily discardation,
barely noting their fast comings and faster disappearance,
but leaving not, a mark of distinction

more truffle than trifle,
find them in the dark forest of your life,
use them sparingly, just for soaring,
take them from the roots of your trees,
shave them with a paring knife,
counts them in bites and measure them in grams,
even in grains,
for words are the seasoning of our lives,
agent provacateurs that can modify the moment,
bringing out to the fore
the flavor of the underlying

speak them slow and distinct,
for they arrive slow to you,
a trickling of refugees for your sheltering,
harbor them as full companions,
protected by natural law,
provision them well,
prepared and ever ready for a quick departure,
moor them at the embarcadero,
for the next restless leg of endlessness,
which they themselves will inform you
will last longer than eternity,
long after there are no humans to speak them

Go on little bird, take flight
Up, up high, set your sight
Let your colors reach full potential
Strive to be great, stand monumental

Fly little bird, fly up high
Let yourself be seen, don’t be shy
Stay confident, stop doubting
You’ll simply waste time with all the hiding

Go on little bird, take flight
You won’t be alone, there shall be light
Guidance and help will be by your side
So don't let fright, nor worry, step inside

Fly little bird, fly up high
Don’t settle for less, aim for the sky
Dream big, no limit is set for you
Remember, there’s nothing you can’t do

Go on little bird, take flight
Spread your wings
Reach your dreams
Fly little bird, fly up high

Strengthen these arms
for they only exist to hold up the black canopy
that is the night sky

May these legs find purchase
on this expanse of tilth
that has received the boon of yesterday's cry

Feel the cadence of my skipping heart
resulting in the breeze of faltering breaths
lulling you as you lie

Comfort the tremors of these quivering lips
as they whisper forth
promises of mysterious galaxies and
cryptic nebulae

These eyes would cast their gaze;
assuming the role of sentry
guarding from all who would pry

My being... My entirety was put here
so that your bed would remain safe
from future's winds come silent and sly

---

on a hill stood wicked tree
a single root, branches three

one branch was war
one branch was want
one branch was greed
horrid haunt

its root was pride
its power great
acid soil of perfect hate

its bark like scabs
sulfuric green
a stunted growth
twisted . mean

lichen of ignorance
crusted there
on the north side
of despair

black mushrooms
sprouted from its pores
growing from
starvation's spores

and yet it thrived and gave its fruit
they were put forth by the root

these carried seeds to plant in season
they want it growing for some reason

they plant it lone upon a hill
where it can grow
it's growing
still

it grows from you
it grows from me
we feed that hateful

wicked tree


soulsurvivor
rewritten
(c) 6/13/2015
first draft 2014