I choose
not to step out
in front of the
oncoming truck
like some flighty
whitetail deer
beside a lonely highway
flat-lining through the Badlands

I hold the perimeter
respect the irrevocable
delineations of love
honor the ground
that roots
evergreen
place my trust
in lapis blue

His hands brushed across the open air. He sighed, letting his lungs fill with the night.

"The earth will be my canvas, so long as the sky is eternal."

And so he fell into the darkness,
Until he became a cluster of stars.
The masterpiece he sought.

Love your skin
Laced with scars
Forgive your bruises and kiss every mark
Be gentle when they start to heal
Like rain after drought
Let yourself feel

His eyes were like honey
She yearned for something sweet