If I had to give you a codename,
I would make it steadfast.
You never back down on what you feel is right,
even if I say otherwise.
Our friendship is built on that bedrock;
no matter the earthquakes or storms
it will stay standing.
I know you’ll never leave,
and you know I’ll be there when you need me
and even when you don’t.
We don’t agree on everything,
But one thing is true.
Our lives are better since we came together.
So here’s to whatever life throws at us
because mountains and shadows
are always there when the smoke clears.

To the green eyed goddess
I must admit that I have never written
about my muse before, so this may sound strange.
You see she is a green eyed goddess.
Her hair is spun heaven’s gold
and she moves with the grace of falling leaves.
When she dances the stars shine brighter
and my world becomes peaceful.

But what makes her a goddess is internal.
The fire inside is a warm light that says all are welcome.
Even when she is fighting the demons inside;
she always has a smile for me.

Words are under her spell.
She takes those twenty six and creates like paint on a canvas.
A master chef who makes a feast for all to enjoy.
A pure soul who takes everything life gives her and makes it beautiful.

That is why I write to the green eyed goddess.
Praying that for a moment, I can use words to summon the sun
into her darkness. That I can make her smile one more time,
and know that the world is still at peace.
Her hands were made to create,
so I will use mine to protect.
So know you know about my muse.

As I lay in my bed I feel trapped
Darkness is all around
I feel like I have no place to go
No place to hide.
This is one of my darkest nights.

Then I remember another dark night.
A night where a young girl struggled to give birth.
Shepherds were trying to control their flocks.
Kings and wise men prepared for a long two-year journey.
And all of heaven held it’s breathe.

Then a shout broke through the night.
The girl, a humble ******, had given birth to a son.
Shepherds were greeted by angels with the most glorious news.
A star shone in the sky to guide the wise men.
And all of heaven rejoiced for a king, the greatest king, was born.

So as I lay in my bed I realized a great thing.
No matter how dark it seems light always shines thru.
I know that this was not the night of that holy child’s birth,
But it doesn’t matter.
The Messiah was still born. He still came to save.

But most importantly he came to die.
Even on this most joyous of nights there was still a little sorrow
For this holy child was destined to become a sacrificial lamb.
But it was his choice; he chose to be the light in the dark,
He chose to illuminate this entire world.

He chose to come and die,
So we all have a choice to make.
Will we remember the reason for this great season?
Will we choose to accept the light?
I know I have, I chose to let him illuminate my night.

My peach yogurt tastes like your skin
in the morning when you used to stay
at my apartment, the leftover sweat
of a night spent loving each other,
and the sun slipping through my *****
blinds, while I'm eating my breakfast
at my desk checking emails, always peeking
over at you, bare-chested, snoring
through the sound of my fan and my music
turned down extra low.

It's five months later and my peach yogurt
tastes strangely like that iced tea
I had instead of liquor on the night my friends
threw a party in my living room, us
sneaking off to my bedroom just to kiss
ourselves through another evening
we'd rather spend in our underwear watching
a movie over smiling in group pictures
or dancing to cheap country music.

It's so much later and my yogurt
still tastes a little bitter, a little sour
on my tongue as I try to swallow
a breakup that's bigger than a jawbreaker.
It still kind of tastes like the bottom
of my sink as I put my dishes in it
just to wake you up, watch you
get dressed in a pair grey sweatpants,
sticky hair that I'd comb through.

It's far too late for me to think about
your hand in mine as we'd walk
as far as we could before we'd have to separate.
It's far too late and far too many people
have intercepted your memories and turned
them into something new to smile about,
but today I pulled the lid off the container
and licked the silver side clean
just to be reminded of how sweet
things like you used to taste.