When the sun went down
When my lips did frown
When your hand reached mine
When we lost sense of time
When we walked for miles
When I hid my heart in my smiles
When I heard it from you
That is when I knew

By the crackling fire I sat
when I remembered
your hollow words
and how you extinguished
my little flame.
I wanted to scream
what about us-
but all I did
was keep quiet
as I watched the last spark
fade away.

The girl was scared of puddles
And she was scared of rain
Every time the thunder clapped
She raced back inside again

She was given beautiful umbrellas
And coats of waterproof silk
But still she sat inside
And read on the window sill

As she grew the rain poured harder
And the girl cowered away
She hid behind her mother’s back;
She never ran to play

She was afraid of what the droplets were
So she sat and watched them gather
She still refused to step outside
And so she grew ever sadder

People came along
And people quickly left
They found the girls odd cowardice;
The way she counted every breath

There came a day when it was too late
And the girl was forced outside
She was lost without her silken coats
And with no place that she could hide

The girl was chilled clean through to bone
And her shy life came to an end
In her silken coats she reached the gates
And the golden stairs she did ascend.

In God’s own home she lay down her fears
And she swore that she’d be brave.
For there there are no window sills
And no pouring rain or hate.

Saint Peter smiled and praised her,
The girl who’d been inside,
And Saint Peter whispered truthfully
As he watched the young girl cry:

“Now, girl who’s scared of puddles,
And girl who’s scared of rain,
Did you ever think that when the thunder claps
It doesn’t have to mean your pain?”

“There’s others out there, like you
Who have suffered just as much
Yet they stay strong and they pull through
And they do not lose touch.

“I’ve been here always to protect you,
And that will never change.
So when you’re scared next just think of that,
And stand to face the rain.”

You must learn to love the puddles
And embrace the freezing drops
Dance under the thunderclouds
Until the lightning stops

What care I, so they stand the same,—
Things of the heavenly mind,—
How long the power to give them fame
Tarries yet behind?

Thus far to-day your favors reach,
O fair, appeasing Presences!
Ye taught my lips a single speech,
And a thousand silences.

Space grants beyond his fated road
No inch to the god of day,
And copious language still bestowed
One word, no more, to say.

It was still warm.
The light in the parking lot
illuminated your face
made your tears glisten
graced the curve of your nose.
The glimmer in your eye
told me what you felt.
I touched your cheek,
wanting to comfort you
when I could not comfort myself.

It was late.
We stayed too long.
I was almost to my car
when I realized
I had to say goodbye.
The memory of a soft kiss
and I
turned around
for three words.
I know you heard me.

My eyes Landed on
Everything in the room
But you
And
You told me you
Loved me
With all the conviction of a
Murderer
Pleading
Innocent
To a crime
Everyone saw him commit.