The white side
Is not the light side
But a crown
Of discontent
That breaks
Beneath
The winds
Which sought to bend
Good men
To its will
To take the beauty
Of diversity
And classify it
As binary
Good and evil
Dark and light
Black and white
Brown and Caucasian
People displaying
Undue bias
As hope falls
Off the flat side
Of a cold cliff
This classification
Is the opposite
Of what I wish
But my brothers
Swim and sink in it
Like broken fish
Blood fills their gills
With ignorance
While I wonder
Why they do not see
That brown
Is just another shade
Of you and me

seems the incessant wind is here to stay
an untreated wound festers
words ride the wind
nothing lasts forever
a few shallow breaths and we are gone.

i found the joy looking at you

-your eyes when you're talking, they sparkle
wonderful

never had i thought i'd be that person
that lucky person to own you

you made me count my blessing twice when it comes to you.

I walked around the city I'm new in
Looking for the post office
So I could get a money order
For my new landlord
Here and there people I did see
But most the traffic was on the streets
I had to pay close attention to walking across a street
Lest I get run down by a speeding vehicle
So many people in their cars and trucks
Racing to a destination that will still be there
Even if they slowed down a little bit
But who am I? Not a person with driver's license
My means of transportation are my feet
And it's been that way for a long time
Do I want to drive? Sure I do, who wouldn't?
I've been told it's a freedom like no other
To be able to get up and go
And go anywhere in this great Country of ours
I would be a fool to not want to experience that
But I have always known no other way
Could it be I'm just scared of change
Scared of the unknown
Scared to take a risk
Just maybe everything will turn out okay
And I can begin to know the freedom of what they talk about

my face is too hot
my hands are too cold
a manifestation of the confusion
taking place inside of my head

i deserve better
i spend all of my time
trying to please them

what do i get in return?
distrust and disarray
what would i give up
to make this go away? i'd give
the heat and the cold

take both, it doesn't matter
not to me, not to them

i'm on guard all the time
if i let my smile slip
they think i'm depressed

if i smile too much
they think i'm hiding something

what would i give
for a plastic smile?
i'd give up my emotions
what would i give up
to make this go away? i'd give
the heat and the cold

take both, it doesn't matter
not to me,
certainly
not to them

-- when I have the tenderness of a writhing dragon,
he will paint flowers across my throat

as though to remind me that fires are indelicate,
and that I writhe in a prison made of open space.
-- this man will not smother me with his skin
when we sleep.
-- this man will unhinge the door of my mouth,
and kiss out the bullets stuck under my tongue.
                                                                ­               ---
whatever thousandth day I awaken beside this man,
realizing I have become the flowers he painted
across my throat, by braving my throat,

I will, unchaining myself from the draconic worry,
bring him his coffee in bed, with a smile.