When I open
For you
Like a flower,
And you pick my petals—
Strewn across the earth
In haste,
I wilt
And perish;
You will not
See me bloom
Again

I will not allow you
To come in and out of me
At a whim.
I am a monument
To be revered,
Not a day trip
To a luxurious destination
You cannot afford

No sacred book,
Or talisman,
No prayer,
Or synagogue
Or mosque,
Can ever change this truth,
Ancient and antiquated:
When two are in love,
No matter the gender,
Culture,
Or identity,
The earth moves in wonder;
The mountains bow down in awe.

His eyes
Held truth with no logic,
Piercing authenticity
That whipped my spirit
Into whirlwinds.
How could one
Be so bold,
How could he
Know my mysteries?
I will spend my life
Unraveling the secrets
Of his vulnerable heart.

I,
A rising moon,
Cascade luminescence
That some call beauty.
But I know
The mark of my splendor
Can only come
From your sun.

There are worlds
Within you.
Uncharted continents
To explore.
What
An untamed adventure
It is
To be yours.

Weeping willows daughter,
Why do you cry?
What do you mourn
That has fallen
To the soil
And withered?

It is
The immigrants fear
As their child is ripped
From their womb

It is
The child’s blank stare
When they are refused
Education
And forced to be
A wife

Destitution,
Desolation,
Desecration.

These are the tears
Mother Earth cries
For her children.

This is why my grief
Grows