She is not a prize but that does not mean you should not prize her
Keep her heart on the mantle but light a fire beneath it to keep her warm and kind
Don’t keep her hidden like a secret she has already been bottled up her whole life
Show her off like a lottery ticket it was nothing more than luck that brought her into your life
This was not your own doing and you will do well to remember that
Give her a place to hide when the sun is too bright and the wind is too loud
But don’t treat her like a caged animal she does not belong to you
She is a canvas but you are not the artist and you do not touch her without her written consent
The right to decorate her body with your fingerprints or your kisses does not belong to you
Keep your hand outstretched to her at all times
She knows herself better than you do and she will take it when she needs it
When she cries don’t stop her and when she smiles smile with her
These are honest forms of communication so listen when she talks to you
Never yell at her she doesn’t deserve that
Don’t treat her like a child anymore her parents did enough of that
If she falls asleep first she feels safe whatever you do hold on to that
She is already scared of the ways she can hurt herself she doesn’t need to be afraid of the ways you can hurt her
And whatever you do don’t give her a reason to leave
She might think you want her to
*~W.C.

If you look back can you remember
Can you remember what it was like
When you looked out over the ocean
And it looked like more than a compilation of questions
Can you remember when we could see past the horizon
And the air in our lungs tasted fresh
Can you remember when promises were like death sentences
When secrets were ties stronger than blood
If this is growing up I’ll keep holding my breath
Can you remember when guardian angels
Were nothing more than a nightlight
And the sound of the tv downstairs
Can you remember when it started to rain
But we didn’t associate it with dreams covering 654 miles
It was the key to the closet where we hid happiness
Can you remember what its like to measure time in minutes
And not in paychecks or homework assignments
Can you remember the exact moment when we lost ourselves
Living our lives to satisfy people we’ll never meet
*~W.C.

I’ve been on this train for God knows how long
And the river beside us never seems to end
The sky has been bruised for the last seventeen hours
Honestly I don’t know what to make of it anymore
Smoke hangs in each of our lungs
The windows are all locked
They offer no relief
All I can do anymore is sleep and dream
To me that is enough because I see her there
She wears a little white dress that stops just above her knees
Dancing ankle deep in a lake I’ve never been to
A tiara made from white roses sits delicately on her head
The contrast of the flowers and her soft red hair is striking
She smiles and holds her hand out to me
I want to go out to her
To take her in my arms and hold her
But I know I will stumble and wake again
As it has been every time before
For now seeing her has to be enough
*~W.C.

I stand firm only because my God dwells within me.
I live because the Spirit of Christ the Holy Spirit.
Has saved my life on more then one occasion in my life.
He will finish the works that he has already startled in me.
He shall not abandon me nor will he ever forsake me.
But he shall show the world through me, his presence in me.
Thus they shall have no excuse for not believing in him.
For he wants them all to see him repent and then follow him.

I wear you like a bruise
You will not go away
I am at your every whim
I have to obey

You hold me like a gun
Pointed at my own head
You won’t leave me alone
Can I please go to bed?

I am your only weapon
You use me
To hurt me
Scars that I had no say in
Scars that only stay.
That won't go away.

I am my only weapon
I abuse me
And hurt me
Scars that I have no say in
Scars that only stay.
I cannot go away.

Why are we all so sad?
Smiles used to grace our faces
as easily as we breathe air

but now it seems as though even that is hard.

Everyone is...
broken.

This world wears you down
the darkness blankets us
it creeps in
dimming our light

Smiles are rare stars

Admire their beauty

Try
Try
Try
To add to the night sky
With a smile of your own

We can form a constellation.