Powder of ashes like snowfall in winter

The air and army withered in a splinter

Smoky-grey flaky leaves dead and forgotten

Each cobblestone tinted and tainted

Things of dishearten

I stand in the middle of a big large road

With ashen embers resting on my lashes

My coat and tote limp from the bashes

People lay, some far away and some grey,

The death spell cast on all the bay

I feel a tug in my heart,

Shocked at the sight

Cursed fates for a deadly plight

I stand alone, guilty for having survived

No goodbyes or funerals to leave me teary-eyed

The carpet of carcasses in front of me lay

Left me with loud realization of a lonesome foray

I wished I were blamed for their unjustified departure

Or for my survival inexplicable in any form of literature

The sky now looks a faded rotten orange

With the embers settled like a thick mat on the ground

Suddenly the sound of tip tap made me jump

From my lost thoughts.

My coat and tote comes back to life

I feel a tug and around my calf a hug

The most innocent eyes looked up at me

And said, “Mommy, I want to go home please…”

In my heart the old love
Struggled with the new;
It was ghostly waking
All night through.

Dear things, kind things,
That my old love said,
Ranged themselves reproachfully
Round my bed.

But I could not heed them,
For I seemed to see
The eyes of my new love
Fixed on me.

Old love, old love,
How can I be true?
Shall I be faithless to myself
Or to you?

I am lost and falling
Crawling, a shadow
Sliding oil slick against the wall
defined
By another man’s
rising/waking/dying
sun.
Not knowing how I feel
About growing old alone.
Alone is where I started
And alone is where it ends.
Not sure if I like
The way
My heart keeps beating
To a different drum.
Always the unsure
Forever unknowing
On my knee’s
And going going going
Down then gone
A day will come
A time will turn
And fallen I won’t rise again.

It takes courage
to be yourself
to be different

in the face of
Intolerance
and despite
Prejudice

It takes courage
to drop your defenses
to take off your mask

held back by
Fright
or led by
Compliance

It takes courage
to open up
to let someone in

afraid to get
Hurt
or retained by
Pride

Be brave
a little
every day
Have the courage to
Be you!