she swore she would never do it again,
through labored breathing;
and with each puff
he envisions her insides
her swelling lungs,
tar filled and stained.
"Another drink?" She asks.
"No, I've seen dimmer lights," he says.
And they suffocate the room
with silence.
He stares out the window
into the darkness of evening.
"I had a vision, a different one.
Neither of us had labored hands."
"I don't understand," she says.
"Like this table, it's too sturdy,
and this door has too many locks.
And you, too many scars."
"You think too much," she says.
At that, he exits the room
as dawn begins.

Run outside to the car
in the dark
in a thunderstorm.
Listen to
the dogs bark as
Earth's drums repeat.
The beats are soft
and then become louder
as a band of clouds
marches across the skyline.
Board an airplane
at 2am
Sing softly a tune
you learned
while your sister
was in the shower.
but skip imitating
the soothing pitter patter
of droplets.
Watch other planes
take-off but be
not afraid of flight.
Date somebody
completely different.
Watch them
and know they may
not be forever, but enjoy.
Lend out your heart
in many places;
for it will stumble
upon mountains
and valleys.
From a valley,
the view isn't as great
but the climb out
is worth it.
The heart may race.
The breathing pick up pace
Headaches
Heartaches
We've got them all.
And valleys will be valleys.

I've always been one to deviate,
swimming the opposite direction of the current.
Thrashing to be free;
freedom never came easy.
A flower, stationary but sending seeds
flying, busily though the soft breeze.
Have you ever seen them parachute?
Landing on a nest of soil, and somehow,
some way, the perfect sequence of events occur
and a new flower is created.
A dog ate a few.
A few landed in a small puddle,
and a few created life.
I have been eaten alive,
left abandoned in a puddle,
and I have lived.
I'm alive?
Well that was some coincidence.
I'll lean over, and let the bees pollinate
all flowers around me
as i continue to blossom.

you're so vain
you think i would wait around
wondering aimlessly though life
unable to live on without the thought of you
you left me stranded on an island
where not one part of my life was clear of your traces
like your footprints were un-washable, tattooed, and stained
but now i have grown stronger
you are a distant memory
a faded image; a possible mirage
however, i do not regret you
i know those three years held a purpose
they changed me from a wild teen
to an actual human being
but the change did not come from you
it came through you, but from the inner depths of myself
you were my life jacket; but i have always known how to swim
you were my lifeline when things got rough;
but i never needed you.
I don't need a dish towel of a person
to keep me standing.

You stare off into the distance and reminisce  
talking to the wall, speaking words and
laughing to yourself about your memories.
As if a movie is playing softly in your head
with brilliant melodies in the background.
Your eyes flicker like lights and you're in another world,
talking to me, but you've gone elsewhere;
to the depths of your mind. You travel from the valleys of sorrow
to the high and joyous peaks of the mountain tops.
You ramble through and all i can do
is look at you, talking to me; but to nobody.
For a second i catch a glimpse of
your eyes and you're back in my world. I feel the
pain of your thoughts rushing back to reality
like the blood coursing through your veins.
The air rushing out of your
tar filled lungs with a large sigh, and you say:
"I'm sorry for rambling." Then kiss me sweetly,
and you look at me in the eye for the first time.
For a second it looks like the memories have ceased.
You kiss softly, then deeply and i happily drown in you.
My cheek grazes the prickles of the hair on your face
and your lips travel to my neck; and you keep them there.
A pulse rushes through my body; a rush as large as the pain
you carry and the baggage
you refuse to let go of.I tense up,
and I feel vulnerable
as if the pain you are feeling
is suddenly contagious like the flu. You feel me
tense within seconds, even before
my brain told my muscles to tighten,
it's like you knew a second
before the neurons did. You tell me to relax,
and my body responds to the hum of your voice,
and for once I am calm. I let you take me,
and I feel warm and wonderful
with your body against mine. For the first time,
I just let go and experience the wonderful
and natural feeling of you
and we both, for a moment, drop baggage.

soft, yet cold as it piles up
on the top of the wooden fence
behind the farm house
white as crystal, no imperfections
it sparkles in light, hard for the eyes
but still, i continue to stare
for a moment, I hear a whistle
calling my name from behind the large oaks
I run for you, through the layers of untouched snow
leaving my scarf loosely wrapped around the fence
cautiously I approach you
I ask why you are here
why you have come
but to that you cannot respond
you stand still, arms to your chest
I can see myself in your eyes, deep blue
the light glistening from below
and then you leave
as abruptly as you had come
without further questions
I grab my scarf
and venture into the farm house.