Pieces of myself are
Bre
King
Off

Fix me please
Be
Fore
I

Am I too
Bro
Ken
Down

I only want to
Be
A
Live

I feel as if my
On
Ly
Chance

Will be if I can
Shut
My
Eyes

Now.

The Jaguar sits
A regal pose
Even though
All spots exposed
He remains
Throughout—composed
Royalty suits
These kingly throes
Eyes so hungry
Fueled with woes
Darkness caress
His thoughts of more

All small fingers
Jabbing point
Smiles and scream
Not fear—delight
This is not
A place of fright
No place to hide
In broad daylight

Freedom calls
But is not heard
The thought is
Lurking—absurd
Escape has not occurred
Even to the captive birds

The noble Jaguar
Does not pace
He looks upon the crowd
Disgrace—
All those faces
Glass cannot erase
If only he could break
Out of this prison space

His deep imagination
Swirls and swells with thought
If only his true freedom
Could perhaps be bought
The first thing he would do
Is capture one said face
And use it as only
Claws could change—erase
He looks on
With animalistic intentions
Licks his chops
And opens his jaws
The crowd gasps as one
As the noble beast bares his teeth

—And yawns

The jaguar too kingly to stoop
To animalistic pursuits
He knows that he cannot escape
The beast so long ago was tamed
Long ago he lost his pride
On three square meals a day
—Inside

Melancholy grain of sand
Why must you cling to my own hand
You should dwell with your own kind
Not against my skin to bind

I am becoming quite annoyed
All irritants you have deployed
I walk down the lonely beach
A water lesson I will teach

You do not wish to desist
Continuing to resist
I insist
Well then I will walk uphill
Go home to wash you to my will

O sand why must you crawl beneath
And cause all stable ground to cease
You fell me softly as you slide
Into your mouth—a pit—I glide

I wish you well but please get off
You are causing me to cough
More and more—your family
Adding to my misery

I cannot breathe and thoughts are dim
So dark it is—looking grim
My final breath is filled with sand
You are a pest—sand—to the end

I stumble through briars and thorns
I cannot see clear anymore
Although I hear whispers, which might be your call
I cannot believe you would want me at all
My footsteps lessen and halt
My head does not know where to go
Although I hear sirens, which could be for me
Their search is unfruitful as it ever could be
I fall in a small trench and cave
I think I have broken my leg
Although I hear songbirds, which could mean daylight
I have no new hope as I once thought that I might

The stars sigh
as I give them yet another wish
to hold onto
we are so full already
we cannot hold much more
they cry and whine
but I smile
I know they will help me out once more
I lay my head down
and sleep and dream
knowing the stars will give me my wish
when I awake

Sun bright
Just right
Hold hands
Wedding bands
Vow. Kiss.
Soon dismissed
First dance
True romance
Live long
Together strong
Something new
Pink. Blue
Grow fast
Doesn’t last
College drive
Parents strive
Wave goodbye
Mother cry
Empty nest
Happy. Blest
Neck pains
Spirit drains
End near
No fear
Clouds above
God’s love
Long life
No strife
Forever bliss
Sad kiss
Together true
Not blue
Jesus known
Welcome home

The world is a stage

The Sun-- a spotlight

Brightening your starry smile

The wind—an orchestra

Breathing life into the path you dance

Each day I see the end as a sunrise

A standing ovation for your laughter

As you drift into sleep

The curtain hushing all sound