The chef holds the knife in the air for a brief second,
Then brings it down, slicing through the food.
We feel the heat from the grill splash our face,
a mix of grease sizzles from the flames.
This wasn’t a bad place to get out of the house.
I’m glad that we chose to come here.

Not being funny when I say this,
but there’s something about the way you eat.
Hunger is hunger, but you’re pretty
the way you hold your fork to your mouth,
the way your cheeks move up and down.

If the conspiracy theorists are right
and the world ends in the next few minutes,
you’ll have savored the last taste of my air,
the last taste of this place,
the last taste of this neighborhood.

If I were to tell you how I feel in this moment,
you’d swear I was trying to talk about you.
But it’s more than that.
I love the way your eyes are satisfied with what’s in front of you
and how soft they become.

The chef chops and sizzles the rice, onions, shrimp, and steak.
The oil and sauces bubble up on the grill,
mixing into the smoke, the grill hissing,
watching us feed ourselves one bite at a time.

Public decency is a thing,
though a kiss is the only thing I must settle for.
I want to rise from you like the steam rises from the grill,
the salt of your skin melting on my tongue
as soon as it touches.

It’s comforting watching you eat,
the way the sauce that marinated the shrimp
smears against your lips,
the way you lick it off
like nothing’s happened.

The chef throws more food on the grill
and clangs his spatula.
We’re far from full,
and I’m glad that of all places,
we decided to come here.

The air is filled with savory smells,
and still, I smell your perfume.
I catch you staring at me,
but it’s not just any stare
I love it, the way you look at me.

Whatever piece of you still hungers
bites off pieces of me every time you blink.
To think of your stomach as my final resting place,
your lips drenched in soy sauce.
If you could devour me whole, I bet that you would.

After all, our feelings,
this way we feel about each other,
are as raw as the meat and veggies
the hibachi chef throws on the grill,
and the way you smile,
and the way you wiggle and dance in your seat.

I want to be one of the things that satisfies you like that
the way you smile, the way you look at me,
making me feel just that.
Not just exposed,
but taming your hunger in complete satisfaction.

My heart beats and clangs
like the spatula in front of us.
There’s no sense in hiding what we feel,
soon the hunger will become too much.
The smoke from the grill intensifies this feeling tenfold.

Regardless of the lights, the other couples,
the rice or the steak,
you're not food.
No matter how bad I want to wrap my lips around you.
When the check comes, there’s no point in looking at it with question.
We’re both satisfied

It was never my intention to leave you standing outside.
I never heard a knock on the door, an unintentional contradiction of the welcome mat beneath anxious feet.
Though small, the hall extends to a larger room. Surrounded by two more rooms across from each other. Fair in size.
Prints of bare feet seep through thin socks;
The sharpness of your gaze. Cluttered in thought.
Remnants of the last place you stood.
Admiring now replaced siding.
The last time your back pressed against the side of the house, broken promises chipped off.
Weathered.
Nails pulled out and replaced with screws. An extra layer of tar paper.
You promised you'd return but never came back,
The decor of your essence repainted with a light tan, border still to be sanded down and nailed against fresh paint.
Moving from the room at the end of the hall,
Walking toward the front door then forgetting what I was going to do

Every song reminds me of you
A specific soundtrack of each time you've made me smile
The times we just laid and talked about nothing
separate lines of the phone
One side of the bed or the floor
Every song reminds me of you
I've listened to other genres only to find that the feeling still resonates
Wondering the what if of any moment
That sudden impact that strikes when the song breaks down
The need to hold on tighter
Wondering that If at any moment you'd actually pick up the phone and call
Pretending to ignore the melody that makes my head nod
The foot taps that echo hearts delight
The comfort of being at ease
My heart being heard through the speakers
Every song reminds me of you
Every chorus a simple reminder of the times shared between you and I
The melody my heart sings only around you
The addiction of throughly repeated songs
Fighting the urge to press the skip button knowing the next song only does the same thing
Bring back that irreplaceable ache that pains only to be near
The you tube of the minds eye, the Google play of the heart
Resonating each and every memory
Each and every time I fell deeper in love with a song that reminded me of you
Trying to replace that feeling of comfort that jolted soon as the song would start
Now days every song reminds me of you
Old new between
A different sample eclipsing times spent with you
Different artists, different melodies
They all remind me of you

In all honesty.
I think what I truly desired was to be put on a plate.
And be devoured piece by piece.
My attention, all my free time.
Everything that no one else could see.
With knife and fork.
T be taken apart and devoured tastefully.
With nothing left except the juice of where I laid.
The tough parts that take time to cut,
Revealed in an instant.
To be desired in mutual attraction, a certain craving.
Covered in salt, pepper, a slice of butter.
All of my interests, my habits.
The anticipation of being sizzled and flipped on a cast iron skillet.
Served fresh on a plate.
A baked potato on the side to bring out the taste.
In all honesty.
I think I'll have a steak

I cling to you
When the world scratches
And howls like a wolf.
A place that's well lit,
Safe from harm.
I find my way to you
Following the echo
Of the howl.
Hoping that it doesn't
Recede before I am there.

The world around is more
Dangerous at night,
Broken branches, the chitter
Of odd and hungry creatures.
I, too, hunger to find you
Before its too late,
Willing to scratch and claw
On this unkempt, jagged edge.

Its much too cold away from you.
The warmth of your skin,
The fire of your heart.
I can feel it pulsate
through my veins. When the world
Goes mad,
And begins to howl
in hunger.
Your chest is the shelter
I turn to, the only place
The world hasn't gotten to.

I know this may sound strange.
To know if we could meet again
As if the first hasn't happened.
The same sleepless nights,
The beginning of Summer.
Finally asleep with the thought of you.
The nostalgia of a smile.
Wasting my time in a dream.
To think of myself as an apartment.
You the city I gaze into.
I know this may seem strange.
Staring out the patio window of a one bedroom apartment.
Searching to live in the comfort of again.
To be honest I couldn't be any happier.
The blinking buildings, the backdrop of sky.
It's almost therapeutic, the way I think of you.
To stand on the balcony at night,
Reliving the same feeling of meeting you.
Miles away from any and everything except you.
With your favorite color lighter.
Waiting to hear about your day

It comes natural.
To want to save time as well as money.
We incur convenience.
Readily available to what we long most.
It occurs quite often.
The constant clipping and saving.
In search of the best deal.
Not taking into consideration that we might be short changing ourselves.
The shredding and discarding of things we don't use.
The big brand we call love.
Thought to be so expensive.
We spend in the product of smiles.
Manufacturing the ounce of time it takes to show how much we care.
The exchange of one thought to another.
Extreme couponing to get the best value of ourselves.
Perhaps without proof of purchase.
We tear ourselves at the lines.
Refined in swift passing.
Saving all the coupons in search of a bulk that satisfies all craving.
Consumers without guarantee.
Constantly clipping and saving.
Rearing ourselves at the line.
A coupon exchanged in saving for a kiss for later

She grabbed me by my collar
& told me come quick.
The view of the moon was
Perfect, especially from this close.
Our combustion, our compulsion
I felt small compared to her
Sailing in a small metal boat
She grabbed me by the collar
To stop me from falling
The only best thing I could've done.
Defying the laws of gravity
I'd never been this high up
Reluctant to play make believe.
Falling and bumping my head
On a star.
She hooked me with the lure
Of her eye
And like a fish I'd evaporate
From a blue and green possibility
Into a rocket lure;
& hurled off into an unknown
Eternity of stars.
Skipped across the sky
Until out of sight

Things between us have changed.
Pretending only presents the underlying problem.
We spend our time in seperate rooms.
The television on two seperate channels.
Still unable to find what we're looking for.
Demanding peace unwilling to press for change.
The thing's we said we'd never do.
Complete faith that we'd never walk pass each other.
So much as a single word.
Strangers in wait that it will get better.
If it isn't you, I can't go on.
Good or bad.
Being forced to pretend that everything is alright.
Another show airs.
Demanding attention else where.
I am trying,
But can't keep flipping past the infomercials without being tempted.
Searching for a happy ending

And this love for you
I have attached to a ribbon.
I have watched it soar
Weaving left & right above
My head.
Half-afraid to watch
Half-afraid to let go.
In the blink of an eye it was over.
The look in your eye attached to a ribbon

Without knowing, my heart beseeched my eyes.
I'd fallen in love; My heart leaving my chest to find a home
against the throb of hers.
The many pieces vibrant in hue,
The jitters of learning how to walk, to bask in the same air
someone you care about breathes in.
My heart had left me behind to indulge in the lips of hers. Big stupid grin imprinted under huge eyes.
Contents, poured out of the package into open hands.
It stumbled as it walked; My heart made of jelly like substance.
Upon where her heart would be there was nothing there,
An cliff with an note attached.
Upon reading her heart shortly appeared.
Grinning with much delight.
Before my heart could spew its affection, her heart pushed mine off the cliff.
Note fluttering in the wind.
Sweet, then bitterly sour.
The throb of her heart

At that moment fingers rushed in an ooze of excitement,
A lake confronted in foam.
The smell of you cleansing everything it touches.
Could you image that,
Placing you in a bottle dispensing you little by little.
A thick lather filling the gasps of fingers.
How could you make a simple shampoo smell that much better.
How is that possible, I mean who on earth does that.
The slogan itself would be perfect
I mean Absolute genius
It would simply read
You
Possibly a picture of a deranged bunny on the front of the label.
A fluff for hair, One eye caught in mid blink.
Chipmunk like jaws.
The essence itself would be breathtaking.
I could see it now.
Placing you on the cosmetic isle in a bunny shaped bottle.
There is only one problem however,
How could we begin to bottle up something so precious

Within my arms lies a piece of you
Which I extend further.
Pretending I don't see, until
I pull my arms closer
Wishing that you were here

though a storm can reveal a tree’s roots.
their essence remains.
through the soil, through every crevice.
a home is still a home.
no matter how far it moves.
no matter how fast and far time moves.
the eyes learn different than hearts.
the body reacts. soon lost in the gaping hole
backfilling a testament with everything tangible.
hearts like tree roots.
grow and they twist, and they turn.
they will always be there.
my heart seeks to learn from yours.
growing big and thick.
though a storm can reveal a tree’s roots.
very seldom, does it remove every root.
beneath the skin, where my heart and yours exists,
layer after layer of dirt blessed by the gift of life.
no matter how much the storm rages.
a piece of you and I will always exist

One of the best feelings
The first bite of my favorite meal.
It's hard to decide if it's hunger
Or anticipation.
All of this savored in smile.
The spice of salt, pepper among things
The aroma coming from plate to spoon,
The simplicity of it all.
I live for this feeling,
This warm cozy feeling,
A tight hug from meal to lips.
Theres no better feeling.
Tight hugs
Followed by her kisses

You handed over the pieces
of your life without hesitation
your breath, your time,
your love,
because that’s what you thought love was.
Not once did you think to keep
anything for yourself.
You reached in and revealed
these pieces of yourself over time,
wrapping them in your skin,
your time, your love.

I didn’t need all the pieces
that you gave me
those you gave because you thought it was love.
I won’t let you do it.
I cannot.
Regardless of how much you give,
if I am hungry, I will not take
without replenishing what is given.
If I am thirsty, I will not bathe
in what is excess.

I, too, will hand over the pieces
of my life,
because, as hard as it is to accept,
the truth is we do not truly own anything.
just enough to feel the space
where the years seem to fly by.
Something that connects us both.
You handed over the pieces
of your life,
and I promise to care for and love them,
because I believe it’s something you just do.
Just as I believe in welcoming you
to live and breathe in the pieces of my life.
I too will live, breathe, and drown
in you

And out of the blue drops an awkward moment
The kind of awkward moment where nothing in itself is awkward.
Just a moment that passes in complete silence where nothing is actually wasted
nor publicized.
No focal point, nothing to rebuttal.
The kind of moment that is considered awkward, usually right before revealing the same exact thought.
The same exact expression.
Just a matter of opinion. Expressing the simplistic.

How awkward would it be if I were to think of you in a moment where there was nothing else to do.
A moment of vulnerability In an affair of stating the obvious, there is no way I'd consider this out of the blue though.
Really and truly there isn't anything of importance that can be found here,

Except the color blue but then again that should be obvious. Like how unimportant was that really?

You could have went the whole day without nothing being said. Just based off the thought alone.

I suppose the only thing that makes it somewhat awkward is that I didn't.

And really I just used a lot of unnecessarily long but short words to tell you that you were on my mind.

I know right, the perfect *******. And to think you were probably doing something important.

But since I now have your attention and we're just throwing things up out of the blue.

What color ******* Are you wearing? Are they the see through purple ones or the red see through ones

Your voice is like my favorite song.
I'm not quite sure how to explain it.
Soon as you speak my soul is instantly combustive.
A deep echo heard in the farthest region of my soul.
Standing there, roaming free.
Each peak skydiving into the ripple of my heart.
This edgy parapsychology that ceases to end.
Doused in gasoline, ignited, remade anew, soon as the door way to your mouth
is opened.
Never fading.
This majestic feeling that you give.
I wish my headphones had a higher setting.
To take in more of you.
Each throb against my ear drum
Echoes In perfect excitement.
My heart pounds in anticipation.
A pool of gasoline touched by a spark of fire.
A bright blaze taken place inside the well of me until there is nothing left inside.
This is the effect you have on me.
Waiting to hear your voice climb the peak of where I stand
In the farthest region of my soul

She was here long before I.
I was not native to her land.
I joined hands in celebration.
My every emotion, a feast returned.
Aligned in reciprocation.
I an inhabitant of her,
& She of me.
A comfort to the mind, body, and soul.
I saw myself in her,
Not afraid to separate where land
& lake begins.
Supporting each other as the sky and
stars.
I celebrate like a native.
I celebrate in all her teachings.
She a proud nation & I a piece of her.
In hands the color of mud,
I call every piece a name familiar of her.
Without lies. Without fear to stand up.
A fruit fully grown & sprout from the tree.
She was here long before I,
Not lost neither stolen.
I joined her hands and rejoiced
Before I knew I could breath.

She invited me into her home
apologizing for the lack of things there.
I could tell that she had renovated recently,
getting rid of the things that no longer
served purpose.
I thought of her as timely,
a perfect harmony of sage & mint candles
burning on a black glass coffee table.
about halfway through,
I realized how much I loved her home.
while she apologized in the beginning
less is more & it showed by way of her smile.
I enjoyed how everything was laid out,
from the brochures of comfort to the cushion
of where I sat.
the greatest intimacy between us two.
laughing at everything yet nothing at the same time.
but still I thought, how much she inspired me to do
the same when I got home.
everything that I thought was beautiful before
no longer had that same appeal.
when i extended the same invitation,
I too found myself apologizing for things
that needed no explanation.
my biggest source of inspiration,
I was glad to see her growth
& in turn stopped chasing the wrong things,
I learned from her
That everything is going to be alright

If there is one thing that couldn’t
Be further from the truth,
Nothing in this life is free.
To do better in chase of sanity.
One of the greatest forms of currency,
In a world of chaos everything
Has a cost.
No matter the need or want,
Yet I am ever so appreciative.
To be housed, clothed & fed with working
Lights and water.
Stability, an antidepressant in a world
You wake up & do the same thing over
& over.
If there is one thing that couldn’t
Be further from the truth.
Nothing in this life is free, & I
Ever so appreciative.
I’d gladly pay weekly, biweekly,
even monthly.
I feel that much closer to liberation
Under the roof of your smile,
A sense of privacy unlike any other.
Your lips the doorbell to inner peace.
Your hands a meal to feed thousands
At a time.
Although nothing is free,
I am ever so appreciative that a smile
Doesn’t cost a thing.
I couldn’t think of a better representation,
A better place to be

Tonight of all nights.
I am here with you.
Clouds of smoke
Squeezed together in festive occasion.
Brown liquor,
Swallowed in warm smile
Lips a silky smooth.
You magically appear,
Gliding across the stage-
Short hair, diverse in curve.
Black dress,
Singer, songstress.
The maestra of all my desire,
At first everything was quiet
then you sing.
You sing this beautiful song.
Words filled with passion.
Raw, heartfelt.
Each word penetrating deep.
My soul, my very being
Leaving me.
Spiraling in urgent need,
This internal urge to jump out of my seat,
Pulled by the tug of your every word.
Vocalized by the depth of yours.
These words brought to life by your voice-
This beautiful voice.
This song highlighted,
The bright light shone against your head.
Short hair, diverse in curve.
Black dress,
One side longer than the other.
Singer, songstress.
The midnight of all my dream,
I came tonight just for the occasion.
My face bright red
Squeezed tight by fever.
The pull of your cigarette.
A residue of ash left of where I sat.
Every part of me gone with the flick of your wrist.
Tonight of all nights.
I am here with you.
The best of me lost among the crowd.
Unseen
Scattered in a room of dark faces.
Squeezed together, Tight fitting building
Brown liquor,
Lips a silky smooth.
Tickets for the next show months away

Our love is best played loud.
Loud in love.
The louder the better.
The rest of the world turned down low.
So in love with the sound we make.
Our love blurted out loud.
The speakers amplify our love
A language spoke in tongues.
Both of us undressed in the sound.
Loud in love.
Don't turn us down
Let's turn our love up loud.
Let's let the neighbors call the police

Her eyes were like a color by number.
Everywhere she stood they'd turn a different shade of brown.
Naturally they shone a different color soon as the sun would find them.
But this color was hard to describe.
Watching the sun paint them with a splash of yellow.
I'd just stand and stare. Often time it was hard to speak after seeing such a thing.
The effect it took on me, often inviting me in to have a drink.
Nestled in a chair to hear a story or two.
How they just seemed to come alive, her eyes.
Inebriated by the conversations we'd have.
She'd put a hand to her brow to block the sun from shining too bright.
I'd forget how sad they were at times, her eyes.
Taken by the stories they tell about her dreams. The excitement that filled them, Talking about the places she'd love to go.
Big and bright. Full of curiosity, her eyes.
If I could let her inside of me and give her the same box of crayons that she's given me.
I wonder if she'd color me in different colors.
Or just the same variation of different colors just as her eyes have colored me.

There loomed a certain belief,
One that exhaled soon as she passed.
A sudden urge that fizzed over soon as the bottle opened.
Now granted you can still drink a soda once it's shaken
Most would replace desire for that of another, the discord
Of being splashed in the face by the very desire one in the same.
Drops of truth splashed everywhere seen as backlash, a sort of wrath
Spoken but never heard.
There was something about the contour of the bottle,
Fixed thoughts filled in ovulation.
Everything kept inside.
A certain vengeance that loomed in bliss.
If not handled carefully doom was immanent.
Each time she walked passed he'd shake the bottle more vigorously.
A cold fizz that quenches every desire steadfast with reality.
Curious he looked at the bottle, wanting to quench this need
He placed his hands on the top slowly unscrewing.
Her eyes connected with his, everything paused.
For the first time in a long time everything was beautiful
Sharing a brief look relaxing his shoulders.
He untwisted the top, for a moment she sighed
Feeling a release she hasn't felt in a long time.
His hand smooth against the contour of the bottle
He placed his lips against the bottle easing her to quench this thirst he's waited so long for.
This urge that dried the well of his throat.
She refused him the pleasure of her, keeping her fizz to herself.
Now he knows what it's like to be on the outside looking in

The job of the heart
A constant throb
Mere kernels until all is cob
The swab of eyes
Please do advise
Popeyes
That savory smell
In a crunchy shell
A munchy crisp
Misspelt in emotion
Chunky potatoes drizzled in gravy
Honey drenched on top of biscuits
Mac & cheese
Taking apart the sorrow of that cob like heart
Even if for a while
Least the stomach feels better

Soon as you open the door
And I feel the touch of your skin.
I know I am home.
When my hands glide across the small of your back.
There is no greater absolute feeling.
My lips pressed against yours
Before the door can close.
The divinity of a kiss,
Revealed not only in places kept secret,
But the manifestation of each throb our heart begins to beat.
My hands beneath the small of your back.
The taste of chocolate swirling around my mouth.
Being here alone with you.
You've lit the fragrance of a passion burned deep,
And with each sensation that strokes this fire.
May we both wither like the ash
That burns in this ember we've come to know as home
Filled with a depth as satisfied as I am in knowing.
There is no greater place I'd rather be, than here with you

I don't want to drink again
No, not from those lips
That tiny bottle of pending doom with little tiny labels marked warning.
Under the table, grabbing walls
Compensation for the shot glass full of stained breath
There is no amount of emotional comfort that doesn't lead to physical contact.
My lips; your essence
There isn't a support group that can teach that
The urge to resist the glare of the bottle
Simple steps that lead to complete disaster
The calling of your name
The way you splash against my lips.
I don't want to drink again
My bad habit
My secret craving
A distinct hint that I need you again.
Where's pride in this infatuation
The need to have you again
This uncontrollable substance
Marked with warning labels
Bottled emotion that seeps at anytime.
The need of not caring who's around.
Again, pride where are you

I want to sink
And lose myself 600 ways in you
Losing myself in how you feel,  
How you smell.
A softness that doesn't fray
Between the heat  
Shared between you and me,  
It doesn't wrinkle.  
It doesn't crease.  

It's not a traumatic response  
From any part of your or my journey.  
You breathe against me
The kind of comfort that trust  
Cannot put into words.  
Unrushed. Patient.  
The way home should feel.

Before true happiness,  
I stretch and unwind  
In your quiet
Twisting and turning,  
My face pressed into how  
Warm you are.  
When I lay on you,  
I don't want to get up.  
I want to lay here and dream,  
Far from the suffocation  
That exists away from you.  

No matter how rough I am,  
Compared to your softness
This goes beyond material reality
Where hands and feet  
Don't have to beg for rest.
They just are.

There are no wrinkles in how you love,  
In the way you unfold and spread yourself.  
Eventually,  
Love doesn’t stay young forever.  
It matures in its openness.  
In this, there is surrender.  
I am consumed in you
No longer twisting,  
No longer turning,  
But at peace.
Whether I am closing my eyes
Or opening them.
I am glad that you're here

When I saw his name pop up
In your phone.
I felt something in me break
& it hasn’t been right since.
The way you call my name,
The way you touch me.
I knew it was over.
I continued to go about,
Remembering the person I once
Knew.
When you’d kiss me your grip
Only got looser, while mine
Became tighter.
The receiving end of closed eyes
In search of better times,
Reliving a moment perhaps
I’d never live again.
Deep down I felt something in me
Break, something only you had
The power to fix.
The voice in my head told me,
The way you grabbed me the last
Time we met told me.
The way you tried to hide it
The way I pretended not to see
Told me.
Your eyes told a familiar story,
Not everything needs to be said.
To be dumb deaf & blind,
I love you that much

Her lips take me to all of the places that I haven't been.
My tongue peeking from behind teeth.
The secrets inspired by us and us alone.
Exploring the world with our eyes closed.
All at once.
We too leaned against the cathedral
The very moment our eyes opened.
We wore each other's look.
Suddenly surprised at the places we came to be.
The sights we longed to see,
Now our favorite.
The bongs our heart made,
Discovering how big Ben really was.
The chimes always with us.
Through her shoes I felt her heart race.
Opening my eyes once just to see what beauty looked like.
This infatuation wrought in iron.
Stacked high to establish how far up we've come.
The lights that causally lit up along the way.
The fold indented in her neck.
The way she couldn't pace her breath.
81-stories up.
Our tongues the guide which produced the path we walked.
Convinced that we were the silhouette cast from the buildings we admired.
We pulled the shade on the Windows of the world.
Discovering something much more.
The sunset in each other's eyes
Soon as we opened them

Your beautiful.
Everywhere I look is paradise.
I thought of moving there.
Closer to you.
For sure, sometime next year.
Today, tomorrow.
Sometimes I miss it.
This glorious overhead view.
A bucket list dream come true.
A place that takes my breath in slow pace.
I wanna go so bad.
This place of senrenity.
This place of peace.
Everywhere I look is paradise.
I've been told Tuesdays aren't bad times to fly.
Head in the clouds.
The sunset of your eyes.
Discovering a love like yours.
Paradise in the blink of an eye.
For sure sometime next year.
Today, tomorrow

My heart was like a mail box.
Waiting for one piece of mail in particular.
A special letter hand delivered.
The promise of sealed flap, carefully stamped addressed perfectly.
Scented in heavy anticipation.
There I stood in different variation of weather.
Going from hot to cold, the thought alone keeping me warm, closed in.
Suppressing everything that I held in.
The flutter of ads, bills, and different envelopes addressed to other P.O boxes helped build this anticipation.
Waiting for the moment I could open my mouth and accept you for everything you are.
Pouring your heart out in full stationary fashion.
Without hands to satisfy such anticipation.
To open such a flap and grant myself the gift of you kind of puts us in awkward disposition.
But the urgency of it all is as clear as day

Between the highs and lows experienced day to day.
You are worth more than your weight in gold.
This you should take pride in,
The kindness, understanding, and strength that keeps your head elevated.
A way to the truth is found deep inside you.
It is there you will find treasure tenfold.
Don't dilute your soul with negative image.
Tainting yourself of all the beauty you possess.
Don't fear those that refuse the light that shines from your crown.
Or those whom speak ill of you.
At times like this, nourish yourself from the fountain of enlightenment.
Ascend higher in consciousness.
Control your breath, unclench your fist.
Gain the strength to go that extra mile.
A light will emerge, causing mass hysteria amongst the darkness
And within this light, the greatest treasure will be found.
That light is you.
That gift is you.
Don't forget how special you are or how much power you truly possess

If by chance I call & you don't pick up.
Take a message.
Take a message.
If by chance I call & your fast asleep.
Record me in your dreams.
& when you wake up I'll see you soon.
Greeted by the sound of your voice.
Only a call away.
If by chance I call & you can only talk for a moment.
Then I'll spend a moment in honest truth.
The moments quickly falling in the past.
Your smile always with me.
If by chance I call & you don't pick up.
Take a message.
Take a message.
Take a message so when you play it back
You'll always have a reason to smile.
Whether your busy.
Or simply just don't have the time.
Take a message.
Take a message

Nonetheless
I refer to you and frankly I cannot stop.
I once heard a gypsy sing not anything of this world.
I doubt her song was for me.
Nonetheless
I referred to her almost immediately.
Unapologetically removing myself from conclusion.
Frankly I just love hearing her talk.
Going from place to place.
Retrospection
It's very likely I never once moved.
Referring to her for immediate assistance.
Establishing chair in wait.
Youthful eyes wild & free.
Unable to tame the sunset.
Her sense of freedom.
Not anything of this world

Her love is urgent
Coming quick,
Reaching out with both arms extended.
Her love close to my heart,
Our feet no longer stray,
The result of prayers made on both knees.
Her arms give more than take
Finding their way inside mine.
Providing a warmth awaken by the tick of hearts.
Her love urgent,
Time assent.
My nose lost in the scent of her neck,
My arms tight around her.
I don't want to go.
Tomorrow a world away.
I don't want to wait
Her love close
Pressed tight,
Just beneath her chest.
Each throb in the palm of my hand
Reaching out with both arms extended.
I don't want to go.
My hands no longer by my side.
Her love ever more urgent
My love waiting my whole life for her.

I remember the taste of your lips.
I searched in panic
Trying to remember the last place
I put you.
Turning my pockets inside out
Conscious of the last time you were here
on my lips
Consciously knowing that I need you now.
It's been twenty-five minutes already
& I am craving the way you lick my lips.
I am in awe, your body pressed between my fingers.
My lips swallowed by your tongue.
I stand in silence.
Punished yet unpunished
The taste of your lips swirling against my lips
Patting my pockets then looking up
To see you've been in front of me the whole time.
Whether several seconds or several lifetimes
I am in constant protest.
If I were to lose you, consciously knowing that I need you now
Unconsciously knowing how much is left in you.
I stand in silence punished yet unpunished
Giving my lips to you
Until one of us parts

I loved, though not mine
That invisible notion that creates substance.
Saw as a pedestrian crossing the street; Watching

This love seemed theatrical
Standing still; Watching
The persona of something we knew not where we belonged
Searching

Perhaps I was lost. Standing there; Watching
To hear another speak
To watch as a pedestrian on the street

To pretend to be the smile that crossed her face
That industrial glow that colored her cheek
Tattooed sidewalks

The fast paced nature given; metropolis
Just seen walking around
Cars burrow deep into traffic; Watching

The capacity of taking delight in something so simple; Watching
Fickle
The grim street corner over by the third traffic light

Perhaps we stumble
Learning to walk; standing still
The clouds sympathetic in nature
Blurred the allure of the sun

I loved, though not mine
This notion becoming witness; Watching
This momentum walking fast pace; Watching

Slender shoulders cast angular shadows
Advancing up the grim street; Watching
Following the curve of concrete ladders

I loved, though not mine
The presence of strangers; Watching
A community of thought
Civilized in public

An unseen riot that wreaks carnage; walking
Her stare
That industrial glow
An invisible notion

Saw as a pedestrian crossing the street; Watching
Loitering
Stepping out into traffic
Getting hit by a parked car

Under the thick of loves thumb
I found a boxing glove
Short of that I found a bruise
Trying it on, following an angular shadow
The blues of chewing with a bruised jaw
Two left feet
Taking a seat rubbing my brow
Her how didn't add up to the purpose,
Another shadow appearing
brow now endowed with a pulsating throb
The blues of chewing with a bruised jaw
The pain of loves boxing glove

Social Anxiety
 
I think love is a lot like us.
In truth, it's hard.
At least for me. To reach into my heart and pull each thought
Like some sort of note, to resort to the most simplistic of notion.
It all seems so simple.
To walk up towards the one we love and tell them how we truly feel.
At least for me.
To be honest I don't think it's entirely the thought of being rejected.
But the actual declaration and the realization that everything that you hope and dream
stares back at you and it's not reciprocated where imagination meets reality.
At least for me.
Reaching back into my heart and scrambling around for another note.
The small things in an ocean of thought that could go wrong.
The sudden rush of thoughts that prevent such circumvention.
The first step of telling you that I love you.
At least for me.
Seeing your face again, makes it so much easier.
Knowing that you would never let me drown

I felt so alone.
every place I went. every place I stopped to visit.
Seemed off.
I followed the noise of everything around me
in the hope of finding something familiar.
I rounded corners, crossed mazes of streets.
I didn't feel like I belonged to any of these places.
mostly filled with strange looks. anxious behavior.
still, I walked.
big city life is too busy.
always somewhere to be. always something to do.
it's easy to lose track of time.
keeping up with the next thing to do, the next place to be.
I felt so alone.
my walk becoming more unease. my shoulders more tense.
nothing really felt warm.
everyone felt cold, lost in the hustle of busy feet.
Shoulders almost bumping into each other,
Cars screeching their horn almost running into the other.
the sanctuary of what I really needed seemed far away.
still, I walked.
meeting the avenue of your eyes. you.
you seemed different.
far different than any place I’ve been.
I felt like I’ve been here before, or at least
Would remember if I’ve dreamed about it.
I didn't need to look at a menu to know what I wanted.
there wasn't a question of where I’d sit, or if there'd be
a seat by the window.
No remembering if I needed to stop at an ATM or if I had the right
Amount of money. I felt at ease.
I immediately knew what I wanted and where I wanted to be.
if I did continue to walk, it would be into tomorrow.
so that I could come back here.
a patron whose face would take no time to remember.
when the weeks turn into years.
I’ll remember to tell you; this is how I got home

And when I look into your eyes
That smile gets me everytime.
Time seems to fly by.
Left standing, wondering what happened to the hours.
The minutes.
The rest of the world unknowing.
Causally walking.
Unaware.
Just as I,
Lost in the wake of your eyes.
This place hidden.
Beautiful and free.
Reflecting the angels that go unnoticed.
Unseen.
The rest of the world,
Unknowing.
Afraid to fly

Every day I am leaping higher
Jumping from brown blocks and green pipes.
From the pluck of fire flowers steams this passion that I pursue So adamantly.
Question mark filled boxes highlighted yellow.
Flickering on and off.
The alchemy of white gloves, stomping and flipping the backs of turtles.
Small mushroom men with small feet.
Flying bullets of unusual size.
Large man eating plants.
I no longer fear the height of odd shaped trees, and small collapsing bridges.
What I fear most are the walls of empty castles.
Flying bullets and funny shaped ghost.
Soon to attack soon as I turn my back.
Lava filled pits. Huge block castles.
Torn blue coveralls. Dull and weathered black boots.
The slip of a shoe and everything I know comes to an end.
Still,
I travel land, sea, desert, space.
No matter what adversity,
In search of a princess that I love so adamantly.
No matter how long the journey

Her eyes widened,
Not once did I stop to notice that this was the first time
These words came from my mouth.
Through action yes but never once did I stop to pay attention that I've never said it before.
The words that caused this sudden hesitation.
I mean throughout the course of the day I've thought it.
But until I seen the look on her face it struck me.
Of all things how could I possibly forget that.
It wasn't at all a bad thing, as most silences accompany something bad,
Though silence filled the air the look on her face was in disbelief.
From that moment on I sort of questioned a lot of other things, the kind of things that lead to if I did or didn't.
I never was one to pay close attention to detail.
The subtle hints that I very well might have overlooked.
I suppose I do deserve to be hit in the back of the head
As she stopped in mid sentence, I suppose just as shocked as I was.
In the back of my mind I was really hoping that she wouldn't ball up her fist and hit me up side the head.
All things aside, I was never good at this type of thing and on a daily basis she deserves more than what I can give but she takes it all in stride.
But seriously I hope she doesn't hit me up side the head for taking this long.
She is a bit violent and on top of that she is a ******, going to get a step stool would only make her madder.
Her eyes now widened, eyebrows relived of any crinkle that stretched down to her nose.
Leaving me without a thing to say but the words again.
"I love you"

And when I look at you.
I see a thought.
The supreme conviction that in spite of ourselves.
We are the light that gives unselfishly to ourselves.
The pieces we constantly give to each other,
Not too much can equate that.
The attraction that starts first as thought.
Given wings.

The angels increase in thought.
A joy that lights upon our face.
Rather than keep quiet.
They have a strange yet fearless way of knowing just when to show up.
This light that spreads ultimate warmth.
Affection.
It becomes intimate.
Sharing this tender notion of fear.
The hopes and dreams kept afloat by each of our smiles.
To touch you in the most intimate of ways.
Even when I am not around

It's Half past twelve.
Although your eyes are barely woke.
I've lost count of time being in the loft of your heart.
Lost in the city lights.
It's something about the streets here that make me feel brand new.
It's half past twelve in the real world.
But here,
In the loft of your heart.
I have the best view.
Being downtown transcends my favorite places in the real world.
Here, there aren't any scheduled buses, no large crowds of people.
It's stunningly beautiful.
Not being able to tell the difference between night and day.
Although your eyes are barely woke.
It's already tomorrow here
And everything reminds me of you

When I walked in I didn't know what to expect.
Each room highlighted in light.
A oral tradition. To make ourselves at home upon request.
In reciprocation we do.
The rooms we gather in, the ones we walk past.
The objects we fill to take up space.
The rooms a clear reflection of Spring.
The molding painted white.
I was told that some rooms are not to be visited.
Everything has it's season and this isn't one of them.
Placing blame on the rooms.
I want to explore them most I said.
The ones that go unseen.
The things we rarely shine light to.
The places films of dust continue to grow.
These are some of the best places to go.
The beauty of things we walk past day to day.
The smile unknown destinations can bring.
Cultivating the ideas we keep cluttered.
Gasping for air.
These are the rooms I want to explore most.
The parts of you that you strictly keep to yourself.
Only when you are comfortable to share these rooms with me.
To kiss the floor with our feet.
To dwell in the past staring into our future.
We are the pendulums trapped inside the clock

Through perfect imperfections
Are we able to find evolution.
The flaws we face on a everyday basis
Seen through our own eyes as love.
A ballast on which we see each other.
Without fear, without hesitation.
I see you, not just what you display
But the eternal way that you see yourself.
Finding my reflection through yours.
Ingesting you with each and every stare.
Born again in perspective.
Yours and yours alone.
Open hearted in an open end expression through perfect imperfection.
Only then can both of our worlds change.
Only then can we truly find ourselves.
The reflection of each others eyes

And then it happened.
I came face to face with my ex.
Not much has changed from the last time we spoke.
When I was younger there use to be a sense of grief.
That somewhat odd feeling that overshadowed everything good in my life.
Suddenly watching the clouds go from bright white to a dull gray.
I hated thunderstorms back then.
I'd like to think that I've learned a lot sense then though.
Watching her eyeball me with a sense of curiosity.
Slowly learning the fact that I seemed to be doing a lot better without her.
You know those looks that reveal a lot without so much as a word being said.
She had plenty of those, often catching herself in mid sentence.
Her naturally low cut eyes now lower.
I wouldn't actually describe her as being a addition or nowhere close to a binge.
But more so one of those random nights you get hammered and wake up the next morning trying to figure out what happened.
No not at all. Again I am being modest.
If anything she was one of those drinks with a acquired taste.
The kind of drink someone offers you in attempt to try something new and though it tastes bad you still drink it out of generosity as it was a kind gesture.
Not at all stating that she was a bad person. No she was very sweet.
In fact I am glad that I had opportunity to bump into her again.
But a lot of time has elapsed sense then.
And seeing how time works I am no longer the same person.
Though I must admit,
First seeing her I was a bit puzzled, as those dark clouds that normally follow were nowhere to be seen.
Nor the crackling of a long drawn out bolt of lightening.
Both probably caught in traffic, Arguing over which came first.
If anything, she knew I had a high tolerance as far as drinks are concerned.
But again I am being corrigible.
Yet, this time I didn't miss the exit sign on my way out the door as normally I'd walk pass it twelve times, mistaking it for something else.
In a strange twist we neither dismissed each other nor omitted each others presence.
I walked out the door, while she was busy finishing what was left of her fiancee