Thunder rattles the mountains.
I was never afraid of storms until tonight.
I switch on my light and run back to
my sheets, hoping that don't feel quite so alone
when I watch the next bolt
illuminate my window.

I wonder when it last rained where you live.
Maybe you were scared like me.

I switch the light off again.

Tonight the stars cascade and pool into swirls and patterns, like a van gogh.

I walk with you arm in arm under this tapestry of light; you bring my hand to your lips,
then as you lean in and kiss my cheek,
I wish I were an artist.  

There are no words to capture the beauty of this night.

The constellations hide tonight.
The only light I can see is from dim porch  bulbs  from far off houses.  They've
been neglectfully left on  while their weary owners rest, and they flicker
relentlessly, threatening to leave me in the darkness.

It's just me and the pines tonight; their silhouettes towering like deities over
me.  A coyote wails in the distance, his cry carrying over miles. I lay back
onto the grass and mourn with him. Together,  we howl into the night, our
tormented wails evaporating into the charcoal sky.

You couldn't hold me.
Your focus always shifted,
and I was left as an afterthought, dangling in your arms.

You couldn't kiss me.
My passionate lips always craved more than your simply  graze.

You couldn't love me.
I waited, my chest open, heart exposed for the rush of heat
from your soul to mine.

Sometimes heartbreak is quiet
and slow.  it doesn't explode in anguish, or scream in
torment. It cries softly,
with each disappointment,
stacked in memory
like books along a shelf.

There's a cave in my heart,
And it echoes while I sigh.

I expected someone else
to fill the hollow, when they'd
hold me while I slept. But I lay
alone at night, with the cavern
gaping wide.  I wrap my arms
around myself and try to hide
the cold draft blowing through
my chest, but I let my arms
fall,

and lay awake knowing that
no one else can make this pit
vanish.

I want the beauty to stay inside me.
I want my lungs to expand with a love like lightening so that when our lips
touch softly, I can exhale and watch my passion play upon your smile.

You cross the room slowly,
closing the distance between us.
You raise your arms and welcome me into your heart. I don't think I'll ever
leave.

The stars have woven a quilt above us, and we speak words of promise as we say
goodnight. You hold me tight and I wonder if you can feel my heart pound within
your chest. It's hard to breathe with you so near, but now all that i can think
of is the way we slide and twist around each other, our lives intertwining like
branches. Hold me more still. And leave the rest to nature. We will grow
separate, but together.

Trouble sweeps in like the wind;
Fighting against me  in gusts.
I reach out for you, my anchor
In this storm, but you turn your back
To me, as the blackened  sky approaches.
My world begins to crumble and the
Rain and hail pelt my skin. I panic and look to you for safety, and there you
stand, unmoving.  your  cold green eyes watching me struggle,
You show no empathy, no sorrow, as I slip away into the products of my  guilt
and sorrow.

The air is changing, and the cold wind carries
promise of change. The trees will be set ablaze,
their leaves displaying fiery reds and oranges which
will melt the hearts of those who can confront
the heat of the flames.

Only the broken-hearted can see the blaze; all others are
blind. We have already been burned from our past lover’s
touch.  As time crawls by, the leaves drift to the yellowing
grass below, and eventually the blisters begin to heal.

The sun sits high now, and I am but a man.
Though as time passes, the sun sinks and
my silver moon surfaces,
I become a hunter.

As the bartender splashes cheap liquor into spotted glasses,
I stalk quietly in the corner as a lesser man’s prey stumbles
drunkenly, clumsily across the sticky floor.

My eyes glide smoothly over the room,
evaluating my most promising prospects.

My eyes settle on one;
she sits proudly and respectably, and I watch my plan
unfold in my mind.

I will be charming, and convincing;
modest and self-depricating.

She will resist, at first, as they always do,
but the sincere look in my eyes will persuade her that
I am not “every other guy.”

She will fall head first into my pool of lies,
and tonight she will be mine.
And tomorrow,

she will mean nothing.

The moon seems closer than ever. A mist rises off the water
like silver ghosts, slowly concealing the world around her.  
She moves quickly, the animal within driving her forward.  
Pain pulses in her bare feet, but she feels he is near,
and ignores the branches clawing at her face, leaving her
flushed cheeks bloodied.  A taste of love has left her ravenous.
She’ll Hunt for him until the sun illuminates the darkest shadows
of the forest.

Tonight is the new moon.
No light is cast upon
the shore and the seals
howl like banshees in the black
water, but their cries cannot be
heard over the whistling winter
winds.  She walks slowly, leaving
no footprints behind her.
A ghost of who she once was.
The salty air rushes across her
skin. With each breath she cleanses
her soul, and exhales him from her
bones.  She slowly comes to life
on the abandoned shore, as the seals
glide in and out of the black waves,
watching her and the moon
change phases.

She would rather forget him.  But she still finds sand in her pockets and
his eyes are too much like the sea for her not to remember.  
So she pinches the grains between her fingers and allows the
memories wash back to her.  Salt water streams down her face,
and somewhere far, the wind howls and the sea grass sways.

The train blasts through our small country town
at this early morning hour, and I listen contently
from your bed.

Your windows are foggy and the whistle
cuts through the still Sunday darkness.

My hand grazes back and forth across your chest.

There's just enough light squeezing into the apartment
so that I can see the outline of your face.
Your strong features glow softly in what little light
the moon offers.  

The train whistle blows as it passes through.  
This town used to burst with life; those days
are gone.  

I hold you tightly, thinking about how
we are blossoming in this wilting city.  

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The sky glows with swirls of blue clouds painting the horizon.  
I kiss you softly, tasting nighttime on your lips.  

Summer air fills our lungs as we leave footprints in the sand.

A lovely boy
carries my heart,
though he knows not
of his possession.

Your eyes remind my of the winter sky.
Swirls of silver in the darkest of blues.

I get lost and wander slowly.  

I lay my head on your chest, and with each breathe
I feel your waves swell and fall, and I allow myself
to get swept away in your current.

I'm waiting for you like I wait for the sea.
Your tide rolls in slowly, and I'm watching
patiently as your waves crash eloquently
upon my shore.  I am hopeful that one morning
you will finally reach me, before the stars
tuck themselves within their covers, and I am
standing alone under a tired sky, with nothing
to hold but overplayed memories and my weary hope.

Boy, you pay no mind
To the heart beneath
That chest you love so much.

It breaks every time you
Touch me, because my dear,
I know that to you,

I could be any girl.

It's all the same to you.

The air is heavy this evening.
It’s hot with memories, and promises
Spoken between lovers.

It sits, unmoving. Whispering
Its secrets to those who listen.

My best dress swirls around me,
As you spin me on to the floor.
I rest a tired head on your broad shoulder,
As your hand gracefully curves
Around my back.

This is how my love feels,
Dizzy from emotion, and warm to the
Touch.  I watch your face closely,
Trying to capture every line, and
Shadow, and curve of your lip.

A permanent memory
Is what I want from you.
Immune to the changes of time.  
For my love is passionate, and true,
Yet Unrequited.  

So I grasp for these
Small moments. The glances,
Brief but powerful. The exchanges,
Quiet, but breathtaking. I accept
What I cannot yet change. But always
Have an untamable hope, that one day
We will dance.

Warm sand escapes from under my feet,
As I trip up the winding path
And toward the rhythmic water.  

My fingers feel lonely without yours
Here, to wind through them, like a
Snake through grass. Natural,
Graceful.  

The sun sets burnt orange
Along the horizon, sending vibrant
Reflections toward the shoreline.

I wish you were here, to see this fire
Burn out, then witness night
Creep over the summer sky,
As stars cascade down your back,
And tangle through my hair.  

We could have been beautiful.

The smoke danced to the stars
As we stood by the open gate.
The moon lit up your face and
The constellations shone
Only for us.

The January air shook my bones,
But I would have stood out there
For hours with you.

But the time passed.
You took my arm, and
Gallantly escorted me up the
Gravel path.

The horses sang to us
As we opened the barn
Doors. And they watched us
As time went by
And we slipped into love.

Time moves quickly now,
And I worry about forgetting
You and those moments,
When you were all that mattered.

I want to hold your hand,
As we walk through cobblestone streets.  

To watch the shadows
Caress your face as the tired sun
Sets behind rugged rooftops.  

I want you to wrap
Yourself around me as
The evening chill creeps
Upon our limbs and children’s
Goodnights echo across this quaint town.

I want to sit by the restless water,
And touch your rough cheek
As the stars emerge from their slumber.
And the summer leaves whisper behind us.

I want to find myself in your green eyes,
And hold you as though time
Had stopped – waiting for our
Lips to touch.

I want to love you without
Fear. Without doubt.
Without insecurity, nor apprehension.

I want to feel lost in these unfamiliar streets,
But home when I look to you.

If I could hold you
On this cold night,
When the world has
Frozen over, you would
Hear a light sigh, escape
From my smiling, parted lips,
As I sink deeper into
Your embrace.  

As the snow falls,
I would look at you, and
Find summer in your eyes.
Our hearts would shed layers
Of ice, and bloom as if
They had never felt cold.  

You would breathe deeply,
Slowly.  Closing your eyes,
Knowing that this moment
Meant everything, because
In this moment, we are
Perfect.

I am waiting for you
Like I wait for the sea.

Your tide rolls in slowly,
And I’m watching patiently

As your waves crash eloquently
Upon my shore and I am

Hopeful that one day you
Will finally reach me

Before the stars tuck
Themselves within the clouds

And I am standing alone,
Under a tired sky

With nothing to hold
But my memories

And my weary hope
That one day

You will come for me.

Cold sand
Sifts under my toes,
As my heart leads me
Closer to the shore.

The moon is king,
And sits high above
His shimmering castle.

Millions of stars dance
Around him, joyfully
Entertaining their majesty.

The waves beat with a
Steady rhythm upon the sand,
Providing music to the kingdom above.

The pulsing gets louder, and deeper
As the stars soar within the blackness,
Illuminating the coast, and the beautiful
Violence of the night sea.  

We watch in awe, glowing smiles on
Moon cast faces. The shore is a
Thrilling show, and tonight, we are
It’s only audience.