My lips
Quiver in your
Presence of true beauty.
Funny how Nature wields her wrinkled
Old hands.

I was wandering down the street one day when my eyes fell upon the most exquisite sight: An angel was in the midst.

She was gliding through a throng, oblivious to all the averting heads, and then she was gone. She may be gone, but her beauty and my wonder remain.

Yesterday, I saw her again. Gliding smoothly towards me, and to my astonishment, she didn't vanish right away. I've been fantasizing about this beautiful Goddess for countless months, yet it seemed different this time. It seemed real, somehow.

She smiled and embraced my hand. Her hand was warm and soothing. Her voice was gentle, content and mesmerizing. 'You're not dreaming, ***. You're n a trance of your own design. You've wanted this for ages. Come to me.'

I tried smiling, but, I felt my mouth twist into something unfamiliar to me. 'Y-Y-You, ' I stammered. 'I-I've been dreaming of you for as long as I can remember. How could this be? ' 'Kiss me, ' she replied, 'and all will be answered.'

Well, I know her better than any woman I've ever met, and I don't even know her name. I moved closer, preparing myself for the perfect kiss, not knowing what to expect. Suddenly, I was shaking stubbornly and the woman of my dreams began to fade away. Then everything changed.

I wasn't outside or in a crowd. Rather, I was lying on a rickety bed, which was still shaking. My feet hanging off one side and my head drooping off the other side above my pillow, which fell on the floor beside my shoes. 'That, ' I exclaimed, 'was the most vivid dream I've ever had! I can still smell her perfume. (sigh) I can still feel her pulse.'

As it turns out, I wasn't the only one shaken awake this morning. Just another earthquake with the 'Worst-Timing' award.  I showered, dressed and headed off to work with this Angel in my head. I turned a corner and joined a throng of people on their way to work.

It was then that I saw her. Her beauty was undeniable. She was gliding towards me, like an ghost, then she turned a corner and was gone.

Written by: Andrew D. Robertson

“you must know you’re beautiful”
somedays, yes. somedays, no.
the twelve year old me will haunt me most mornings,
placing nonsense like a flower wreath through my hair.
she’ll pick my stomach, stretching the skin like putty.
she’ll still her tongue out, gnawing at my bones.
i will hear the dark words, and they will stain upon my skin,
coal and smeared.
the fifteen year old me will creep in the afternoon,
smudging ink eyeliner, telling me there’s never a thing as toomuch.
she will sing into my pores, telling me i need to return to pale tiles
and empty hallways.
she will hide under my skin, waiting until the men and scary ideas return
to the base of my mouth.

my insides are pretty, beautiful (most of the time)
so give me more time, to work on the outside.
it has been long, i know.
but i need more.
more.

In second grade,
My mom made me wear dresses everyday.
My mom would part my hair down the middle and make two long braids with colorful hair ties.
I would go to school and the boys would make fun of my dresses.
The boy that sat behind me would pull my braids anytime I said something smart.

In fourth grade,
I told my mom I could dress myself, but she still had to approve of every outfit.
I told my mom I was old enough to style my own hair.
I would go to school and the boys would make fun of my weight instead of my clothes.
The boy that sat behind me would sit next to me and call me names for being the stupid one in smart classes.

In seventh grade,
I told my mom that I didn't care what she thought.
I cut my long hair shoulder length.
I started wearing dark makeup.
The boys didn't make fun of my weight but they would ask me out as a joke.
The boy that sat behind me and then next to me, liked me and texted me every night saying how pretty I was.

In the ninth grade,
My mom wasn't awake to see what I wore to school.
I regretted the very day I decided to cut my hair.
The boys that called me fat; left me alone because they found someone bigger to pick on.
The boy that sat behind me asked me for a naked picture and I said no.
He called me a fat, ugly, ***** and never talked to me again.

In the tenth grade,
My mom borrowed my clothes and I borrowed hers.
My hair fell out but I wanted it to grow.
Boys no longer call me fat because they never saw me eat.
And the boy that sat behind me wanted me back.
I cried myself to sleep and hid my wrists in my sleeve.

It's funny how many things changed since the second grade.

*-c.a.

Feeling feelings I have never imagined.
I could feel the walls crumbling down every time you smile.
Passion. Happiness. Love
Moments when I look into your eyes and I saw mine looking back
I could now feel myself for the first time.

Of all God's creation, I love you the most.
In your arms I long to be, embracing me tight.
Sometimes I fear that you may leave.
But you reassure me with your comfort.

Now I realize the treasure of love.
For real love stories , never have endings.
We shall stay like this,
Forever, if ever.

One word. one laugh. one look.
     is all it takes
One more step
     one more pill
One more cut
     is all it takes
Is all it takes for someone to give up.

One person. one stranger. one friend.
     can be all it takes.
One word. one smile. one hug.
     can be all it takes.
Can be all it takes to stop that person from giving up.

One is all it takes to put someone to the edge.
One is all it takes to stop that person from jumping.