you played me like your favorite instrument
and plucked out all the joy from my life

at first, we lived in harmony
but then you destroyed a part of me

we said no strings attached
but now I'm tied in knots

we said we'd try and improvise
but ended up telling all those lies

you amplified your complaints
and struck me with a beat

even though we ended on the wrong note
our lyrics still get caught in my throat

The moon is
sitting
in her *****
bathwater,
going cold,
always in
the cycle of
here and
not

why is it
that with
this beauty
I cannot
be happy?

Her fragile hands tailored strands of strings into ship sails
And each of her breaths moved the depths as they grew into gales
To say she moved me would understate the gravity of things
As she sent me to unknown places upon linen wings

And oh, those linen wings would sing and cling onto the air
The ocean foam so far from home reminiscent of her skin so fair
Her voice ever ringing in my head and her touch fresh on my heart
Her eyes in every starlit night making sure home I could chart

Each hour I'd remember the red ember of her hair and her lips
As fragile hands wove those strands with prayers on fingertips
In the light of home she placed pieces of her heart in the sails she made for me
In hopes her beloved would return home once more from the endless sea

So here I journey on from night to dawn, dusk to day
Memories of skin, foam white, and her eyes at night showing me the way
Wishing for the fire of home inside her hair and lips
As she sends gales into woven sail leading me home to her kiss

What are we doing here?
Strangers uttered to each other CHEERS
We live in two different world
But for unknown reason we were being furled

To a place beyond the outer space
For me a miracle that can't be untraced
Though reason was so unclear
All I know I'm so happy I met you here

Occasion that may take a day or two
Time that set for me and you
A dream that certainly will past
But for me.... truly a moment that will last....

I saw you in winter,
and thought of tree branches feathered by starlight in poorly lit neighborhoods. A hearth where the more honest parts of myself, I am bared fetal, warmed upon, welcomed.

I saw you in spring,
and thought of long drives in the countryside in the rain. Ice cream melting from our chins dancing petrichor upon our toes, kissing by the sea shore.

I saw you in summer,
and thought of sleepy boathouses, uncovering ancient childhood treasures in the woods. A secret lake somewhere, the sky's reflection in promise. Windy hilltops upon which to blame each other for the sunrise.

I saw you in autumn,
and thought of scarfs and cafes, city streets and sunsets where we watched each others breath escape. Apartment staircases where windchill hibernates, the world slowing down around us from your window.

The first time I saw You, I thought to myself, "I could live there."

I knew he was dying
I thought maybe a few weeks left
So still and so quiet
This man whose laugh made us all laugh
The man who always had ideas
Where to go, what to do for a laugh
Always a laugh
Sharer of adventures
Partner in crime
For thirty-six crazy years
Dying before my eyes and
Taking much of my life with him

He'd had a massive stroke a year earlier
They said he'd die then
But he defied them and recovered a lot
Proper conversations and learning to walk
Then they discovered that he had cancer
And here we were five weeks later
"How long are you gonna be in here?" I asked
He turned his head and looked hard at me
"I die next week," he said
As though he had an appointment

He got three days, not a week
I cried seeing him dying
But I was relieved for him when he did
Now my old friend is gone
And it's a duller world without him

                                       By Phil Roberts