There's a little boy
Drawing in his room
Momma comes and sees
A vibrant ocean blue

He says mom would you like to know
Why this painting is my life
And why this image in my head
Haunts me every night?

When you look at the ocean
You only take the time to see
What's on the surface
You don't know what lurks beneath

You see blue skies and birds
Hugging the salty water
You don't see the shark below
Devouring someone's daughter

And over in that corner
A ship has sunken down
It took a family with it
All the children drowned

But over on that beach
So many people play
They won't acknowledge the danger
For that would ruin their day

I feel much like the ocean
People only come when all is calm
But when everything is upside down
Suddenly they're gone.

Doctors post videos of me laughing
And photos full of smiles
But when I need the cure
There's silence stretched for miles.

They say I am a warrior
They call me brave and strong
But for this I've had no training
They've never been more wrong.

-ARI

As I placed my hand
Upon your naked chest
The heat of your skin
Seeped into my fingers.

I had said, "You are so warm
And I am quite cold."
I quickly realized, no truer words
Have ever been spoken.

I wish your warmth
Could heal my soul
But I have been frozen
Far too long; I can't be saved.

-ARI

Ribbons of desire
Wrapped around her wrists
When He claimed to love her
With all his promises.

Little did she know
Inch by silken inch
Those ribbons transferred poison
Her soul; forever His.

-ARI

I traced circles on your palms
And infinity in your heart
I drew my love on your skin
And made you taste it on me
The time ran on us
The earth is shaking
Heaven's up above
But it's hell down here
We soared the night
With our eyes closed
With the lights turned off
We bathed in moonlight
Of warmth, sweat, and darkness
But you were uncertain
To sketch on me as well

Before I met you
I had resolved to stay single
That was the safer route
I had grown tired of being hurt

Sometimes during the night
I would look at the stars
Wondering, if there was someone
Out there looking for me as well

I remember feeling distraught
Over the pain life had handed me
Not understanding why
If I deserved the pain
If I even deserved to ever be happy

Because others hadn't appreciated me
I had lost the understanding of my own worth

Before I met you
I had been used
Abused and confused
Alone
Wanting something I thought I would never have

A needle in a haystack was found
When you came into my life
You were the one to recognize my value
You showed me what it meant to feel loved

Your sweet disposition and honest smile
Helped me to forget about the past

All I can see now is the future

Sat on the floor to
Fiddle with the chords of
Amorous emotion,
Couldn't decide whether or not to
Blink or keep my eyes shut.
Never do I want to miss this
Rush,
Nor watch it leave.

I blink and blink
Till off in sleep.

Still strumming the lovely
Tunes of admiration.