Lesson #1
you set the pace

in a competition of you against
you

and when you don't stand up to adversity
it truly becomes your enemy.

give into pity,
and there's no winning

(I guess that's lesson #2).

Hearts, bursting balloons
eyes twinkling in the string of lights.

glitter in every one's smiles.
and we snapped pictures,
cartoon faces

cupcakes frosty fresh
cookies glistening, red in sweet
sugar jewels.

and they,
spinning madly
in love with freedom

An orange sun cools,
drifts beneath the lake
as we sway together
an evening song of friendship.

shhh, we whisper in an attempt to create
a reasonable hush.

giggles on dark stones lead us home
milk and cookies lull us to sleep.

dark rinsed veins
drain to the brain,
a throbbing tiredness
drives me to well up
hide against the wall
refrigerator buzz,
paper towel
covering a runny nose  
in case someone walks in
ignorance, a few feet away.
paunchy eyes; silk streams
glistening onto chewed up finger nails,
a silent sort of death
unnoticeable
serene,
as I clutch my mouth and the kitchen counter top.

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king.

How cruel this world can be
as to when someone starts
to mean so much to you
you begin to mean
so little to them