I am orange
Never appreciated
Always second to the red
Trying to get to the top
It's impossible

An outsider
Unlike all the others
Not one rhyme
I am different

Trying to fit in
Always sticking out
Too bold
Everyone is staring

I want to hide
Escape society
Forget all the pressure
It's pointless

It is what it is
Nothing will ever change

The rose is a rose,
And was always a rose.
But the theory now goes
That the apple’s a rose,
And the pear is, and so’s
The plum, I suppose.
The dear only knows
What will next prove a rose.
You, of course, are a rose—
But were always a rose.

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

You made my dad a grand father
But he doesn't mind
You've been the son at the back of his mind

You made my ma a grandma
And made her heart glow
Funny she's never loved something that made her feel old

You made my malla and me uncles
It feels kind of cool
To think now after being spoiled we'll be spoiling you.

You made Akki a mom
Or you made it official
I don't think she's been anything less than maternal.

You've made James a dad
And a fine one at that
Time will prove that i'm right and of that I'm glad.

Welcome to the family!
We were born into it too
It's wierd at first but it grows on you.

And we will do our best
To make you feel one
Friend and a loved nephew son and grandson.

Kindness glides about my house.
Dame Kindness, she is so nice!
The blue and red jewels of her rings smoke
In the windows, the mirrors
Are filling with smiles.

What is so real as the cry of a child?
A rabbit's cry may be wilder
But it has no soul.
Sugar can cure everything, so Kindness says.
Sugar is a necessary fluid,

Its crystals a little poultice.
O kindness, kindness
Sweetly picking up pieces!
My Japanese silks, desperate butterflies,
May be pinned any minute, anesthetized.

And here you come, with a cup of tea
Wreathed in steam.
The blood jet is poetry,
There is no stopping it.
You hand me two children, two roses.

I love you
because
when I spontaneously
spout Robert Frost
you know exactly
where
to pick up with
the next line.

I love you
because
you read The Bell Jar
& felt it
in your womanly bones
before those
other girls tried
to grab my attention.

I love you
because
the studs in your
nose are like stars
between
the sun & moon
of your marble
green-flecked eyes.

I love you
because
you tell me how
you feel & don't
try to claw out
my eyes
but claw my back
instead.

I love you
because
the air in your room
is just cool enough
for love
& the light just
dim enough
for love.

I love you
because
you regard the scene
with cool intellectual
librarian eyes
& step on the tiles
with ballet fairy
feet.

I love you
because
you have known
false love &
the Colossus of
false piety &
you know that I worship
you,

above all the pagan gods.