I wake to the heaviness of your arm
cradling me like a delicate bird,
tending to my wounded wings
making me feel like I can fly without them

I open my eyes to see the sunlight
peering through the shielding curtains
waiting to be pried wide open
so I can greet the day with my raw self

I hear the gliding of paws eagerly prancing
over each step of the stairway
strutting into our room to appease the curiosity,
her tail dancing to each step she takes

I taste the sensation of night's last,
the memory rushing to my head
as I graze my tongue over what's left of you
and my body basks in the sweetness of it all

I smell the summer air sneaking through the screen
grazing over my salt-coated skin
filling my lungs with infinite life,
each exhale soaked with relief

I feel the purring of content,
the steady breathing of heavy dreams,
and the love radiating from each
as I slowly drift back to sleep

Drown me slowly
in Your pool of wisdom
so I may beg for one last breath
and cherish what I have been given

Ignorance has blurred my senses,
and I rely on the wicked for guidance
I have ignored Your presence
like the ghost who haunts my halls

Turn my chin to face You
so my eyes may see again
through this heavy, dark veil
I've been hiding behind

*…and see light once again

As you fall to sleep you tend to lay
as if you'll be buried where you stay
Your back to your sheets, arms over your chest,
head heavy on your pillow as you seep into rest
I question if you're breathing, still hanging on
barely able to see your chest rise and then fall
But the moment you turn your head over toward me
my heart jumps at the thought of your eyes opening
I'll fall weak to your warm, resonating stare
and bury myself next to your body there

She is a mass of contradictions,
smooth curves and sharp tongue,
soft skin and hard thoughts,
happy mouth and sad eyes.
An alluring curiousity,
she travels with the freak show;
under constant scrutiny.
Beauty struggles under
harsh lighting,
grotesque truth
brought to the fore.
Free within a cage
To which you hold the key.
Redundant wings now used
To cover her face.

Apu used to tell me,
as storms would haunt the night,
that the lightning was from God's camera
taking a picture of all that He treasured
The thunder was the rolling film
ready for another capture
And the rain was from the angels
crying at how beautiful His creation was