She lifted up a thousand eyes
Which followed her like spotlight
Like thirsting telescopes tracing shooting star
Longing to be filled with natural wonder
What spells befell such eyes
Each piece studied of an impeccable work
And each stare the knowing of a Creator
As each breath and move she made was testament

I feel the quilt for the seams
Fingerprints in the dream
And I see you beside me
Hand in mine
And I remember the little things

Memories falling as if leaves
As fall turns into spring
Please slow for just a moment
Hand in mine
As I reminisce passing little things

Your voice was never mine in morning
You were a bird of later light
And you would smile
Each day
Each day
To say that you’re alright

You needed your coffee
To satiate your internal plight
As hungriness
Would sway
Would sway
Your mood ‘till your first bite

The crunch of butter covered toast
Your taste of the egg whites
You chose the yolks
To stay
To stay
Your breakfast at its height

You’d smile and say good morning
And there you were, my perfect wife
We’d go outside
Parkways
Beach days
Or an afternoon hike

It’s been a month and you’ve gone now
I dream of you at night
I think of you
Always
Always
As tears I consistently fight

I sleep inside our bedroom
I still whisper to you “Sleep tight”
You went in your sleep
No pain
No pain
After fighting with all your might

Your voice was never mine in morning
But you were my sun, so bright
And I find I miss
Your grace
Your face
Amidst the morning light

So you say you’ve fallen out of love?
Can I follow you?
So long you’ve been all I can think of
It’s so hard not to do
Tell me if your lips of cherry red
Are stained from biting at my heart
You do so well in the pull away
Masterful in the art to part

So you say you’ve fallen out of love?
Can you show me how?
Often I find hope rising in my mind
And tears falling down
Do you see the agony in it?
Are you so selfish you won’t teach?
Love has been an ever present goal
And you’ve pulled it out of reach

So you say you’ve forgotten how to love?
Preach to me your unknown pains
I am a disciple, faithful, but shunned
Whose given much with little gain
Fragment of your heart under lock and key
Mine openly offered in my hands
Tell how you cauterized such pains
Help me understand

So here I am alone and still on love
Top of the peak
Feelings I have yet to make sense of
No words left to speak
And in the silence I then understand
That look echoed in your soul
How you fell so quickly out of love with me
Because of a love you can’t let go

What of these chains within this thing called love?
Will we ever be free?
Someday will some foolish heart come to break
And ask the same of me?
Is there such thing as truly falling out of love?
Or are you hanging there?
Forever holding out for who you’re thinking of
And running out of air

There’s gotta be something wrong with me
Where I fail to begin to see
Where you left and what’s in front of me
And how to keep walking when you’re gone
Pray, God, how do I go on?
I don’t want to go on
When kiss and hands held are shelved
Right next to my self-respect
View of me and you in kissing booths
That my mind cruelly projects
As I watch in horror
At things that keep saying goodbye
And yet they stay
And get their way
In my dismay, oh Lord, I cry
How do I go on?
Silence, darkness, no reply
Silence, darkness, no reply
Silence screaming thoughts, I try
Thoughts of only cloudy skies
No reply
You have dialed an incorrect number
Please hang up and try again
So we may test the other ways
Your faith in love can bend
I’m broken
As I found out 7 minutes ago the line was cut
The killer’s in the house, dear sir
I let her in, but now it’s shut
No hope for me in misery
I’m standing here, yet gone
These constants scenes in front of me
How do I go on?

Shortness of breath
How fitting
As the socially deaf start in the bidding
Of a mind
Of a heart
And soul
Of a billion
See me in my frustration
See the color of my skin
How is the least of these
The most important of all?
I hear the anguish of breaking glass
Broken spirits
They call
Losing hope as a burning world
Scares me half to death
Empathize
Because who will you run to
When you’re the oppressed?
Silence in respect
Join me as I raise my fist
(Beat)
Hands up
I surrender
Tears fall, this may be it
Will I be missed?
USA
Born and raised
Living grenade
Shaken, beaten, and stirred
And when I explode
Anarchist?
Terrorist?
That’s absurd
I am a product of a machine
That grinds me into dust
You may be in the same gear
Don’t ignore it
Discuss
My brothers
My sisters
It is clear
Blood is red
How are we so divided
With the same thoughts in our heads?
Let scars remind of the pain
Wash the anger from your hands
Ceasefire, be at peace
Don’t make new cuts
Understand
Wrongs do not right
Our message must be clear
A crowd must scream in unison
For them to properly hear
Demand
And march on
Open eyes to the plea
Change must be made
Pick it up from it’s knees
Help me, help you
Help us
Who’s next?
Clearly see
We all slowly suffocate
When one of us cannot breathe

I can’t breathe...

#blacktuesday #PartOfAColoredPeople #icantbreathe2020 #BLM #BlackLivesMatter #peacefulprotest #MarchOn

My brain is a middle school notebook
Every day I write your name inside
With random sketches the cover holds in
For emotions I can’t easily hide

My heart is a jelly pen
A schoolyard craze, of that there’s no doubt
It pins my last name to you in my middle school notebook
And as costly as it is, I pray it won’t run out