She's turned granite
on me
Got me soapstone
sliding
down to my destiny

The once sparkling
diamonds in her eyes
have turned ruby

The crystals are clear

The are no agates
left to gleam from
the sediments of me

Getting warm by the campfire
Next to the ghosts of my
mental graveyard
Following the ruling runes
and shallow hues
etched on the stone
hearts and tablets
of tongues :

Leave the schools
Get an education

Thrown into prison
because you were free

Live within your time
Die because of it

Light the fires of confusion
Burn down empires
of derision

Embers to ashes
smokey as ghost
Leaving only voices
in my head

When I was little, a voice in my head, said.
“there’s a monster underneath my bed”

Not liking the fear that he gave
A part of me was it's slave

I needed to be brave
Look him in the eye

It was time for a monster hunt
Not knowing the word confront

Monster underneath my bed
Are you inside my head?

Jump up, you can't get me
Claws grabbing that you cannot see

Eye’s closed
Stick my head under the bed
Open up after three
There was nothing there to see

Cage- outside looking in
Ocean- big bang without the bang
Time- currently does not have itself
Cedar- hats, rain shaws, baskets, bark box
Window- sometimes clear, sometimes  obscured
Sword- ugly, no matter how beautifully made
Flute- makes that elusive dream sound like mist

-cec

If the night is half lit
and the silence is deafening loud
don't stop on the bridge upon Post Canal.

The shadows are rippling dark
and her water coiling snake
calls you to to take a dip.

It's shallow, says the phosphorent whisper
and the night too warm not to splash,
there's too much pain, the bridge creaks
leave behind, leave behind
you haven't anything to lose.

The winds buzz in your heart
disappear without a sound
nobody will know
nobody will care.

A few feet is not a great fall
and never greater than all the pain
you so silently suffered.

Once I stopped, tempted
almost inviting her to **** me in.

The coils rose and drew me in.

They said I jumped.

They could never know
I made peace with pain.

Winter return-
Briefly-

Thorn
Blood drip
Drips onto snow-

One harsh word
From you and
I
Is undone
To
0

Please-
Gentle-
Return the Spring

It seemed easier
to fall in love
with a stranger
across the sea
someone he would
never have to meet
never have to be
courageous enough
to talk to

So he did...
or at least
pretended to...

his heart failed
to notice the difference
or at least
it played along

and he smiled
a sad weary smile
but there was joy
tucked into the
corner of his lips

and that was
comfort enough
to allow him to sit
in his solitude
without the need
to feel lonely