Between volumes and syllables.
From a piece of paper
Folded with smitten hands and
Hidden between

Books of lesser interest to a
Young heart in first love,
To the isles and isles of scrolled
Knowledge lost in the blasphemous

Fires of Alexandria, my story
Remains only for as long as I
Do. Punctuations and dreams
That will forever matter less to

Another than their own. My
Story is my doing. My being.
My loves and dislikes.
My failures and successes weigh

Exactly as little as names of
Kings and gods long forgotten,
When printed with other drops
Of the same ink as theirs.

I love my girlfriend's answer
To questions of an afterlife:
*"I hope it all ends when it ends.
I have been given enough.

Give my space to other souls.
All I am; all I have,  
I am comforted to think I only
Borrow."

Just sitting here in my tent
No radio, trying to do everything on my phone
Did I say peaceful? In my tree there's an owl.
Nothing strange about that you might say
Well this ones got the biggest mouth on it
That I've ever heard
Never eaten an owl before but this ones pushing its luck
Earlier today I had a few hours fishing and yes I did catch a few
I also watched dragon flies of ever colour
and the aptly named damsel flies dancing on the breeze
No choreography but still perfect synchronisation
There's so much wild life here and it's easier to spot now the leaves are falling
Multi coloured snow, russet, red, yellowy green, browns
Like autumnal snow drifts round my feet.
You know even if I could I would never harm that old owl
After all he belongs here while I'm just a guest
I like it here under this tree

I thunder down corridors
the wind in my hair
days spent staring at the ceiling
has made me a little crazy
So tonight I roll with my brother
taking corners sideways
howling with laughter
as we make our bid for freedom
and the sweet night air.

grateful for another day
with breath in my lungs

there were days when
I used to pray for death,
but today I pray to grow
so I can be more useful
and to help another who
is suffering

You think you have me figured out already,
don't you, Carol Lynn?
Well, I hope not, because it would mean the chances are good,
That you actually have.  This would be sad because it means,
there may be no intrigue remaining,
nothing new to discover,
and you might go away,
bored with me and the evil,
you must, inevitably find,
buried in my side like a stone.

There may come a day when you finally see,
Where this tension, releasing, comes from.
You said I was wound, unbound, like a spring.
The watch of my appeal always did have a short run.

So, a relationship moves toward it's end, right from the start.
Interest can wane, obscenities uncovered, doubt can enter,
and set up shop like it always does.  

What we should hope for instead is a slow burning ember,
nurtured each breath with whispers, with mindfulness,
and contentedly, casually, delay it's demise for just one more day.

My son runs, wrapping arms around
my nebulous waist.

"l love you, Mom!"  He squeezes tighter,
as if letting go would be his black hole.

"I love you, too, " I squeeze back, absent mindedly.  (Where is the cream? I need coffee.)

"I love you more!" he breathes, without pause.
He gazes into my eyes,
searching my planets.

"Oh no, that can't be true," I retort.
I forget the coffee, his eyes are starlight.

"I love you to infinity!" he exclaims,
staring harder.

He wants to sail the Milky Way with me.

"Me too," I reply, and remember oxygen tanks.

I'm speaking in light years, and I hope the sound waves will catch up to him.

His face cracks into a million years of forever, before he lets go,
dancing across the universe of our livingroom,
his solar system intact.

At least for now.

I sat down with you
In the coolness of the night air
Watching you sip Dr. Pepper
After a long day's work
I listened to the sounds of summer
Watched a few stars twinkling
In the jet colored sky
We were happily chit-chatting
About this and that
We were all together
Just us three
Oh, those summer evenings
Gone forever
Only shadows remain
Touching my heart

**~Marian~

Future is cocooned in the dreams you weave