you said you'd rather talk about the weather
than feelings

i like to compromise
so here goes nothing:

"red skies in the morning,
sailors take warning."

little do they know the deep red
and touch of pink
is actually just the blush
in my cheeks
that you put there with
two kisses
early today

"90 percent chance of rain and sunshine."

my mother's mother
used to blame sun-showers on satan.
"he's beating his wife again,"
the old woman would croak.

i now roll my eyes
as i think back to that remark
made on the back porch
on a hot, rainy
florida summer's day.

call it ironic
to hear thunder rumble
and feel fat drops of rain
hit you in between your brow
on a day with no grey cloud in sight
call it whatever you want.

i silently rejoice with the earth's sky
for crying along with me,
all while smiling.

sometimes a boy is the sunshine
and i am so full of love
that i burst with my own
raindrops
i call 'happy tears.'


"hurricane leila"

my eyes are damp
and probably smudged
with black kohl eye-liner
but they are bright.

my eyes are calm,
the conditions surrounding
are wild.

they say the eye
of the hurricane
is the calmest point of a storm.

when it feels like
all else is going to shambles,
when gusts of wind pick up fast,
and rain is falling harder by the second,
just look into my eyes,
darling.

you are safe here.