I will
                                                       separate
                                                      the truth
                                                 from your lies

                                                          I will
                                                       fantasize
                                                     that we are
                                                   friends forever

                                                        ­  I will
                                                         devour
                                                       the night
                                                 until day breaks

                                                          I will
                                                          wa­ke
                                                     to navigate
                                                   my life alone

                                                          I will
                                                         protect
                                                   my shrinking
                                                       ­  dignity

                                                        ­  I will
                                                         survive
                                                  these moments
                                                         ­ so say ...

                                                     *good-bye

Despair is a tight suit to wear
Even inhaling is restricted
Lungs imploding from the weight
Not of happiness or hate

Void of feeling, I'm reeling, then kneeling
Family and friends offer comfort
I just brush them aside
How can I let anyone inside?

Dare I end this night with slumber
Before this fear can delight
I must will the sun to rise
For there isn't much hope at the end of a rope ...

Alas! YOU have arrived
To soak up my words
May you drink them in
Delight in them
For they were penned for YOU
I know not your name
Nor will I see your face
But, you were on my mind when I wrote them

I knew you would come one day

And be touched by these few words
Not yesterday, not tomorrow, instead today
How was I to know the time
The timing I leave to you

I am just glad you came

Its never too late to proceed
For the words in my poems
Are meant for just the right moment
Filling a need
Easing some pain
Perhaps they turn your frown upside down

That is why ...

I continue to write

And ...

YOU continue to read

Darkness swaddles moonlight,
Bamboo groves sing lullaby,
Love moves the still air.