loving you is like the wind
the way my lungs fill with air
when I breathe you in

loving you is like the sun
the way your skin keeps me warm
when the cold nights come

if falling asleep in your arms
means waking up to the same alarm
then I've never wanted to fall as hard

loving you is like loving your heart

won't you slow down
take a chance to look around
the world is so much brighter with you in it, i've found
take it all in, all the smells and the sights and the sounds

you're only just a kid
at 8 years old, you've got the whole sky to be seen
for you, magic is as real as the stars and the galaxies in between
won't you slow down

you're only just a teenager
at 16 years old, you've got the whole world at your feet
youre driving now, but don't go too fast because these years are fleeting
won't you slow down

you're only just a mother
you've got a husband and a family of 3
before you know it, your kids will move away and plant their own seeds
won't you slow down

suddenly you're 70 years old
thinking if all the memories and you look around
your time on this earth coming to an end - you're heaven bound
why couldn't you slow down

love is a funny thing, it's true
sometimes it seems made up
until it happens you
until you find yourself in a crowded room
and you realize , suddenly
that maybe this world was made for just two

you've grown up
with the notion
that you're at fault
for all your flaws

you've convinced yourself
that your shoulders
are an okay place
for other people's problems to fall

you've got this twisted idea
that you're responsible
for other's mistakes,
that somehow you're the one to blame

           you've got it all wrong

you should never apologize
on behalf of other's actions
that's like saying sorry
for being too compassionate

your heart is as real
as the sun in the sky
your mind is just evil
an enemy telling you lies

don't fall for any of it
look in the mirror
wipe away all your tears
and tell yourself, always:

it's not your fault
it's not your fault
it's not your fault

*it is not your fault

sand and saltwater sweat
fills my nostrils
as we lay side by side on
the shore.
if love was an ocean,
then I've never wanted to
drown more.          
                             l.r.

i love you mom
you've watched me grow up &
you've watched me leave home
but i promise i'm not gone

i love you mom
you've smiled at my best &
you've stuck with me through my worst
i now know right from wrong

i love you mom
your tough love toughens me up &
your witty humor keeps me young
if only you could tuck me in at every dusk and wake me up at every dawn

i love you mom
even when i don't show it &
even when i don't say it
i feel it more and more as the days go on

i love you mom
your heart and your warmth
are the closest things on this earth
to living proof of God's love

this is for you, mom