Catch his eye.
Blink twice.
Smile coyly.
As he heads towards you, turn your head.
Walk away.
But swing your arms, just so.
In a way that'll give him the chance to catch your hand in his.

Nudge him playfully on the shoulder.
Laugh at everything he says.
Unless he's pouring his heart out to you.
Then, listen intently.

Let him be a gentleman.
Let him pay for dates.
Just make sure you pick the cheapest thing on the menu.

Eat.
Don't order a salad and pick at it; it's a waste of food.
Don't starve yourself in an effort to appear borderline anorexic.
You'll have to deal with awkward tummy grumbles later.

Don't let him objectify you,
But accept all his compliments graciously.
Believe him when he tells you you're beautiful.

But don't get too comfortable.

Be insecure.
Because it means you don't take him for granted.
Because it means you appreciate him.
Because it means you care.

Tell him when you're worried.
Tell him when you're scared.
And let him wrap you in his arms and tell you it's ok.
Let him tell you everything will all work out.
And let yourself believe him.

Trust him completely,
But not too quickly.
Because the heart is fragile;
It must transfer hands slowly.

Realize that you love him.
If you cannot bring the words to your lips, then tell him with your eyes.
Tell him in the way your hands fit together.
Tell him with soft kisses.

And know that he'll understand the words behind your silence.

I sat at my desk, poised.
Calculated.
Pencil in hand, I wrote
each line slow and straight
so that the page would be a page of print
marks of lead so mechanical that the answers had to be right.
I sigh.
Anxious.
In my little town,
my small world was everything.
It was massive and impressive.
Daunting. Terrifying.
Each little breeze would pick me up
and throw me across the room,
leaving me winded.
Breathless.

Now I sit on the couch,
leaning my head against his shoulder.
My words are a scrawl,
a scribbled mix of loopy cursive and hurried print
racing across a notebook
crookedly propped on my knee.
I sigh.
Content.
The city rises and falls,
the steady thump of my heart.
Silent and small in comparison to the rambunctious world
swirling in circles
over and over again.
It is bustling and unnerving.
Promising. Intoxicating.
The papers beneath me flutter as the wind picks up,
but I stand my ground.
Afraid.
But undeterred.

Unparalleled beauty,
a reflection in the mirror.
To the world's inattentive eye,
it couldn't be clearer.
Smiling, she shone,
her appearance alluring.
At first glance, she was gorgeous,
beauty only maturing.
A mirror, she was used
by others, free and unfettered.
As they primped and they powdered,
flipped their hair, fixed their sweaters.

Whitewashed into a white bread world,
the masquerade was what mattered,
the layers of paint covering the cracks,
not the disheartened soul, broken and battered.

She reflected the world's superficial dream,
hiding the emotional menagerie.

Not a girl; she never spoke,
A fragile mirror,
she didn't bend, she broke.

The world's superficial abuse
made insecure cracks become fissures.
Distorted lines marring her figure.

Smiles became sneers
pitifully given by peers.

Taunts left her shattered.

Jagged shards.

Scattered.

What do you do when you wake from your sleep?
Do you mumble and grumble, or not make a peep?
Do you throw your covers overhead, escaping all time
To return to your sweet dreams, where nothing will bind?

When the day dawns and work needs to be done,
Sometimes we can't help but just want to run
From the stresses of life as they beat and they batter,
As they wait at your door, their knocks getting louder.

Some people frown; they groan and they pout,
Others, unfazed, just dawdle about.
There are people who jump up to greet the day,
While others, brows furrowed, shake their heads in dismay.

When I wake, I don't toss and turn.
I don't frown, although there's something I yearn.
Each day now, I wake with a smile on my face,
For my mind thinks only of our fingers, enlaced.

And the comfort I feel, wrapped tight in your arms,
Keeping me safe, guarding me from all harm.
The thought of your voice, soft in my ear,
Leaves my mind muddled yet simultaneously clear.

When people you know become people you knew,
When friends become strangers you just can't get through to.
Change happens so quickly as time rushes past,
You can try all you want, but close ties just won't last.

The crooked smile you once sought can't be found,
In its place a cold, deep, unfamiliar frown.
This path that I take, it's all on my own,
There's no trace of the warm house I'd once called a home.

I try to let go, escape old memories with age,
But the harder I try, the tighter the cage.
Memories once false, now memories true.
Rosy retrospection, now splotches of blue.

The pleasant memories, once neat and pristine,
Full of pastel colors: pinks, yellows and greens,
Now sneer scathingly, they're superficial and fake.
The past, once so beautiful, now a giant mistake.

8-years-old, he comes alone
Bruised and battered to a broken home
Tears in his eyes that he won't let out
Because his father once said life's nothing to cry about
For years, he had a bulls-eye pinned to his back
He was nothing but the target of taunts and attacks
He didn't feel love, just punches and shoves
Once, he'd tried praying for help from above
Sometimes he called the lockers he's shoved into, home
Now laying, ice cold, his parents insist they had never known
Because as he got older, he learned how to hide the scars
Learned to smile even while he felt caged behind bars
Growing up, his mom said kisses would make it all better
Now all that's left of him is a body and a letter

Only 15, nowhere near an adult
How could they ever think she could handle the insults
Staring at her emaciated body, all she saw was fat
It's what the media told her: short, ugly, a brat
She let boys take advantage; they'd said it'd make her feel better
Their hands rubbing the skin and bones beneath her sweater
Until no one would touch her, too brittle to break
No one wanted to **** her, to make that mistake
But to her, losing touch meant she was no longer wanted
A feeling that left her cadaverous body empty and haunted
No one stopped her, they looked on as she stopped taking bites
They just watched as she gave up the will to fight

Kisses can only help for so long
But there comes a point where we can no longer be strong

Your eyes meet mine
Piercing, I'm
Caught unaware
Scared, unprepared

Your stare leaves me naked
I can no longer fake it
I'm so confused and unsure
Hesitant, wanting more

Your hands trail slowly
I'm losing all control of me
Intimate, scorching heat
My heart can't help but skip a beat

Your fingers tracing down my spine
Makes me think we've nothing but time
Their path is leisurely, unhurried
Winding, arching, and unworried

Silence falls, cheeks flushed red
Leaning in, I press my head
Soothingly, against your chest
Hearing each and every breath

You inhale deep
Open your mouth to speak
At a loss for words
All unsaid is heard