a  lost  cafe  hidden  by  the  tumult  of  a  rising
city;
    backpacking  through  lands  unknown  to  the  ascetic  individual.
in fields of  flowers and small  lakes  kept  secret  from   the   men

  of   business  who seek   the  thrill of  a  silent  corner  book store
and the  the bustle of   an  airport at

noonday,   quickly  and   quietly bypassing  a bashful  stranger  
   lost  in   lands  all   their   own.
in castles   on clouds   and   beds  of   rolling waves  
   only seen   by   creatures  unseen  by  
man    
     whose   joy  is   found  through   the  stable  beat
of feet    on  three am   pavement   and  a rhythmic  
    discovery of  wheels  against   earth    l e a d i n g   the way  to a        distant   land
surrounded by an    azure  sky    
          inhabited   solely  by the    deep   voice  of a   weary guitar.

  here  remain   the  lost  pieces   to  the   puzzle
     waiting   to   be   made   w  h  o  l  e
four  arms     four  legs     one   heart    one   soul
            one     being   too   powerful
left  in   two

   but  in  the  end
if  you  were  to  find  yourself  on  the  other  side
  of  life  never  crossing  the  path  of  another   soul in pursuit
of      your     own
   it    is   because   you   need   not   another
to   complete   a   soul   as   your   own
but    only    the  soul    you     already      are

    and    of    all  the souls   yours is the   most powerful    for it is
c o m p l e t e   as it    was   made.

the way you view the world
through rose colored eyes
looking towards the heavens lost in the sea
and the oceans in your veins
that run through your warm fingers
painting the sky a deep ocean blue
that glitters in your mermaid eyes.
i hope that when the stars in the everlasting skies
lose their fire and fall
you make a wish and light another fire in your heart
bright enough to burn through the fears
lost in the shadows of your soul.
promise me that when the ocean whispers your name
you will run forward into its cold embrace
with your arms spread wide
and you'll never look back
towards the rivers and lakes that once held you back
from who you are now.
and with the powerful waves that drip from your fingers
and billowing fires alight in your heart
i hope you never lose sight of the shore.

kiss your enemies.
keep them closer
to your heart.
let the demons play their part
on the inside of
your mind is the ruler
of the monsters in your head.
walk with them
hand in hand
down the pathways of your past.
let them dance with your emotions
and leave them there at last.
kiss your enemies
goodbye
and let the rain clouds of your
sorrows water the flowers
of yesterdays tomorrow.

Color inside the lines
  if you don't you will look
messy.
That's what they tell me.
      teachers.
              parents.
                   friends.
i can't find the colors.
     just keep looking.  you'll find them
that's what they tell me,
       always keeping me locked in.
i never could see that    outside    is where the colors are.

the world will never tell you
there are stars in your eyes
that it cannot compete with.
instead, it will tel you
"the sky is the limit,"
because as soon as you realize that the clouds
are merely closed doors to the heavens
it can no longer hold you in.
there is no force on earth strong enough
to stop the power behind your unspoken words,
to keep you from unlocking the gates of heaven,
and from breaking the roots of your past
that cannot contain the tumultuous fires in your heart.
and there are flowers in your thoughts
that reach infinitely higher than the depths of despair.

and yet the world will always tell you
that you will never be good enough,
when you already are.