We may all seem different,

but at the end of the day,

we’re all the same in lots of ways.

No matter where we’ve been,

or who we’ve seen

The consequences of our actions

ultimately add up.

It’s not just a dream.

We must not fear,

And if we stand up,

the goodness within

will overpower.

This is enough.

We may have different beliefs,

labels and signs,

But if we are true to ourselves

it will all be just fine.

And when we reach a point in our lives

when it’s time to say,

stop crying,

I knew it would happen anyway.

Accepting and loving,

this is my virtue.

Open and honest,

I hope I have taught you.

Overcome your prejudice

and make ends meet.

You know I always say,

don’t do it in your home

if you won't do it on the streets.

The dreams you reach for
In these tall trees, bleed
On your three year old fingers
The darkest and sweetest fruits
Hang in high places, others
Reach with ladders.
But together, in nearby fields, we can grasp raspberries
Stain our hands with red juice
You wipe on your white cotton dress
With flowers falling
Past your scraped knees,
And all around us
Nothing but flowers.

Hey, I just wanted to say something.

I think a lot of times we don't appreciate people or the things that they do until they're gone.
We're so wrapped up in the bad that our eyes are too blind to the good.
It was a good run. We had so many good times that outweighed the bad.
Sorry I didn't appreciate them until now.
Thank you for the memories I will treasure
and come back to now and then.
I miss you and want to see you again
maybe not the way I did before,
but just to tell you all the things I wasn't able to say until this moment.
I hope you have forgiven me for the things I said, did.
Because in truth they did not matter
All that does is now.

You lay in my room,
kind and gentle.
I run my fingers through
your softness
and I feel nostalgic.
By one single touch,
the memories of my childhood
are able to come.
After enduring brutal waves
and rough sand
that threaten to harshen
your complexion,
I am amazed at how you, stones,
after traveling across lakes
and rivers
remain small and humble,
full of hope.
You are wise and old.
You have seen things
that no others have.
And I am always brought back
to our summers in Michigan
where I search for you.
Stones, you care for my soul
just as much as I care
for your presence and existence.
But stones,
you don’t ask for much.
You are pleased with life.
You take whatever comes to you.
Whether it may be rocky shores,
or soft endearing hands.
And this, stones,
is what puzzles me the most.
You are always there
for me to admire,
never minding to be
dropped or fiddled with.
Always content.
And your love for me,
is unconditional.
Oh stones, why are you so selfless?
I have taken you
from your natural habitat,
the bedrock of Illinois,
the shores of Lake Michigan.
I have put you on display,
far from home.
How have you forgiven me
for doing such a thing?

It's the rich soil

wafting its way to your nose,

enlightening your senses.

It's the longing

as you gaze out the window,

trapped inside.

It's the melancholy,

as old memories seem to appear,

by a single drop.

I take a breath

and the sky opens up

drenching me in its silence.

A new beginning.

And here, in this moment

of rain, I long to be no where else

but in open fields

dancing in earth's tears.