pony-tailed playmate
head tucked in her shirt
gazing steadily down
at her toes in the dirt

chaos tiptoes around her
naive oblivion
journeys in far away lands
just west of the meridian

watercolor fairy tales
bleeding outside the lines
unaware of the danger
unaware of the signs

let me sit with you, darling
in the dampened flower beds
and paint a new world
for us in our heads

I am torn into pieces like confetti,
                   tired from this fight; my soul is empty.

I want to     F
                       L
                     O
                        A
                           T
                                   away and be here no more,
          to find a peaceful place where I’m no longer in this war.