Let Me Give Her Diamonds
by Michael R. Burch

Let me give her diamonds
for my heart's
sharp edges.

Let me give her roses
for my soul's
thorn.

Let me give her solace
for my words
of treason.

Let the flowering of love
outlast a winter
season.

Let me give her books
for all my lack
of reason.

Let me give her candles
for my lack
of fire.

Let me kindle incense,
for our hearts
require

the breath-fanned
flaming perfume
of desire.

Keywords/Tags: Valentine, gifts, diamonds, roses, books, candles, incense, perfume, desire, love

He knelt before the idol - willingly
Head down, eyes closed - he mutters
Call it the calm before the storm
He begs for his life then strolls off to claim another's.
Flickering candle- one of many, stands homage to his faith.

The smaller candle to the left
Testifies the faith of a quite young one
With a grin on her face - she lists her wish-of-the-day
She hopes for the test, her bestie and her come first
But if push comes to shoves, she adds: "It's always me first."

The smallest of all yet the dirtiest of them all-
Burns ever so slowly-hides the prayer of a mother
Fighting battles all on her own. She fights and she loses.
Her baby cries for milk; her body craves for the kick
She hopes for a miracle - some quick money for a fix.

There was one -  the longest candle of all
I could only wonder the reason for this install.
Is it a gratitude token or a way for prayers to reach faster?
Or does the longest burning candle have its prayers fulfilled first?
Just then the wind blew;

The tallest one flickered and the rest followed through,
But all the candle lighters were on their way
Waiting for their own miracles - they went their way
Holding tightly to their faith,
Faith as small as a mustard seed.

day is coming and i am night, apocalypse, contained collapsing chaos candlelight. i am the shadows in the corners of your sleep paralysis plights and i am your hallucinations. i can't seem to find the root of it all. take me to the stars and leave me there so i can find some truth in the nothing. i am night, i am no one. i don't want to be afraid anymore and can you do that for me? i'll close my doors and crack open the windows and find the dust of my bones on the shards. take my hands and melt them into copper, bronze flower stems. cut my throat and pour the red clay into your palms and shape me a ***. place the flowers within and throw the whole mess out the window for me. maybe they'll be discovered by the darkness and the stars will come out in despair, delusion, delight. maybe one day we'll all disappear and no longer Be. maybe one day we'll figure out what it all means.

Wish a little wish
Turn it into a castle
Tread a little lightly
Blowing out the candle

I blew out the candles
The curtains caught fire
What I hoped was one day,
I will live to inspire

But I haven’t seen the sun
Since I closed my self inside
I thought it would be for a day
But it slipped into a drought
   doubts crept into my mind
I thought I heard my name but
The walls were proofed of sound

Will it be different
When tomorrow comes around?




~If you have a little flame, you can light up the world. Just make sure to close your eyes when you make a wish~ - someone I don’t remember.

We sat on the railing, high above the building, like we were on the edge of the world.
The moon breathed our names, and they soaked into the purple sea.
Raindrops land on my hands, softly pattering against my palms.
The candles, fizzle out, bathing the world in darkness.
But the raindrops on my hands turn into stars, and suddenly, I realized that you were the brightest thing I could ever see.
I wanted to show you, but you were gone. I looked down, to see you fall.
I close my eyes when you hit the ground, but that doesn’t stop me from crying.
I get to the ground as soon as I can.
The neon violet light shines against your skin, making you shine more than I had ever seen you.
You’re right there, blinding me, yet no one sees you.
They’re so sharp, the shards of your broken heart.
They surround you, glinting and sparkling as the starlight rain falls on your face.
I pick up a piece and draw one last picture for you.

Nothing I have to be proud,
Sixteen candles, and one falls down
Sixteen dresses in that closet
I'm turning into one now.
Worn out,
Because I grew out,
I WILL shout
till I'm thrown
out.