There we were.

Standing by the lake,
me with your jacket on my shoulders shaking from the cold.

Holding the rose you made out of a napkin in my hand.

You were laughing in embarrassment when you handed it to me.

And I knew in that moment.
You had me.

You put a spell on me.

You released the butterflies.

Strolling on the bridge
above the lake
as the boards shake
rumbling under your feet.

Shades of autumn glow
in the midst of the nightfall
paints of trees so tall
around this lovely land.

Take in the scenery
as it glares off your eyes
bringing a pleasing surprise
each and every color.

She awakes
as the dawn nearly awakens
Rising above the river banks
the moon is slowly disappearing.

She walks on the pasture
watching the lake ripple
as the wind brushes against her
she looks to the sky.

A blue light sky
a color between dark and light
shines where the flowers lie
turned to periwinkle dandelions.

Her hand picks up the tips
as her breath touches the top.
Nearly brushing her lips
watching where the petals go.

A Mid Summers Day©

It is the perfect summer’s day
The suns warmth on my face
The lake calm as glass on a table
I sit there bobbing like a piece of driftwood

The lapping of water a serenade to peacefulness
The call of a loon nearby
The thumbs up
The deafening roar and ever so more

Every muscle in my body now tense
The knees bent and arms extent
I am propelled forward like a missile
The defining moment arrived, shall I fail or survive

At first I waiver like a giraffe’s first steps into life
The wind sweeps back my hair
The summer heat flushes my face
Like a blow dryer working its pace

Now I glide effortlessly as if standing on water
The shoreline passing at ever increasing speed
Exhilaration is now my need
Round and round we go as if in slow mo

Then once again my legs do go quiver
Adrenalin has met its match as exhaustion arrives
One minute on water the next I’m in
To shore, a beer, a smile and maybe a grin

Life of a water skier

Andreas Simic©

The condensation slowly begins
To eat a hole in
The cotton of my jeans
And I've been through this enough
To know
I'm not alone in it
But I can't help but feel empty.

The dripping grass emits it's gasses
filling the air with the sweet smell of
freedom and October;
The plants releasing their last breath into the world
before the snow comes
and brings death upon us all.

Even in this facade of freedom I feel trapped
Caging myself within the confines of a small
One-bedroom apartment that's supposed to be "home".

The soaking corpses of thriving flowers
and the sweet tickle of chirping crickets
are drowned out by the overwhelming sadness
that's begun to overthrow my lungs,
echoing throughout my limbs as it
sloshes through my eardrums and soaks my shoes

Dear god, why am I still hurting?
It's been 9 years and I still can't escape.
This depression has stolen every last part of me.
Until it's all I have left.

And yes, out here, I feel free
Away from the judgement
Where no one can touch me
Connected with the Earth
Simply observing all that surrounds me.

And of course I can hide from my anxiety
But even feeling the cleanest sand between my feet
And deafening my mind with these crashing waves around me
I can't run from the demons eating at the tatters of my soul
Because they will find a way to lure me back in
To disconnect me from the beauty that surrounds me
Leaving me dying alone on the cold, dark concrete
that lines my broken memories
Bleeding out these sins until I no longer feel empty

Threading this needle through
Each element incomplete
Tied together with the roughest sinews
Slowly leaving the whole for me

Slowly life becomes whole for me

Blowing in the morning breeze
Like each blade between the weeds
Delicate reeds, unresistant
Pulled so consistently, but still unbroken

Before I know it
I'm draining the filth from the basin
Within my bones
Flowing freely through my soul
And at last away from my core

A neon glow around the only
Temporary
Sun I have

Necessity can be persuasive
In bringing out the best I have

A short walk away
Waves barely breaking
Rocks and sand might not make
For the prettiest scene up close
But from my post here
They mostly look right

Entrapped by the dying light
Enthralled as the last rays fade
As the night slowly takes
The sky away from the blazing heat
The hues fade
Blink once and nothing changes

Close your eyes and it will change

Companionship in solitude
Finding yourself alone, even as
The one you found a home with
Sits mere feet away
That's only how it seems
Longing for it to stay this way

Life and brevity
A match made once
Strike it up
And go up in smoke
The flames may warm
But warmth in cold
That's something real
If you can manage