I close my eyes, and sleep, my rest earned
The day's done, let tomorrow itself worry
If my eyes yet open, lest filled with songs
I lay still, and let the day itself worry
Thus I rise soul renewed spirit uplifted
Before dawn, at noon, the next day, or never

The sun is shining,
The bees are buzzing,
The laps of water gently break against the shoreline,
And for once all three dogs are gentle and still.

Time marches ever forward,
Collapsing the waveform of our reality,
Testing our love,
But never breaking it.

After 11 years you'd think I would have learned something.
I'm not sure that I have.
When Love is perfect in the beginning,
Doesn't it stand to reason it would be perfect in the end?

And yet, the end is neither nigh nor seen,
For when perfection begins and ends,
What could possibly be in the middle,
If not a more perfect perfection realized?

Our Love may be perfect,
Never boring,
Always changing,
Yet unyielding.

11 years ago we made a decision,
That forever changed our lives,
For the better,
As today I'm only jelly and you are clearly my peanut butter.

A match made in heaven?
A match made on Earth?
Nay.
A match made for our souls.

Soulmates and soulmatages.
Beebros and beebees.
Our little family, the best one,
Is a microcosm of the Universe trying to understand itself.

So what have I learned all this time?
That I have never learned to love you.
I just do.
So far and for now and probably forever.

Happy 11 years my love.
Will you for to be continued to be married to me?

The day after my Aunt Ro died
a doe approached within a few feet
as if confused about where she was
and what she should be doing.
I could neither comfort nor advise her.
I let her be not considering until later maybe
I had witnessed the transmigration of a soul.
But in the end I applied Ockham’s razor—

you rarely see what you believe.
A mile further along my morning stroll
I was greeted cheerfully by a flock
of cedar waxwings I always consider it a blessing
to encounter. Such social, amiable beings
I hope Aunt Ro will join, so sure are they of who they are—

perfume samples at the airport
lukewarm bite-size samples at Costco
the first chapter of an ebook.

a whiff, a taste, a peek.

do you want more?
will you commit to buying the full product?
or will you keep searching?
chasing? craving?

it seems to be inexplicably conditional -
for some, you’ll stop dead in your tracks,
knowing to stock up.
for many, you’ll move on,
forgetting you ever halted to try it.

but maybe you’ll remember how it felt,
deep-down it resonated with you,
and it’ll affect your other future decisions.

what makes us fall in love?
what makes us tether,
souls tied,
minds aligned,
keep choosing to fall with each other?

In the heart of the university maze,
We found each other.
Laughter echoed through lecture halls,
Jokes and secrets within those four walls.

We shared dreams, fears, and plans,
Unconditional love.
In the library's hush, in the campus green,
Your presence was the best I'd ever seen.

But last month, the world went still,
Your absence, a void nothing can fill.
Butterflies now bring a silent tear,
Sunflowers bloom, but you're not here.

Brownies we ate with bittersweet care,
Your laughter, a whisper I still hear.
Memories of you fill my days,
Memories of you warm my soul.

In every butterfly, I see your gaze.
In every sunflower, I see your smile.

In the depths of the soul, a spark ignites bright,
Two flames unite, dancing in the night.
Soulmates found, a connection so rare,
Like flames entwined, a love beyond compare.

No water can quench this fiery embrace,
Bound together in a timeless space.
Through trials and triumphs, hand in hand,
Together forever, a love that will stand.

In the glow of their love, the world fades away,
Two souls as one, in perfect display.
In the dance of the flames, a love so true,
Finding your soulmate, a dream come to fruition.

The depth of his heart,
like a book shrouded in
mysticism,
wonder,
anticipation.
I flip through the pages,
until my eyes grow tired,
and my hand aches.  
The end nowhere in sight.
Whenever I almost put the book down,
I get a tiny insight into his heart.
Playing me like a fool into
short-term satisfaction,
and long-term despair.

Don’t do this,
Don’t do that.
Don’t do this,
Don’t do that.
Questioning everything ever spoke.
Word of God?
Written by man.
Word of law?
Written by money.
Word Wide Web?
Written by mimics.
Sent from the heavens.
Sentenced to the depths of hell.
Don’t do this,
Don’t do that.
Don’t do this,
Don’t do that.
illist **** ever,
is my ****** vision.
Instinct infact infected
by infinity.
4 inns whipped is a dream of false livin’.
4 scores a symphony,
livid through me.
Peace prosperity,
is an achievement
of dust settlin’.
Sediment seeded seasoned veterans.
I breathe,
I speak,
in granite,
assumed ******.
Instead eyes locked in sight.
Sobriety isn’t suppressed.
I don’t need to confess,
but when I lay my soul to stress,
the expound will be found in heavens bound.
It’s easy to connect the dots,
but it’s difficult to figure the picture out.
Don’t do this,
Don’t do that.
Don’t do this,
Don’t do that.
and I’m still dancing like its a victory every time I step foot *****, respect.

Within the depths of our minds, clouds may form,
Blocking the sun, causing a mental storm.
But remember, dear soul, after every storm,
A rainbow appears, bringing colors warm.

Through the darkness and the rain,
We find strength to ease the pain.
The clouds may linger, but they will pass,
Leaving behind a rainbow at last.

So hold on tight through the cloudy days,
For the rainbow shines in mysterious ways.
Mental health is a journey, not a race,
Embrace the storms, for they will be replaced..