the bittersweet word left my lips
but it kept the other words at bay -
the ones I could never, ever say.
I dragged those deeply rooted words,
pulling them until they wouldn't budge.
I wrapped them in my voice and let them go
until thorny feelings seized my legs
and dug into my soft, tender flesh.
my fingers bled as I separated the thorns.
they shrank, withering into the soil.
and once they did, I whispered, "goodbye"
for the second time, and I was finally free.

two adjacent piano keys
yelled over each other
for a moving spotlight,
a crinkle of the eyes,
and a sweet, tender smile.
instead, their noise
made ears beg for peace
until eyes glanced away,
and they were left alone
with their discordant sounds.

Very little makes me feel softer than the warm glow of candlelight; though this incident of loveliness will be followed by an inexorable decline - a humbling reminder that these moments are fleeting. I will neglect the idea that a mere gentle breeze holds the power to extinguish the light that keeps me feeling beautifully tender - I will not think about how a candle simply cannot burn forever.

Tender, outstretched hands — a gentle invitation for the touch of acceptance, of which I have waited patiently for. I now not only hear affirmations of growth; I feel them too. Through the blessings of beautiful opportunities, I have grown fruitful, which I pay for in eternal gratitude. I seep into the earth, the trees, wind and sun, and slowly slip into a warm oblivion.

as I'm living in my peaceful world,
an unfamiliar person enters.
he looks small from where I am.
"it looks like he's glaring at me."
"he seems like a bad person."
"I'm way better than him."
the thoughts hit the ground
as solid, heavy bricks,
and my heart pounds in response.
more bricks form a disjointed wall.
I step on the bricks as I climb.
I peek at him over the top
as he approaches the wall.
I notice his soft, kind eyes,
and his soul warms me up.
I slowly descend the wall. 
the bricks start to fall,
landing right behind us.
my heart stops pounding,
and it gently whispers,
"those bricks never fit together."
I give him a tender hug,
and I let him into my heart.

It’s plain and chaotic
And unique and divine
The beam of her caring
In every tender glance

if i needed to hold you close for hours and not let go until our lungs stopped breathing,
if i wanted to wrap everything in pretty paper just so i could gift it all to you,
if i dreamt of you every night, soft and pliant or wild and running around inside my head,
if i told everyone around us about how kind you are, how lucky i am to cherish you, how great we feel together,

if i loved you so much that
i stopped trying to hide it within me,
would that be too much ?

I think you never really move on from 'that' person. The pain just becomes more dull where it once was so sharp, sending daggers in to your oh so tender heart.

A.C.

God left a long time ago and took the
tenderness
      with
them