nothing like jazz
to bring a community
together:

breezy summer evening
lawnchairs scattered
about the library lawn-

dignified grandmothers,
dancing toddlers,
long-haired ranchers,
hipster teens.
all sway to the beat.

smooth saxophone solo
bold trombone flair
drummer's voice crooning
wafts through the air

and for a song-long
moment,
time stands still
and we,
the motley assortment
of local folk
are a thriving,
living,
united
family.

Each day is like an empty page
And you choose what to write
Your choice of story, art, or song
To fill its pages white

That’s what I told you, but you laughed
You said you saw no cause
To ponder foolish metaphors
Much less sit down and draw

And as I watched you walk away
I recognized your crime
You filled your page with glaring blanks
And called it killing time

and if i slip into the fog
that clouds my mind today,
and if i don’t return again
but in those caverns stay,
and if i snap and vanish
in my mind’s wintry frosts,
please know i still exist somewhere
though wandering and lost

love these people
the crowds of strangers
that mill about me
in the city.
the looks on their faces:
smiles and frowns
sad lost eyes
determined stares.
we are one
somehow.
all nameless
lost in the shuffle
like a midnight masquerade.

yet we are known
each face
each soul
to the One
who whispers every name.

Care.
Do you?
Do you care?
Really now. Be honest.
Do you care that my heart is broken?
Shattered- shards scattered on the floor.
Your lack of empathy seems apparent.
Do you fear you're inept to comfort?
Do you delight in my sorrow?
Is your apathy blinding you?
My pain is drowning me.
I wonder now.
Do you?
Care.

One look.
That's all it took.

I glanced and saw
Right into your soul
Caught sight of raw
Pain; sorrow and woe.
Then with a blink
It vanished, all gone.
Everyone thinks
That you are so strong.

In that moment
I saw ache concealed;
I can't forget
What your eyes revealed.

i don't wonder if it's worth it.
but sometimes i get tired:

last night was so long-
up every hour
wiping his nose,
trying to soothe him.
after he awoke bright and early,
spent the morning whining,
and finally succumbed to
a restless nap,
i collapsed on the couch.
fought back tired tears
and felt like a flop;
when i heard that
whisper-voice:

thank you.
for taking care of My baby.

that's when i knew
every frustration
every coffee-dependent day
every single hour of
every sleepless night
was a gift to the One
who made this little man.

yes, some days i get tired.
but i always know it's worth it.

The person I thought I'd become
Has vanished suddenly;
And in her place I find myself-
Unsatisfactory.