I love you
not just three words
that float from my tongue
to your delicate ear
do not cast them aside
they are not mundane
nor spoken in vain
they reflect your perfection
your beauty, my world
bask in them
feel their radiance
like warm fire

The sadness settled on my skin
Like a warm fluffy blanket
Now all I do is cry

Our minds are so morbidly scary
In bouts of silence and dark
That we can imagine death, destruction, blood, A SPARK.

Knives cutting holes in our paper-thin skin,
Kids throwing rocks till their brains turn pulpy,
Bridges rocking and creaking, skin hitting ice,
Smashing our souls on concrete..

It cures a hidden desire, worse than lust or need or want.

And on that note:
The world is turning
And with it, morbid minds.

Fallen stars on parched land...

Brought with them a piece of heaven...

The child in me ran to collect... in fragile hands...

To hang them in tender threads from the window...

So as to light up my heart upon a dark day!

Keeps you all in line
this imaginary thing
they gave the name time

               Kelly McManus

Books have been companions
I still remembering learning to read

Kindegarten in Ohio
Public school indeed

Hardy Boys for my birthday
The Shattered Helmet and Yellow Feather

Tornado through our front yard
Dark clouds, winter weather

Tolkien in the 70s
Tolkien still today

Oxford's dreaming spires
Ancient things that may

Lead me ever on
Dear God, please I pray

Part of life lives in current moment
The wind
The tree
The earth
For hearts to feel

Part of life doesn’t know where to go
What’s the next life will bring you
Could be a garden
Could be a heaven
You could never expect

Part of life has no end
It goes on with its soul
Like clouds turn into rain
Rain turn into a lake
And a lake turn into clouds
The soul, the water never ends

What good's the science
when geniuses make weapons
someday fools will use                                

                          Kelly McManus