(for a friend of mine who is slowly passing from a rare brain disease)

It is

the cruelest

of cuts

unkind.



the dying

from within.



a rattlesnake

strike that

found

it's mark.



who rots the

flesh and

rapes your

mind.



and then

takes

from you

a part

that could

not be

saved.



and like a

demon who

has  come to

visit you.



unwelcomed

and without

remorse,



sometimes

you will

sink deep

into it's

pain.



and a piece of

you will

be gone,



a high

price for

pay for

no chance

at salvation...



to this

new seed

that you

have

become.

I welcome

you.



in the darkest

of times,

in the depths

of your despair,



I will breathe

life into you,



and you

into me

as well.



in the

shadows

of your

solitude,



here is

where I

will come to

love you

best.

It is

late at

night,

your mind

and thoughts in

a million

pieces.



the winter

wind

blows through

the trees

like a beggar

running up

and down

this dead

end street.



a jab step

here a

jab step

there  never

one hundred

percent certain

of it's

own direction.



it runs

itself

exhausted,



like a kite

half broken

in the sky.



preparing to

crash hard.

upon your

heart.



this moment

you will

never forget



but after this

fate has

settled.

I will

stand waiting.



I will

carry

your broken

and weary

body home.





I will

not leave

you cold

in the

ground

unrecognized..



I will

not ever

let you

fall again.....





.

The moment is

incased

in shattered

glass

in your

head,



a memory

you wear

like cheap

clothing

torn and

a little bit

tattered

for all

to see.



it keeps

you a

prisoner

in your

day.



like the

sour taste

of a

spoiled

apple that

you can't get

out of

your mouth.



or a grapevine

broken from

your heart

that can't

find another

life to

take root..

within.



in moments

like these

I think about

you in

clouds

and send

you hope

and dreams

to look

forward to.



and cool

pillow thoughts

to lay your

head upon.



you are

not alone

look up.



in clouds



we are

there.

(for a friend who is passing from a rare brain disease)

This night

knows

the lie.



and it

wasn't

you.



only a

bleeding

glimpse of

something else

someone else.

tangled

there

struggling

in the

night.



a stunt

performer

without

a net.



not your

choice.



and that

one reality

sets you

free.



look

hard inside

your heart.



and the

lie ends.



and your

beauty

begins

again.



I have

seen it,

I have

felt it .



from the

very first

moment

you began

to cry.



the lie

has ended.

(for my friend who is passing from a slow spreading brain disease)

an ugly

disease of

innocence

yes.



but a

innocence

to be

born

again

just the

same.



the slight

lifting of

your face

to catch

a smile.



the pausing

of a moment

to let

the sun

radiate

your face.



a whisper

to the

evening

canopy of

stars,



to yourself

"this pain

will pass"



but they

are all

still

there for

you to

dream

and wish

upon.



to take

your breath

away.



in the

joy and awe

of a

moment.



when your

soul

holds still,



and the

universe

can be

found

beginning in

your eyes.



and you

smile back

in return.

I read

very carefully

the words

you write,



it is like

walking through

a ditch of

broken

pieces of

glass that

have been

thrown before

me.



i wish

you were

here to

guide me,



because

with each

piece of

you I try to

pick up

and hold

I bleed.



such are

the edges

around your

words.



but I bleed

gladly,



it is something

I do for

you without

question or

hesitation or

doubt.



so I

will stay awhile

on this page

with your

words tonight.



your poems

offer much.



and if

it kills

me I

will be

standing here,



waiting for

you someday



when you

walk out

the other

side.

In blackened

night,

I would

bend my

dreams

to you,



in your

moments of

doubt to

make you

whole.



I would

give my

eyes to you

to see,



whenever

yours might

tire from

the loss

of joy

or hopelessness

in your

smile.



and in

the ending

of a

moment

the breaking

of a heart,



I will salvage

through you

for anything

that remains,



and I will

hold you

high to

the sky

and sing

out to God

"yes!

my friend

is here. "



and as

wind blows

and dust

settles still,



I will dance

with you

upon your

sorrows,



and kiss

your brow

and chase

and find

salvation.



for only

the joy

of a

moment

inside your

eyes.



I would

dream of

you.



.