Miles and miles of earth
Miles and miles of people unknown people
Miles and miles of ocean to large to imagine
Miles and miles of places  I have not been
Miles and miles of love no need for hate.
Miles and miles of wondering why why everyone is miles and miles apart in their thinking
Miles and miles apart!

I just woke up from a fuzzy dream
You never would believe the things that I have seen
I looked in the mirror and I saw your face
You looked right through me, you were miles away

All my dreams, they fade away
I'll never be the same
If you could see me the way you see yourself
I can't pretend to be someone else

You always love me more, miles away
I hear it in your voice, miles away
You're not afraid to tell me, miles away
I guess we're at our best, miles away

When no one is around then I have you here
I begin to see the picture, it becomes so clear
You always have the biggest heart
When we're 6.000 miles apart

Too much of no sound
Uncomfortable silence can be so loud
Those three words are never enough
When it's long distance love

You Always love me more, miles away
I hear it in your voice, miles away
You're not afraid to tell me, miles away
I guess we're at our best, miles away
So far away,

I'm alright
Don't be sorry, but it's true
When I'm gone, you realize
That I'm the best thing that happened to you

You always love me more, miles away
I hear it in your voice, miles away
You're not afraid to tell me, miles away
I guess we're at our best, miles away, so far away.

Lyrics from Madonna's song "Miles Away",  I have enjoyed the song for many years, thought others might too.
MADONNA lyrics are property and copyright of their owners. Written by Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Danja and Timbaland. (2008).

Miles and miles I have walked .. searching for you
In the bright aura of the mightiest sun God ,
The molten sands burning into my feet ,
But I kept searching for ur footprints on the sands ........

Miles and miles I have walked .. searching for you,
I've wandered in the infinite deserts of time,
Found an oasis on the road but it coudnt quench my thirst .. my pain ,
But I kept looking for u to tranquil me ..my pain ...........

Miles and miles I have walked .. searching for you,
I crossed over onto the barbwired territories of destiny ,
But Destiny is cruel ..she cut me deep and I walked wid my blood soaking into my blank future ,
but yet I kept searching for you leaving a message in red all over.........

Miles and miles I have walked ..searching for you,
In the various mirrors of my eyes I yearn to see ur reflections ,
Mirrors of my dreams shattered in them..pieces hurting bring liquid pain flowing down ,
In spite I keep searching coz that mirrors a part of u ........

Miles and miles I have walked ..searching for you ,
The endless search coudnt stop as death digs its fangs into my fading breath,
I've whispered a message in the wind .. in the hope to find you,
I'll keep searching for you .... Waiting always on the other side.......

So far away from her
But right there in her mind
Miles away... always miles away...

Bitter divisions come between them
Trying to pry them apart
Sending every obstacle
To rip them from each others embraces
Nothing changes between them
even as they are miles away... always miles away

He lays in bed remembering the feel of her hair on his skin
The man Thinks about the distance between them
She's miles away... she's always miles away

They're always miles away
The bitter divisions still impede upon their relationship
trying, desperately, to cause a rift
But they are miles away.

The miles between make the reunion sweeter

She cries and he screams
Only wanting each other...
But they are miles away.... always miles away

In the end... the endless miles **** them both

But they died and soared through the sky in each others arms

Do you remember the night we met?
How we talked for hours while you walked outside 250 miles away from me?
Do you remember the night after we met?
How I asked you what you were thinking about all the way over there,
And you told me you were thinking about me?
Do you remember when I asked you what it was about me that you were thinking,
And you told me you were thinking you were falling for me?
I wish you could remember how much I smiled, but you were 250 miles away.

Do you remember the night I told you I loved you?
How I pulled my car over in the middle of the night and called you from 250 miles away,
Because I couldn't go another second without telling you?
Do you remember the moment after I told you I loved you?
When you told me you loved me back?
Do you remember when we hung up?
How I said "I love you" and then you said "I love you too"?
I wish you could remember how much I smiled, but you were 250 miles away.

Do you remember the first time we were together?
How I got out of the car and saw you standing outside just smiling at me?
Do you remember how perfect that moment was?
How I couldn't stop staring at you because I had never wanted anything more,
And yet I knew there was still so much more to come?
Do you remember our first picture we took together?
How you said you hated it because you looked weird,
But I assured you how beautiful you were?
I remember how much you smiled, because for once we weren't 250 miles away.

Do you remember our first kiss?
How we sat on the balcony of the hotel looking at the ocean,
And you looked over at me right before our lips touched?
Do you remember that night in your car?
How we touched each other in ways I had never touched anyone else?
Do you remember the feeling we shared when we knew how close we had become?
And how we promised we would never trade that feeling for anything in the world?
I remember how much we smiled, because for once we weren't 250 miles away.

Do you remember how hard it was for me to let you leave?
How I cried hours before it was time, because I didn't want the week to end?
Do you remember sitting on the balcony for hours that day?
When all we did was sit with each other hand in hand,
And you kept kissing me because you knew it would make me feel better?
Do you remember our last kiss that night?
How I held you and tried so hard to not believe you had to get into your car,
And how you got into it and drove away?
I wish you could remember how much I cried, but it felt like you were 250 miles away already.

Do you remember a week ago when you broke my heart?
How you said being 250 miles away was too hard?
Do you remember how I didn't know what to say?
Because for the past 5 months you assured me that this was a forever thing,
And nothing would ever make you want to leave me?
Do you remember how you wanted me back the next day?
How you said you missed me and knew it was a mistake?
I wish you could remember how relieved I was, but you were 250 miles away.

Do you remember today when you've said no more than five words to me?
And how you've said no more than that every day since we got back together?
Do you remember how I asked you what was going on?
And how you said "I don't know", and then stopped talking to me?
Do you remember how you broke up with me a week ago?
And how I can't stop thinking that it's going to happen again?

I wish you could see how broken I am,
How lost I am,
How confused I am,
How angry I am,
How disappointed I am,
How sad I am, and
How much I love you no matter what.

You're 250 miles away,
But right now it feels like you're a million more.

Wow. I think to myself, its already 10 AM, i really wasted two hours of my life bullshitting on that pathetic website. But, it was nice to feel like i was doing the community a favor. That is, steering them in the wrongful path of someone that isn't myself. Ironically hysterical.
       I log off and shut my laptop as i take a sip of my coffee that was already cold. Ugh. I dump the rest in my kitchen sink and leave the mug there to be washed later. Procrastination at its finest. Reaching my room i search my closet and grab a dusty old t-shirt and a pair of joggers. Tuesdays were cycling days as well as working out at the rec with my buddies.
       Running close to 50 I'm glad to say i stayed in great shape. Most people let themselves go. But not me. Of course, i would rather overpower my trophies, rather victims. Plus, the lean strong type of body attracts the younger woman. They melt away at the thought of a strong older man to care for them. A nurturing man, that is one mask i enjoy. Mainly because it gets me ***. Who can resist?
      I reach into the hall closet and pull out the bag of cat food. Hmm, almost empty. Note to self, buy cat food. Ares , meaning God of war, has been with me for about 2 years now. One late night of me sitting on my back porch i heard meowing in the back of my alley. So tiny and helpless, all wet and covered in mud. I took him in as my own.
        He pretty much keeps to himself, much like me. Perhaps, in such ways i am also like a cat, minus the sleep. Quiet, tends to his own needs, watches from a distance out the window searching for prey. Maybe that's why i keep him around.
        The sun shines bright enough making me squint my eyes all the way to my car. A classic 1969 ZL1 Chevrolet Camaro , V8 engine, up to 500 horsepower perfectly made just for me. Not compared to the camaros nowadays, complete trash if you ask me. Nobody appreciates the classic older culture but of course society changes everyday.
        About 30 minutes from Anytime Fitness, the gym that me and my buddies usually meet up at. Although, today i was attending alone. I had much tension to work out given the anxiety of the search for the killer going national. I had about two hours to spare until our cycling group was going to meet up. Perfect.
                Ah, the smell of sweaty ***** in the men's room, followed by too much of that Axe body spray being thrown around to disguise the smell. Yeah, because that works. They really should invest in some Febreeze if you ask me.
I approach my locker and put my duffel bag away. Really all i need is my water bottle and my pair of favorite headphones.
            Treadmills are the devil. Cardio is the devil in fitness form. But yet i never miss a day. The longest 20 minutes of my life. And that's just the warm up. HA. Continuing with my workout , dripping in sweat, i wonder if i too smell like a dumpster. Leg days are always the easiest for me.
           I approach the locker showers and quickly rinse off the stench. Of course, unlike these men, I engage with body wash and deodorant. Drying off my skin, i sit for a minute and realize i am just going to sweat outside some more once me and the boys hit the trail. How unfortunate. At least i wont smell entirely bad.
      
-----------------------------------------------------------------­--------------------------------
    
                Old Fall River Road , our favorite spot to cycle. Located in the all but famous Rocky Mountain National Park. We all enjoyed it because there was basically no traffic to be bothered by and not many people dared to walk the trail. Of course being 12,000 feet from sea level and a long curvy road with no guard rail to keep you from falling, who would want to? I do enjoy a thrill.
         Parker Anderson and Miles Lawson, two of the best sons of guns i could ever meet. Parker was a real estate agent and actually sold me my house. That's how we met actually. Somehow we bonded over our love of shooting guns at the range, fishing and of course getting drunk. Occasionally every Friday, we head out to any local bar, grab a few brews and just relax. Talking **** and picking up girls, our two best qualities.
           And than there is Miles. He's about 5 years older than me but his features show him younger. Must be ******* nice. He's married with two kids well off in college now. He was a friend of Parker's first before i ever got introduced to him. Overall great guy with a wicked sense of humor. Wicked enough for me.
           Parker approaches me first with a handshake and Miles with a casual nod.
  Parker  -  " Yo, what's up bud? Getting bigger I see."
  Miles -   "Yeah from jacking off I bet" ,as he grins and chuckles.
   Parker - " And? Nothing wrong with that."
     " Alright guys, y'all done? I'm ready to hit this trail." I say. Honestly i just didn't feel the need for gossip. Keeping up with my mask of a social life was tougher than people make it seem.
    Miles " Yeah yeah just don't want me ******' on you. Alright let's go, my wife wants me home in time for dinner at five. Who the **** has dinner so early? I'm going to be hungry within the next two hours."
    Me-    " Bro, you're literally always eating. I don't know how it hasn't caught up to you."
    Parker - " OK boys, enough chit chat. Let'***** it."

        We really should have thought this through. Colorado weather was roughly in the 60's nearing this time of year, but man that sun sure was something. Cycling our way up the trail gave us a moment of pure silence.
Building our stamina all the way to the top and then resting for a few gulps of water.
     " Nobody should have to do cardio more than twice a week, let alone twice a day."
      Parker - " Twice? Who you running from? The cops?"
      Miles - " Yeah right, i bet the cops would be running from him."
Well, they got that right. Either way made sense , but i just grinned.
  " I worked out right before i came to meet up with you guys. How you think I look this good? Not everyone can appear so young like Miles."
   Miles - " Jealous *******."

        We continue cycling down the path and finally reach the end after about two long hours.
       "****, I don't know about y'all but I'm burnt."
      Miles - " Oh **** me, its already 4:25, at this point and all this traffic I'm cutting it close."
   Parker - " Tight leash, huh?"
      Miles - " My wife is always on my *** about something. Says I'm always out with y'all and not home. Clingy as ****."
" You know you remind me why i never did the whole married life scheme. Too much drama. And for what? Love?"
     Parker - " Ay, I still believe in love after all it's worth."
     Miles - " Well yeah, don't get me wrong I love her. Can't live without her, but **** does she get on my nerves."
     Ah, love. I experienced it once. I was in my early 20's , still fresh meat in the military, and met her when i was stationed in some tiny town up in Texas. She was the most gorgeous girl I ever laid eyes on. Met her at bar , actually. Can you believe she had the nerve to come up to me and introduce herself? I was in shock. Love at first sight.
      Of course , everything comes to and end and i was already being transferred to a different location. I had offered her to come with me and she declined. Said her life was here and she didn't want to be traveling around. She wanted stability and to be settled down. She didn't want me. I was devastated and left without saying goodbye. Last time i ever felt love.
       We continued to walk our bikes to the cars, on account of more traffic and civilians crowding it up.
        Miles - " Alright guys, I'm already late so catch up with you later."
Parker looks at me. " Okay, what do you say, wanna grab some brews?"
" Nah, let'***** it on Friday. Your boy needs to rest. This old age ain't no joke."
He rolls his eyes at me. " I guess. Just hit me up." And he climbs into his mustang and jets off.
  
        Once I reached my house I quickly jumped in the shower, AGAIN. I heat up some leftover chicken from the other night and turn on the news.
            *" Local news authorities report the release of the suspected custody, Dave Anderson. According to his lawyers, he was released based on insufficient evidence. This means in fact that the Woods-bury killer is still out there. We advise you to stay safe and indoors. If you have any leads please feel free to call our hotline 1-800-1111. " *
      ****, i knew he would be released sooner or later. That just means the police are searching for the real killer. Me. Although, I wouldn't call myself a killer. I put people out of their misery. I save people who need it. If only they'd understand and let it go. After all , it was only 5 bodies. Might just make it six so i can have someone to pin it on.
        Killing is bad. Don't do it. What kinda monster could you be? Yet, people **** animals everyday with their famous hunting ritual. That goes unnoticed. We are carnivores, meaning we are hunters.
          Explain the difference between humans and animals and only one I can find is that we are 'civilized'. Ha. Civilization is some kind of simulation brought onto humans thinking we have some sort of control over our lives. Control. Authority has played a big part in my life, since i was in diapers.
     Parents tend to have control of their offspring. Until, the child reaches a certain peak that spirals into denying the control. Losing the main dominance in such a relationship causes arguments and such. I, on the other hand, followed my parents control. I knew my position and i played it quite well.
     On my 18th birthday, both my parents ended up passing away. Murdered while i was away with friends. Adulthood had an all new meaning. If this meant losing your parents, so be it. I needed structure but i knew i couldn't find it at college.
       Hello marines. I left with no chance to grieve. I grew into the person I became today.Being in the war so young taught me great value of certain things. I had nothing to lose except my innocence. I had control. Kills became that much easier. Fun, even. 20 years of living life on edge and I ******* loved it.
       Once i got out, the urge was still there. Festering inside of me.
I had to find a way to **** it, but the only way I knew was killing. Thus, hello Woods-Bury killer. Aka , me.

On the first day of junior year
I came to school to see
A video on students rights and responsibilities

On the second day of junior year
I came to school to see
Two miles of hallways
And a video on students rights and responsibilities

On the third day of junior year
I came to school to see
Three different lunch periods
Two miles of hallways
And a video on students rights and responsibilities

On the fourth day of junior year
I came to school to see
Four hallway monitors
Three different lunch periods
Two miles of hallways
And a video on students rights and responsibilities

On the fifth day of junior year
I came to school to see
Five different sports fields
Four hallway monitors
Three different lunch periods
Two miles of hallways
And a video on students rights and responsibilities

On the sixth day of junior year
I came to school to see
Six school police officers
Five different sports fields
Four hallway monitors
Three different lunch periods
Two miles of hallways
And a video on students rights and responsibilities

On the seventh day of junior year
I came to school to see
Seven student councelors
Six school police officers
Five different sports fields
Four hallway monitors
Three different lunch periods
Two miles of hallways
And a video on students rights and responsibilities

On the eighth day of junior year
I came to school to see
Nine school principals
Seven student councelors
Six school police officers
Five different sports fields
Four hallway monitors
Three different lunch periods
Two miles of hallways
And a video on students rights and responsibilities

On the ninth day of junior year
I came to school to see
Over thirty clubs
Nine school principals
Seven student councelors
Six school police officers
Five different sports fields
Four hallway monitors
Three different lunch periods
Two miles of hallways
And a video on students rights and responsibilities

On the tenth day of junior year
I came to school to see
Hundreds of badly labeled classrooms
Over thirty clubs
Nine school principals
Seven student councelors
Six school police officers
Five different sports fields
Four hallway monitors
Three different lunch periods
Two miles of hallways
And a video on students rights and responsibilities

On the eleventh day of junior year
I came to school to see
Over four hundred teachers
Hundreds of badly labeled classrooms
Over thirty clubs
Nine school principals
Seven student councelors
Six school police officers
Five different sports fields
Four hallway monitors
Three different lunch periods
Two miles of hallways
And a video on students rights and responsibilities

On the twelfth day of junior year
I came to school to see*
Four thousand, five hundred and twenty-eight students
Over four hundred teachers
Hundreds of badly labeled classrooms
Over thirty clubs
Nine school principals
Seven student councelors
Six school police officers
Five different sports fields
Four hallway monitors
Three different lunch periods
Two miles of hallways
And a video on students rights and responsibilities

There are 140,490 miles of railroad in the United States,
21,000 miles of Amtrak rails,
Amtrak owns 2,142 railway cars
plus 425 locomotives,
only one station near Atlanta,
(the ones by Toccoa, Jesup, and Savannah don’t ******* count)
and just the two of us.
My point is:
There’s a good chance I’ll see you again someday

Maybe plans will never work out,
and I won’t have you in my life the way I’d like.
Maybe we’ll grow into two completely different lives,
but we promise to meet up every five years.
Maybe we both just disappear for a while,
and just happen upon the same town/train station one day.
Maybe we’ll never be close friends,
or lovers,
but maybe,
just maybe,
there’s a good chance I’ll see you again someday.

When I was young,
I used to follow the train tracks.
For miles and miles and miles,
just waiting for my train to take me away.
And when I got home I’d have so many stories to tell.
I saw two dogs *******,
And a family of opossums,
And a dead deer,
And a really pretty bug,
(And I got you some flowers but I dropped them,
when I thought the dogs were chasing me)
But your parents would always get mad at me for disappearing
when they’re supposed to be watching me until
my mom gets home.
And they’d tell me,
“do you have any idea how upset she’d be if
she knew you ran off like that?”
And I’d apologize for going off by myself
And they’d say,
“We forgive you. We won’t tell her
Just this once.”
But they’d never
never hear me
when I tried to tell them:
I can’t help it. There’s a big, beautiful, country out there
…and I want to see it.

Then when I got older,
I kept following the train tracks.
For miles and miles and miles.
Except now, I was a little more grown up.
I didn’t just disappear anymore,
walking along the tracks.
No, I had responsibilities
and obligations
and most of all,
a little money.
So, this time, I actually got to ride the train.
So my trains took me away,
And when I got home I had so many stories to tell.
I saw two drunks *******,
And a family of musicians,
And a ****** on the nod,
And a really pretty tree,
(And I got you some jewelry, but I dropped it,
When I thought the drunks were chasing me)
But more than all of that,
I saw a girl.
She was beautiful and funny and kind and smart.
But they didn’t have time to listen to my stories,
About the drunks and the tree and the girl,
Because we had responsibilities and obligations.
So I didn’t even bother
Trying to tell them,
I have to go back. There’s a big, beautiful, country out there
…and I have to see it.

So,
I don’t know if I’ll see you again, or
If I’ll get to follow all the train tracks I want,
But there are 140,490 miles of railroad in the United States,
And it’s a big, beautiful country out there,
So it might be planned,
Or by mistake,
Or luck,
Or divine providence,
But I think
I hope
I pray
There’s a good chance I’ll see you again someday.

The tallest tree stands guard in the park
He keeps out the wind with the thickest of bark
And all of the trees for miles can view
His thick curving branches holding so true

But in this park, alone is he not
For he must have company contained in his lot
And all of the trees for miles besiege
A chance to stand where he scatters his leaves

So one by one he picks his crew
An elm, an oak, a pine, and a yew
And all of the trees for miles brew spite
That they were chose not to be at his right

And slow but sure, his trees conceive
And then of their duty, they are bereaved
And all of the trees for miles make haste
To see the new saplings that are now placed

They know for sure that some can not strive
For he consumes the most sun to survive
And all of the trees for miles conspire
To rule his park when he retires

And the smallest of saps looks on in rapture
And knows at once, his park it must capture
And all of the trees for miles look on in gall
For this little sapling is the smallest of all

For years he awakens and each day he stretches
But in pain of this growth, the poor sap retches
And all of the trees for miles must grin
The sap keeps fighting, though told he can't win

The sap matures, and ends an adult
Taller than all, he begins to gloat
And all of the trees for miles are shocked
The sap beat them all, his potential unlocked

Many moons pass and all can see
The impending death of the old tallest tree
And all the the trees for miles don't know
What they will do when his wizened self goes

And when he expires, the sap is the king
And his cries of victory echo and ring
And all of the trees for miles can view
His thick curving branches holding so true

But the sap can not hear all this admiration
And endlessly strains in exasperation
And all of the trees for miles can see
He's so much worse off, being this tree

But up on his pedestal, his glory can blind
And he can't see know his particular bind
And all of the trees for miles just wait
For the last of his life to dissipate

I wish I could say the words
That always seemed to be stuck
In my head or in my throat
Now, you’re a thousand miles away
And I still haven’t told you
We made tents and I thought that
Should have been fun
But you ruined tents for me too
You’re a thousand miles away
And I still haven’t told you
Ranch dressing on everything you ate
A common occurrence of yours
That I do not miss
You’re a thousand miles away
And I still haven’t told you
You showed me the music you liked – “Hollywood Undead”
I still think they ****
You’re a thousand miles away
And I still haven’t told you
Your excessive piercings and stupid tattoos
Have changed mom and dad’s views on teenagers
Thanks for taking that stage in life from me
Just another thing you took
Remember when I told on you
And you were mad
I never told again
You’re a thousand miles away
And I still haven’t told you
Sometimes when I think about that tent
I can’t breathe
And my mind takes me back to that place again
You’re a thousand miles away
And I still haven’t told you
I’m not happy with the person I am today
I’m not happy at all
I’m not happy that I can’t seem to forget
That ******* tent
It’s your fault
I was only little
I didn’t know
You’re a thousand miles away
And I still haven’t told you
I didn’t realize what I wanted
I didn’t realize that what I wanted was missing
I didn’t realize that what I wanted was missing because you took it
You’re a thousand miles away
And I have to tell you
I want my innocence back
- {ksf}

Why am I still tripping over your words?
when my ears can't hear you speak
a thousand miles away;
when my feet can't run into your arms
a thousand miles away.

Why am I still putting you in a frame?
when I can't look at your smile everyday
a thousand miles away;
when I can't touch what's behind the glass
a thousand miles away.

Why am I singing your favorite songs?
when you left your microphone
a thousand miles away;
when the word love will never reach you
a thousand miles away.

Why am I writing poems about you?
when you never read them anyways
when we were both
a thousand miles away
from where I am now without you.

Million miles away
             I stand
                           Alone like a lone tree
On a desert
                      Apart from thee
                                                   Yet thy love
Sprut through me
                                   And exult my heart
But trickle tears from my eyes

Million miles away
                              I hike
                                        Through the endless dunes to thee
                               All day but day
             When the blistering sun poach my breath
            And gets a quartre a mile
Million miles away
                                 The beautiful blue skies
         Alms me thy mirage figurine
                                                            But enfeeble to caress thy face
                                                 With a short hand
Million miles away
                                  All the letters I indited for thee      
                 And left in the whirlling storms          
                   Went afar but near                                                                                     Into the valleys
                                   And gradually parched my words

Million miles away
                                  The sun walks across in furry
                        As my hopes are burried
                   Ever to reach thee
         And preach my love

Million miles away
                                 Twilight comes
                                                                  And I wander in the midst of ghost shadows
                     My soul drowns
              Like am dip into the wells

Million miles away
                                Night comes
                         And I lied in the cold breeze
                   Dreaming about thy touches and kisses
                                   Yet I wake up ,
       With no side nor sight of thee

Million Miles Away
©Historian E.Lexano

I’ve been running for miles and miles
Trying to escape what someone told me
True love looked like
True love felt like
True love was like

And I’ve been running in circles
Around my head
Watching us and every move
We made and word we said

And I’ve been running for days and months
Trying to prove I can live without you
Trying to tell myself to be free
Pushing myself away from who I was
To a person who is better than me

And I’ve been running for miles and miles
Escaping your twisted opinions
Im better than your cunning smile
Better than your words and persuasion

And I’m scraped battered and bruised
From the fight before I began
To run for all these miles
From that last time I saw you.

Now I've tripped along the way
And I’m hurting from all the pain
Dealt by razor blades and
The words kind and vain

And I saw my life flash before my eyes
When I tripped once on the way
Not caused by words of vain
But from something kind
Because compliments come
With a price to pay

Because as I run along these miles
I hear them say the same
They all sound just like you
With your evil ways

And suddenly as I run for miles and miles
They say I’m gorgeous
But all I can do is keep running

Because I’ve been running for miles and miles
To be good enough for someone one day.

The music's best on the dark
side of town, I heard. It seemed miles
from home, after waiting in a long traffic jam
But the lights finally changed
from glamorous shining to dull neon, covered in smoke
drifting up from drifters outside the Black Cat.

By the fluorescent green sign, a cat
was painted, its fur dark
as the alley I stood in, engulfed in smoke.
The cat perched atop Miles
Davis's trumpet. Bums hassled me for change
and a few drummed on buckets, jamming

with a harmonica player, synched as jam
and peanut butter. I stepped into the Black Cat,
and from the facade saw no change.
The lights turned low, the club dark
as the alley outside. A Miles
record hovered through the smoke.

The people chattered like bees, smoking,
waiting for the players to jam.
At last, the bass player laid down a line miles
long, the drummer chinked in, and the cats
began to groove. They chilled my bones with dark
melodies, pounding through spooky chord changes.

Soon sunbeams shone through the storm, they changed
to an upbeat swing tune. The horn smoked,
hitting riffs unheard, astounding the dark
faces gazing on in awe. They jammed
endless as the ocean. The cats
started to play a popular Miles

song.  The crowd hollered in Miles'
memory as the horn steered through the changes
with the skill of the legend of the Black Cat.
The band, nearly invisible through the haze of smoke
thick in the air, strawberry jam,
soon faded to dark.

Miles Davis’s ghost flowed through the smoke,
awakened by the chord changes, grooving to the jam.
The hippest cat alive or dead, now he plays in the dark.

Four miles I ran
dense was the darkness, light there was none,
neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow me to see.
Five miles I ran
dense was the darkness, light there was none,
neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow me to see.
Six miles I ran
dense was the darkness, light there was none,
neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow me to see.
Seven miles I ran
dense was the darkness, light there was none,
neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow me to see.
Eight miles I ran and cried out in pain,
dense was the darkness, light there was none,
neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow me to see.
Nine miles I ran ... the North Wind.
It licked at my face,
dense was the darkness, light there was none,
neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow me to see.
Ten miles I ran ...
... I’m  near,
...running for miles.
Eleven miles I ran and came out before the sunrise.
Twelve miles I ran and it grew brilliant.
...it bears lapis lazuli as foliage,
bearing fruit, a delight to look upon.
The pain endured
Was worth every mile
Still a few more before home.

"a girl can dream"
you said
it's obscene
how badly I yearn
for you to be
separate from a screen

you're miles away,
miles and miles,
but you keep me up at night

dearest, this is more of nightmare
than a dream, I apologize

I'm spewing drunken stupor

but God ******,
you're not any less prettier

& I don't wish any less
to collapse those miles
upon the embrace
of us two when allowed

unfortunately, though,
the distance remains constant

and that distance
is constantly reminding
how much happier I could be
if you were here next to me

who knows what I mean
who knows what's you feel
but I'm telling you now
this yearning is real

there will be a chill in the
morning when I wake

in honor of you,
out in your winter state

you are art at work
in a wild world

I wait and wait
to experience you for real

Your love--or your lack of it--is sending me into a spiral.
One minute you are here, alive and ardent,
The next, you are my ghost.
You are the wave that is drowning me,
The box that is suffocating me,
The sun that is blinding me.
We have danced around this for so long:
The empty souls are coming--
But we are still standing here.
Perfect.
Imperfect.
Racing inevitably towards the end.

Please don’t let me go.

His father reminded him of the giddy times,
As if he forgot them.
He does this habitually,
Implying that a lot has changed.
Of course, because today isn't yesterday
And the present isn't the past.
He wishes it was like before.
He can't recognize his son
As if he's wearing a mask.
Grew through adolescence without him
As he put on his mask.
He can't recognize him,
But he'll continue to remind him
That they are

Growing distant,
Without being literally far away,
It seems like it though.
Separated like fission,
And the miles grow and grow.

The true colors faded,
After they were shown.
The underlying tone of it all,
Segregated by a labyrinth of walls.

While we were wearing masks
We couldn't recognize each other,
While we were wearing masks
We couldn't recognize each other anymore.

Growing distant,
Without being literally far away,
It seems like it though.
Separated like fission,
And the miles grow and grow.

He remembers the connection he had with her,
As if she forgot about it.
He speaks of how spending time with her elated him,
Implying that he misses her.
Of course today isn't yesterday
And the present isn't the past,
But he wishes it was like before,
So he asks if they could return to what they once were,
He asks if they could return to what they once were.

They're growing distant
Without being literally far away,
It seems like it though.
Separated like fission,
And the miles grow and grow.

Separated like fission,
And the miles grow and grow,
The miles grow and grow.
It seems like it though.
Growing distant,
And the miles grow and grow,
The miles grow and grow,
Growing distant.

(c) 2014 Brandon Antonio Smith

(Originally written 12/1/10,
Revised 9/23/14)