A Shadow
Representing the mere self
Hiding from the outside world
Looking for the light

A Light
Improving the mere self
Going on a way to the outside world
Leading towards a feeling

A feeling
Making sure the mere self
Growing for the outside world
Sensing positive emotions

Emotions
Representing the improved self
Smiling at the world;
Ignoring the past shadow

To call you Love
would be an understatement.

You are a brand new dictionary
brought into the world of an overly confident writer
to humble herself.
You’ve redefined all of the words
I thought I knew the meanings of.
Now— all that I’ve written and will write
cease to be enough.

You are a revolutionary interpreter,
decoding words with the slightest of your touch.
“Trust”, a foreign concept to me,
has now become tangible—
your hands are trust.
Comfort has become your arms.
Warmth, your embrace.
And beauty, supposedly subjective,
has turned apparent, obvious
in every curve and softness of your face,

To call you Love
would be an understatement.
You are more than Love—
You are as you are.

She controls her laughter,
lets it slip from the edge of her mouth,
the corners of her lips lift ever so slightly,
then, she makes a sound,
seamlessly, her fingers graze my thighs,
smoothly, her eyes meet mine,
and in her eyes, I see my reflection—
aflame, abashed, and fiery,

She is the answer I’ve scoured the world for,
and yet, she, herself, remains a mystery,

Ah, I see,
She controls her laughter
as easily as she controls me.

between you and me,
i'm still rooting for us.

maybe not in this lifetime,
but in the end.

Rest easy gentle heart of mine
Trust in the ways of the universe
Feel fully all that you can
Let your tears water the earth below
From the ache and pain we will grow
And a love like that we'll never regret

Once you know something, you can't unknow it
I contemplate the echoes of this inner void
Half knowing, half running
So afraid to fully commit
To fully let go
I've chosen to see then closed my eyes again
Unable to hide from myself
I've heard whispers of my truth beckoning
They want me to listen
To work together and grow
I know they're right, but I can't stand the sound
I've excelled at aversion
The keys to silence are in my hands
A couple of drinks or some edibles
Even the numbness of these meds
They're drugs all the same
And they mask the noise well
So at least for a little while
I can avoid it all again

I learn from the love letters

I find hidden under the floorboards
of an ancient house

the paper yellowed, ink faded, but still…
fierce traces of passion and longing trapped
in their pages

they teach me fidelity,
when it is the last thing I want to know

they teach me kindness,
when cruelty is the mistress of my heart

they teach me that love can survive overwhelming odds

and so when I fold them up up and replace them
knowing I shall probably be the last to hold
these letters, that speak of beautiful courage
and compassion

I walk out of that ruined house,
whole and healed

ready to open my heart
to love

the flowers are over grown
i am left with i & i.
my skin is cut from stone;
my bones are made of ice.
i end. i return.

i am left with only vice.
my eyes rain.
my veins, their blood does course
through my body,
moving at a blind crawl:
to reach my fingers and toes.

the brazen image.
the ****** beat.
my knees drop from the air
to the level of my feet.
i am the bitter laugh
being released from your lungs.
you are the salt in the tears
the roll down my cheek onto my tongue.

the thief of sleep
or that eternal.
my eyes, they rain.
my body, it weeps.

"It's always sunset here!"
she said with an airy laugh.
"Like a land of infinite twilight,
or a place where the golden hour
persists forever. It's like a dream!"

She turned and smiled at me.
The golden rays of the frozen setting sun
turned her hair into liquid bronze,
and I marveled at the visage.

"I'm happy you like it here"
I said with a bitter grin.
I saw my reflection in her glimmering eyes
and the taste of copper flooded my mouth.

Blood on the pillow.
Bit my tongue in my sleep again.
It's dark in this room,
blankets all askew
and my teeth are dry
from snoring.

It'll be tough falling back asleep
because the dichotomy between
reality and my dream
is too vast.
Too great a divide.
I'll be imagining
That dream
all day long.