Black water

I had crossed the pool, grabbing smooth black rock
Propelling myself to the shore, gliding through water
Each time more difficult than the last
But still I fought the current and made my way
I return to strangers
Standing in the shallows
Taking pictures
Pushing for a better view
A man had his pistol
Aiming to take shot
His wife overcome with passion,
Presses herself to him
I look away for a brief moment
Sharing a moment with my mother
We stand apart from the crowd
Looking down on the scene
A small lake rises into the sky
With butterflies of every color sipping from the water
All these beautiful insects floating on the dark mirror
Gently fanning their wings back and forth
A floating oasis steadily drifting ever upward

Homecoming

I feel her roots twining through my heart
Grasping at strings and bringing tears to my eyes
She can tell I’m near and prepares for my arrival
With dreams, visions and fantasies
My soul floats between the two worlds
To where I’m uncertain as to my location
Do I careen among the palm trees
Or dance beneath shady oaks?
She waits for me, a bounty of love
Cobbled streets to tread
Loved ones to clasp my hands
Hours to while away in abandon
I see shadows of her in the heavy clouds
I hear the echo of her voice in the ocean
I feel her moist touch in the wind
My senses willingly betray me with their yearning for her presence
I am soon to see her
Soon to be welcomed in her embrace yet again
Yet each time the pain manifolds and manifests
When I once again tear myself away from her
To where my anticipation wars with regret
And I dread the trip equally as I desire
For I know it will be all too short
And my hours with her too limited
But I know she waits for me
Time is paid no heed
Love is as devoted as ever
For while she is in my heart, I am ever in hers

Bejeweled

At first glance, a delicate thing
Slight frame topped with wild ringlets
Black leather, cotton and candy
Diminutive stature and sentiments
Then the form twists and shapes
Still slight, no longer shy
She shows her true nature
A vivid and vivacious badger child
Our friendship budded and bloomed
A string threaded through our souls
Creating a tapestry of love
Binding us together as kindred spirits and sisters
We careened through minimalist castles
Whispering snarky secrets and cackling mad
Reclining among graves and sipping on Hoya sweetness
We created microcosms wherever we went
The costumes we have played in
The roles we have slipped in and through
Dark sprites in shadowed chambers
Keepers of the magic mushroom missile
The adventures we have braved
The places we have gone
We have been cute, we have been dangerous
Spending hours in smoky lounges reeking of ambrosia
The city is our playground
And we gladly frolic through the urban jungle
Dancing wildly, laughing fearlessly
Our moments made eternal and our memories made legend.

Loveliness

Never let me forget these moments of pure happiness
Sublime segments of time where I feel so full
As if God poured all the joy in the world into me
A blessed vessel of unfiltered gratitude
All alone, without someone else to distract me
From the ideal emotions coursing through these veins
Taking communion with myself, the very best version of all I am
Blocking out all other thoughts save for those of unimaginable grace
We are the lucky ones, we who are self-aware
Facing all these factors and reflections
Acknowledging all we experience
And knowing they are nothing less than miracles
Rage and sorrow are more than “having a bad day”
Ecstasy and empathy are more than “seeing the good in things”
These emotional equations are beautiful and complex
They truly are what make life so worth living
I will gladly take the worst of them with the best
For while the dark days are bitter, the light moments are so sweet.

Devotion

You’ll never know how much I truly love you.
These flames in my heart have been willingly tempered
So as to forge a blade to battle the years
You’ve resided in my soul for so long, a place worn familiar
So that even though miles divide us, I know you are near
You were placed so high on a pedestal that would cause vertigo
And would seem you were destined to fall and shatter in my sentiments
But I have made sure to provide steps for you to reach an equal level
So I can look straight at you and see you as you are
This evolution of our friendship, I wouldn’t trade it for the world
Never have I given so much calm effort and received so much in return
You know me, you know my flaws and struggles
So you know how hard I fight against myself to offer what I can
We have stalked the dark streets
We have wandered the sculptural landscape in dappled days
We have lost all we loved in water and wind
We have created new worlds in lands unknown
We have been divided by love and loss
We have been reunited by hope for a better future
No matter what happens in the days to come,
Know the days we have shared mean the world to me.