Stormy.

Lightning flashes across the sky
A pale hand shaking her fist
Against the world that has done her wrong
Shaking the ground we walk upon

I wish I had my rain boots
Those slick ones I had as a child
Although they wouldn't do much good
'Cuz it'll always rain and feet don't stay small

Sinking Sun.

Inspired by my trip to Davis Island for a sunset tonight...

Sun sinking into the blue

Sky and boats nodding softly to sleep

Paw prints on the sand

Beach chair legs pressing footless paths

Pavement smoothes to sand to ease

Visitors into the windswept and cool evening

Sans shoes they smile at each other ("Nice, isn't it?")

Though we don't exchange names we won't be strangers again

Orange chaise lounge

Stark against the white sand like that

Laughter from lovers punctuated by

Those feathered wings I can hear but not see

Frisbees and convertibles soon become scarce

Too soon the day is nearly over

Daylight isn't chased away but merely slips

Into night to rest to rise into the morning again

Paper

A week stolen and

Today too tired

It shuffled and stacked itself

Sleeping in tomorrows "in" box

Waiting to be held and

Yet dreading the resulting decision

Stamped and labeled and

Put with all the other papers

Some crisp and creamy and whole

Some with edges torn and bent

And some yet to be taken from a pad

Why is it the bent and crumpled paper

Is treated so harshly?

Scratch pads and jotted notes that hold no future

No future with the writer except phone numbers

Sadly found again in the

washing machine's tumble with shirts

And socks and jean pockets and gum past its flavor

Should we not instead treat it gently

And with respect and embellish with

Ink so find it would not bleed through

To the other side and steal from the only beauty left

From a side no one sees

And then folded and kissed and sent

On its way to someone who will cherish

The words and letters inside though

We no longer hold a desire or need for it

Paper and a girl's heart are not all that different

And sometimes, dear friend, I wish that wasn't so.

Intangibles.

I wish I could be your sunshine

Until it rains

Your umbrella until the

Cold chases us inside

Your sweater until you were warm

Enough

To see the sunshine again

I wish I could give you

That fleeting moment

To keep in a honey jar to

Shelve for times devoid of

Feeling and wrapped in a second hand

Pushed to hourly swelling

To shorten the moments between distances

We wish were not so generous with our time

I wish I could box life's colors

Like crayons to carry with you to

Scribble on the walls of darkness and

Entire cans of paint that never fade

Spread with brushes that would become wet

With all of the promises of tomorrow

I wish I could hang a mirror on the wall for you

That becomes a window

Because looking inward becomes too painful

Entire walls of glass that overlook the

Promises of God's love for you

His green pastures of rest

Blue seas of victory and

The changing of the guard

Between the sunset and sun rise

I wish these intangibles could remind you

Without words to crowd their purposes

That He is there

And He's never leaving you...

Spare Me.

What is this chill inside?
The one a soft blanket can't fix
Though I wrap it around

It is pilled and shabby
Hardly enough against the slippery ice
I slipped on
Oh so fast
Sliding until it was
Brought to an end
You'll get over it
Time heals it all
Yeah, I've heard it all
Until I'm deaf

But I felt the tenderness
The deep sight in the eyes
The longing, and then the respite
(At least until we each had to return to our own houses)

Warm, tender, soft
What is this absence?
This absence keeps you awake at night

Then greets you in the morning like a naughty child,

Jumping on the bed
It's trying to forget
But not being able to
It's seeing all those places
Those memories
And pictures that taunt

Reminding you daily
That that person is not there
That they no longer care
That they took stock of you...
And let you go

It's seeing the pieces fall and scatter

Like that sand I shook out of the beach towel
And strangely the haunting absence of feeling itself
You choose to smile
And when you cannot force one, paint one on with lipstick
I have these vivid dreams
That people come back
In my dreams, they seem so close

And when I wake, I look for them
Until I see the sunlight
Cast long and narrow lines on my walls

And I remember
And I realize that another day
Is starting...

And I have to go to work.

Pounding.

It's Winter's apple-crisp air
And Summer's sleepy affair
From spin the bottle and
Her double-dog-dare

Winter's armchair
Summer's shoulder's bare
How could I have been so wrong?
In waking dreams wishing I still didn't care

My quietest fears now laid bare
Road trips wind to nowhere
The radio station's fading, sad song
Sings through the static that tagged along

I saw it in your eyes
Tomorrow's clear, blue skies
Yesterday and all her charming fears,
Her clouds mourning their fallen tears

Hair down and it's windy
Windows rolled down and it's chilly
Music turned up 'til I feel its beating
I felt free for a moment fleeting

Yesterday's a pie, in this lonely hour
Crust burned and fruit still sour
It was mine to give or take
A lesson was learned and yes, my heart still breaks

But life goes on, and tears will become weak
"It's yours to play with, hide and seek.
Forgive 'fore your warmth turns to snow;
Some answers you'll never get to know."

They say it's time to part, now, you and I
This embrace must end, but yes, I still cry
You know I'm not good at saying goodbye
So I'm not going to; It's whispered in my sigh

There's a corner of my heart
And now it's bare
A fireplace blazing useless heat
On a lonely, winter armchair

Hot and Cold.

Long lines on the wall
The drama queen sunlight
Taking the stage and stealing
From the shy shadows

Hot cocoa and ice cream
Like you and me, no?
Hot and then cold
First burning and then numbing


Jackets pulled over
"We're going to be late!"
Considered it warm enough
I wasn't prepared for the cold]

[Rush of feelings that would
Come over me as I saw someone
Who reminded me of you
And the way you used to look at me

That night at the park
That day in the square
When the leaves tumbled over each other
Like lovers unaware that they've both fallen

Cocoa and ice cream
Shadows and sunlight
Jackets and tank tops
[Youth and passion] have their places too

And time is just that
It's just time
And time passes and writes again
And you can't change your story
Just so you can remember something else