His melody

Ascending
Nature's epoch stairway
Attentive to the music
Falling on my ears
Within my heart.
Each song
Harmonizing a moment
Wrapping round
The somber blues
An elated march
the throb
Of tender love.
Praying for
Caressing
And upbeat
Never those
Deafening drums
Of regret or sorrow.
Play on
Spirit band
Lift me up
O lovely journey
Each note
A stepping stone
Taking me home.

fresh kill

Every battle
Retreating a step
Or two
Each time
Surrendering
A tiny piece of me.
Not missing much
At first
Eventually
Bearing a wound
Throwing off
My balance
And serenity.
Nursing the hurt
Cultivating the lust
Which wasn’t even love.
Wrestling with thoughts
Of losing you
Needlessly worried
For there was no more to give
And hungry
You moved on
Looking for fresh kill.

VISION

Against the
Undercurrent
I moved
Swimming hard
To keep my head
Above the surging tide
I thought you saw me.
Standing there
Eyes crystalline blue
You reached out
Touching my face
Removing my mask
For I’d been drifting
Alone in my dream
I thought you saw me.
Unshielded
Stroking forward
Sleek limbs
Briefly intertwined
You pulled away
I thought you saw me.
I caught my breath
And stopped
To tread
Too late
I thought you saw me.
Turning back
You’d already gone
Leaving tracks
To sink and fade away
In the tide
I thought you saw me
But
I thought I saw you, too.

comfort

I didn’t play
That sad song
Today
Or pull out
Your photograph
To gaze at
Longingly
But washed
The pillowcase
That no longer
Holds your scent
And yet
Was comforted
By memories
Of us
And now
Just me.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

You were a gift
An unexpected pleasure
Kindred multiplied.
Resigned to live
With empty space
Avoiding the spot
Looking away
Leaving it uninspected.
Without attempting
To fill it up
No temporary patch
Or quick dry connection.
You slid into place
Soothing my spirit
Refilling my heart.
And now
These dented vessels
Circle and pause
Cautious
Wary
Unwilling to compromise
Too much
A little
Not enough.
I inspect that void
Prodding the spot
Rekindling that burn
Clutching the ache
I cannot
Turn away.
Return to me
Yield to yourself
Trust
In what it is.

mermaid

He sets his hook
Wanting her to find
It irresistible.
But she shies away
Thinking it too perfect
Too contrived.
Circling
She watches as he tries to tempt her
More
By moving slowly
Languidly as if he doesn’t care
But she knows as she approaches
He will yank it back
Too soon
To score
By snagging her
Helplessly in his net.
She is swift and swims
Away
Shimmering in the ever changing
Dappled liquid light.
Always out of reach
Leaving only
A trail of minute bubbles
In her path
Reluctant to relinquish
Her shining scales
Landed on his desert beach.

TRANSITION

Fallen butterfly
With broken wings
Disabled and destined to crawl
Like a grounded caterpillar
Slow and heavy once again
Fastened like a solid anchor
Sliding singly
To spin herself into a new chrysalis
Transitioning slowly
From damaged goods to earthly worm.
Cocooned to heal and reflect
Upon her flightless arms
Emerging regenerated
She tries each appendage
Repetitiously opening, closing
Opening, closing and opening again.
Flashing her reignited hues
And flexing her femininity
To those with a select view
Admiring her grace
Stamina and reinvention of herself.
She seeks a partner for flight alongside
Uncurling an antenna to coax
Swooping
Drifting
Dipping and looping
On a melancholy breeze
Of languid love.

His and Hers

When she passed him the volume
He recoiled
Unsure of her meaning
Hesitant
To take the damaged book.
Leather cover scratched
Cut beyond repair
Two names no longer graced the front
One gouged away
The date so long ago
Still visible
Gilt letters in graceful script
A single initial now stood
Upon the slashed surface.
She had tossed it away
Anger boiling from her
Then rescued the binding
Her face aflame
Hiding it in his empty closet.
His photo remained
Hers surgically removed
To another book of memories
Closed away in darkness
From her rage.
Only he and his
Left in the jagged cover
To stand alone.
She placed the offering in his hands
Needing him to see the spoils
To survey the damage for himself.
The images of two
Ripped
Divided
Removed
Scattered
Detached
Disjointed
Rent asunder
And sovereign
No longer existing together
But apart
Now freed.

Measure of Voltage

That first connection
Shocking
Electric
Discovered
Within one another.
On the surface
Our edited demeanor
Making the glow.
A flood of warmth
Showering sparks all around
Riveting me to you.
Dark habits
Slowly creeping
Change the current
Not negative
Still steady and regular
Revealing true feelings
Thoughts
Values.
Their gentle friction
At first pleasant
Then more insistent
Until dynamics collide
Momentarily stilled.
The draw still there
Changed
Rerouted
No longer vibrant and strong
But gentle and sure
Not magnetic enough
To bind us together.
And so
I release you
From the circuit
Hesitant to relinquish all.
Tender memories
Missing that
Initial surge of current
Unwilling to unplug
Almost impossible
To set you free.

Because You Never Believed in Me

Hesitant to speak
To step into the light
Peripherally content
To walk alongside
And share the sun
Spilled along the edge
Rarely touching my spirit.
Never quite warming
Never blossoming fully alive
Perennial seeds without water
Absent of germination
Or tendered nurturing
Left unfurled
For lack of heat and light.
But when you moved away
The source did not change
Giving me my own place
Among the flowers.
I found my voice
And bloomed because
I believed
In myself alone
And took the rays
That were mine.

ON THE EDGE

She was always afraid of heights
And usually chose a safer route
But now she stood on the steepest ledge
Pressing her face to the sharp rocks
Not daring to look down.
She found herself there
Alone.
He had forced her to this edge as
Others strolled by on the wider path
As if it were not scary.
Tossing useless sayings
And empty advice
That yielded no cushion
Or helped with the parachute
She had salvaged.
Some had clung here before
With their own sets of tools
And provisions
Looking for a safe way down.
She couldn’t jump
She didn’t have her gliding gear
She would plummet with no brakes
Or hit the jutting rocks
Gashing her tender skin.
She could only rely on herself and hope
She might find a crevice
To pull herself up
Or edge her heart to safety.

untitled

She’d been beneath the surface for so long
Seeing the light above
With all its lovely undulating forms
She could not quite reach
Suspended below
Wanting to breathe
But not willing to suck in
The stifling water
To subordinate and lose herself
Becoming a sea creature
Always dwelling below
Yearning for the air just breaking above her head.
At last the weights release and she kicks free
Her head emerging
From its liquid prison
Bursting forth
Flowing down around her
Spilling away.
She is buoyant and turns to look around
For the land
To place her feet upon the sand
Shifting but supportive
With shaky legs
To emerge
With watery shackles
Coursing from her
Freeing lungs
Her arms and legs
To stand released upon the shore.

single skater

She had not been
To the roller rink in years
The shoes seemed awkward
Large and bulky
And she wanted protection
From chafing and bruises
Unsure if her socks
Were thick enough
Absorbing the shock
She knew she could not
Taking her small injuries
Counting them as experience
Treasuring the lessons they imparted
On her new and delicate skin.
Tentatively pulling herself up
Rising on the spinning wheels
Finding she could stand
Remembering this feeling
Moving about
Uncontrolled and free
Stretching out one foot
And then the other
Finding favor
And then pleasure
Circling the rink
Sneaking glances
Daring glimpses
Wondering if she could
Bravely risk a partner
While still so wobbly
Yet finding friendly faces
In the sea of single skaters
Encompassing the center
Of her heart.

easy

no games
no roles to play
just be herself
honest
wearing her heart
upon her sleeve
leaving
her luggage
behind.
she was easy
easy on the eyes
easy with her words
easy with her smile.
he loved her
because she was
easy in every way.

falling in love with me again

Unsure of the brightness
I ascend into the new light
It seems I have been
Here before.
Startled by my reflection
Unseen for some time
I look for lines of loss
My limbs tingling from
Their sleep
Glowing colors
Burn my eyes
And I cannot turn away
I touch new fibers
I smell fresh sustenance
For my soul
And now
I find myself
Falling in love
With some things
Things that were lost
Things misplaced
Things forgotten
And now they are new again.

Inside Out

The marked effect
Came
At odd moments
That thrill
At the base of her throat.
It made her shoulders
Rise
Her breasts
Alert
To his touch
His voice
The tender grin.
A casual remark
Returned with heat
A subtle burn
That spread like
Wildfire in her blood
Making her tilt her head
Turn away
And smile unto herself
A flush of crimson
Color
To her cheeks.
He reached inside
With a simple act
A word
Or touch.
She reacted
Nimbly
Silently
With wanton wish.
The sudden jolt
Of instant response
She knew
Him
And he knew
Her
From within.

wild blue yonder

Pale beginnings in
A mild azure sky
With increasing intensity
Arching across the rainbow
Into your deepest teal
Aqua
Periwinkle
Sapphire
Hyacinth
Cerulean
And ultramarine.
Diving
Immersing myself
Within your ocean
Of liquid nightshade
Swimming abreast
Deep within
Shimmering
Waves of wetness
Pulsing indigo
Ending to float
Aimlessly upon
The blue of you.

shadow and light

Like sun patches
On a cloudy day
Traveling
In and out
Of the light.
White hot
Shadow cool
Undulating
Passionate
To serene
And back again.
Flirting with fire
Dying to ashes
Riding the stream
Of fever
Thirsty for more
Quenched
Not satisfied
With the tug
And pull
Then slide away
Simply existing.

lifted

Release me
From my burden
Place it on
A lofty shelf
To gather dust
And rust into oblivion
Unlock the shackles
Resounding on the floor
Lightening my load
Unfurling my wings
Extending my reach
To the widening sky
The space above
Blindingly blue
Open and unfettered
Glancing behind
I turn and soar
Abiding
Within my
Newborn spirit.

Are you the lion?

Looking to
Scarecrow for
Cerebral challenge
But he had no underlying
Heartbeat
Finding her
Tinman’s tender heart
Caring
Stifling
Sugary sweetness
With no bravery
In his soul
To stand
To fight
For her.
Seeking chivalry
To take
A chance
Challenging
Her strength
Standing up
To be counted
With
And on.
She listens
For his roar
Along the yellow road.

Still Unwritten

I am
An unfinished book
Mystery
Fairy tale gone wrong
Bodice ripping romance
And families untied.
And although
You are
In it
You cannot
Write it
No suggestions
No editing
Or revisions.
Only my pen
My blood
My tears
My sweet juice
Of femininity
Ink the pages.

In a Dream

You left my life
And fell
Into my dreams.
You are gone
But now remain
In essence
Listening
Laughing
Touching
Holding
I awaken
Stirred
Startled
Finding myself
Wanting more
Breath
Quickened
Pedal to the metal
Reaching out
Calling your name
Softly
Longingly
Gently
Sadly
For you have gone
Pushed away
By my vanity
And blindness
To your heart
Open to mine.
But still I was
Unconscious
Yearning
Learning
Groping my way
Not understanding
You had yet
To climb the wall
I had constructed
Round my heart.