tonight

moonlight spilling through my window
soft and sweet through black velvet night

and thoughts of you flood the room
your words, once so sweet, divine
your hand, once upon a time, held mine

i remember
i said i'd give you a chance
to prove that i could trust again
i said i'd give my heart to you
to handle, to care for as your own
i said i'd always stand by you
to show you what love could be

today, i saw you across the street
you never turned, you were blind
to the heart that you had left behind

finding strength under this lovely light,
i say goodbye and let you go

faltering

red
lights glaring, surrounding me
my view, hazy
the familiar sound of rain
against my window
while i wait

patience
and time pauses
the world stops speaking
i can hear my breath, my heartbeat,
the steady hum of my mind
for a single moment,
i am alive

and this thunder
deep, powerful, strong...
my heart in awe
my soul, enraptured

and i wish it'd never stop raining
because i never want to wake
maybe i'll just stay here,
here where i'm safe
just let the world pass by me

green
lights change, fast forward
inadvertently
blindly rushing again
while falling behind
that single moment, fleeting

always planning for the future
always wishing for the past
always lost in the present

show you

If I could show you
how to fly a kite:
let the fearless wind tug
that unbreakable string
instill new strength
into your being

If I could show you
how a red rose blooms:
watch the petals unfurl
in the morning light
offer the chance
for romance by night

If I could show you
how the rain falls:
listen to the rhythm
to calm the racing mind
catch your dying breath
for memories left behind

If I could show you
how to touch the stars:
reach for the heavens
that extend forever
imagine the possibilities
of all you endeavor

If I could show you
how the heart beats:
feel the wonder of life
rushing through our veins
embrace the miracle
of mysteries unexplained

If I could show you
how to care for another:
close your eyes and believe
my words to be true
find courage to trust
that I'm always with you

stagnant love

a boy and a girl
play together in the dark.
he is the knight
she is the princess.
he holds her hand
and she is no longer afraid.

the sound of their laughter
cannot be feigned.
their world is real
truer than ours
because at that moment
they believe.

their faith is real
withstanding even
the challenge of time.
he is strong, tall, a handsome man
she is a vibrant girl with intelligent eyes
the two are still holding hands.

the harshest lesson:
he looks away,
empty spaces between her fingers remain.
some flowers only bloom once
a love as rare
and red and true but too fragile.

now stagnant water
drips in the darkness.
listen, somewhere alone
a woman quietly sobs
her scarred hands
hiding her wizened face...

fortress

glittering under the summer sun
are perfect, solid walls of gold
a castle built by a little girl
as she lets her dreams unfold

time is elusive and beyond her grasp
so seasons change and years pass by
and she still returns to that home
though hurt has aged those once-bright eyes

her fortress grows with passing time
each grain, a reflection of her past
of a destiny and a dream never fulfilled
of a love and a faith that did not last

her barrier still waits on that shore
waiting for one to prove her wrong
now, it's just nature's mighty waves
forever keeping that fortress strong

thoughts on summer

lying under the blazing, summer sun
with golden light kissing my cheeks
listening to the quiet hymn of the earth
tasting the sweet stain of love on my lips

yesterday.