Friday, October 16, 2015

Loss

Hope for the Left Behind

I felt something leave me today
Taking the wind from my sails
Stealing the breath from my throat
My heart wept with every beat in my chest
Because I knew, it was you

I felt the ground tilt wildly under my feet
And I fell through the blackest pain
Right off the face of the earth
My hands reached out for something to hold
Hoping against hope to find you

I came to on the underside of empty
Alone in the smoke and the ash
Darkness and shadow danced
I cried out, my voice a strangled song
But a melody still, meant for you

I heard a voice in the midst of this night
Very distant and faint in the dark
Calling me back from the abyss
It was a voice I knew so I followed it home
Knowing it would lead me to you

I found you once more in the daylight
In memories and laughter and song
In the love of those that knew you
We joined hands and brought you in closer
Knowing the light in our hearts was from you

I felt someone near me today
A hand barely resting on my shoulder
A laugh, so soft, in my ear
My heart was a hummingbird for a moment or two
Because I knew, it was you

Friday, April 24, 2015

There's Darkness In Us All

Humpty Dumpty

It took 30 minutes of screaming to tear us apart
It will take days of silence to put us back together
Egg shell fragile, from the wall I fell
Slipping my hand into your back pocket

For safety, no, but to make sure you fell as well
On and on you go, finally landing on my fists
Collapsing into nothing more
Than the smears of paint God created you with

I’ll dip my fingertips in your colors
And dance them across the wallpaper
Like a spoiled child with forbidden crayons
In Grandmother’s perfect parlor

Acquiesce, sounds like singing under water
Like bubbles of fizzing laughter in your throat
But it’s a begrudged white banner, giving in, giving up
Turning our backs to find solace in ourselves

Through narrowed eyes I watch your apology
Unfolding your origami words with care
Your hands outstretched to catch us
When the thinning ice finally breaks

We breathe together, a sigh of relief
Embracing one another, safe again it seems
You turn away, satisfied, at peace with this moment
I turn away, unforgiving, heel crushing the paper crane you left behind 

Friday, January 30, 2015

Choose

It’s Time

My favorite part is leaving
Not knowing, but believing
There’s something better than this

I want to feel the breath intake
To surge upward with the earthquake
Until I am all that is left to be left

It’s the burn of fear I will shun
Raising a toast to the blessed undone
Dance a little higher now child

A sweep of white, a twist of fate
She sleeps so deeply awash in grace
Wipe the blood drops from your pillow

Take a chance on hope tipped wings
Throat wide open, stop to sing
Chase that chance into change

You are too late never, she said
Life shines bright where your feet tread
There’s something better than this