sunset stains

I bear the weight of words
that linger
between
hellos and goodbyes
bittersweet breaths
surrendered sighs

that fill the spaces
that eventually become too vast
and too cold
to return to
where eyes will never meet
again
and where souls will never touch
the skies we paint
in silent shades of indigo
and subtle strokes of raw sienna
because
even the sun bleeds
and stains the horizon
with mourned memories
of last kisses
blown wishes
and promises
too painful
to keep

Dunia

he lowered his gaze

looking away 

from the whet

of her whimsical want 

longing

listening 

to the unfurl

of her rhyme

he brushed the loose curl
of unkept time 

from the carefully carved curvature

of her porcelain spine 

his will waned
his heart stained
her silence seducing
to the tune of his name

revealing 

temptation’s noose

her eyes like beacons

bore him a ravenous rush
bittersweet intoxication
too weak to hush the whispers
undressing his soul

he splashed truth onto his mind 

desperate to find 

a safe place to escape
a home to unwind

begging time to coalesce 

his limbs did digress

he found himself bound

to the sirenous sound
of her lies

he fell prey to her test
suckling poison

possessed
by the prowess of deadly illusion

how quickly the transfusion begins

as sin circulates

and darkness debilitates

such

is the promise

of Dunia 

Second Chances

there is beauty

in second chances

in stolen glances

hope waiting to be found

'round the bend

where the sound of hearts

that take the time to mend

lend to us the courage to believe

once again 

to weave our wounds of war

into transcendent tunes that demand more

pushing us to soar

above fields of forgiveness

child-like dreams

holding hands of hope

leading us back to innocence

awakening the believer within

where possibilities begin to bloom

and gentleness embraces the fears we once gave in to

too soon 

where tears fall a little gentler

and moments are just that

moments

where trust comes

naturally

and smiles warm us

unintentionally

and souls surrender

to the stillness we can now call home



free from need

we bleed beauty, not pain

we walk along the shore of surety

fully knowing

none of this has been in vain

come


it's time

to try again

One Day

one day

we'll put down our shields

of judgment

and open our hearts

to “them”

we'll stop mocking

those

who are different

stop talking

about things we don't understand

we'll reach out

with sincerity to

those

who isolate themselves

from the world

never truly being able to imagine

the pain

that stains their souls

leaving their lives

shattered

full of holes

full of emptiness

one day

we’ll realize

the weight of our words

only then

will this madness end

In Between

between reality

and dream

between shadow

and light

between silence

and scripture

lies doubt

between rest

and desire

between poetry

and pain

between hunger

and trust

a child

without a fear

without a reason

without a place

to hide

how hesitation does confide

in the soft silhouettes

that ride the waves

of persecution

we lose our balance    

we lose our sight

gasping for touch

raising our glasses

to the wind

we wait

anticipate the descent

of daylight

into anything that feels real

daring to defend

our darkness

Waiting for Dark

I close my eyes

and hold my breath

waiting for dark

to unveil me

I touch my scars

picking at noise

waiting for dark

to exhale me

I trace my path

where love once bled

waiting for dark

to complete me

I mask my pain

retreating in words

waiting for dark

to release me

Saturday Morning

i woke with a sense of urgency
perhaps
knowing the beauty of a brand new day
perhaps
knowing not to allow a single moment to slip away
perhaps
knowing how much my entire being longed to play
and so i did
i held my boy in my arms for a long time
he kissed my nose
he giggled
in that mischievous way only a six year old knows
i popped sections of a tiny tangerine into his mouth
he lit up
as if to say
this
mama
is how we’re meant to love
i played scrabble with my older boy
he asked me if it was ok to put down the word ‘fart’
i replied with the kind of laugh every grown person should have the chance to know
i chased my youngest boy around the dining room table
my fingers wriggling
preparing to feast on his belly’s bouts of hysteria
stop mama!, he yelled with a huffing seriousness
only to get a head start on me and tease, come and get me now!
i sipped ginger tea with a teaspoon of raw honey
i played, and sung with all my heart, Puff The Magic Dragon on my guitar
I wrote poems
about butterflies, silence, love, life...
I wrote poems

to sprinkle seeds of gratitude deep in the soil of my soul
i sat at the keyboard by my bedroom window
and let my fingers fall onto the cold white keys
resting there for a while
smiling at the silver squirrel balancing on the bare of winter’s hush
i felt a rush of longing
missing the canopies of leaves
missing the song of the blue jays
missing the smells of summer
kissing my moment
my eyes closed
my fingers fell
into unrehearsed rhythm
conducting my breath
on Saturday morning