irresistible are the lies you tell yourself
overheard in the night
in harmonizing voices you once knew
it isn’t true
that the weight you carry
will eventually pull you under
come on back from where you have been
the city may be sleeping
but death will never be still
there will always be
the love you gave
untwist the heart that swallowed the pain
things will go fast things will go slow
hold on at all times
your moon travels best in a wagon
seek you
find you
be true
always
born as babes, every one of us
growing at individual pace
from every angle
patience required
who will walk by your side
stoking your fires
echoing your laughter
catching your tears
it will not always be easy
some around you are often imposters
they will be revealed
often in your darkness
raise that head up
each time it falls
the road will rise
escaping the drowning inside
your stride will someday be matched
and hearts will fill
the journey offers rewards
in what is learned and what is found
I look in the mirror and see everything but me
envious of those that move so free
watching them dance in glorious dawns
I step outside and feel little warmth
around me swirls the storm
standing in the eye, but not feeling the calm
I fumble for the compass
staring at knots in uncharted courses
with eyes pressed, I’m stuck in neutral idling roughly
I open my eyes and clouded views linger
seeking a path clear and forward
needing to shed useless weight
looking for guidance I turn to the last page
the story untold
uncertain of the final destination
living the journey demands attention
I believe in reasons for these trials
realizing that tomorrow has already arrived
and it’s leaving with this evening’s moon
racing towards another sunrise
slow it down so I can breathe
images bloom
in my mind’s darkroom
bright above the lonely heart
giant steps carry dreams
dancing, tumbling, singing in the wind
winter’s gift crunches beneath my soles
escaping the noise
beauty and peace surround me
I should stop and enjoy
branches crack
beneath the weight
keep climbing
with hands cracked and bloodied
out of strength
can’t stop
staying still
not an option
holding time in a frame
sweet and scary
it’s upon us
every moment
forced to grab it
even if the branch breaks in our grasp
finality holds off the daily pace
we walked all those paths together
time has tipped its cap to our youth
a new equation now chases me west
I hardly knew that autumn day
when weighty thoughts stopped us in our tracks
it was hard to look as you lifted away
don’t I look different
looking ahead or yearning for yesterday
crisp mornings don’t always feel the same
folded laundry laughs in my direction
I have all that I can take
no secrets were spoken out of turn
rhyming moments with routine
the songs inside my head
are trapped without a tune
talking on things we don’t know about
helps the whiskey travel smooth
enamored with words that shine in darkness
as the connection warms the ragged soul
let’s share today together
watching hummingbirds dance away
tomorrow will arrive right on time
whether you jumped on board or not
if stars told the story of time
morning would dim in the lyrics of the night
I really should be moving on
the heart always knows it’s way home
it was all I could do
to keep from crying
so I smiled
and walked out in the rain
lost
in ambient thoughts moving at a speed not suited for clarity
in time that is running to a stand still
in memories clouded with the unwritten future
in warmth that leaves me shivering
in a mind not my own
in images yet developed
as part of a 10-15 minute writing prompt challenge (a poem about the one thing you can’t live without) I submitted the following
as we lay in darkness
your heartbeat matches mine
when sleep takes hold
your shape molds to my every curve
paws prance between muted calls
at sunrise
I wake to your nudge
nature calls
and we begin again
I cherish each day
with my best friend
don’t miss a step
you will fall
and when you do
double back and touch them all
at the rail of the party
empty promises overflow your mind
their dreams are not your to chase
stories with no end will be what you find
keep wandering
find your base
until you do
be wary of the mirror and its reflecting face
details and depth in truth
are real
you can live chapters of fiction
you just may not feel
stop pretending
and you just may get free
open your eyes
to the person you want to be
one bird remains on the wire
below
the cats confer
repeating the chant
pulling wreckage from the rut
link by link
pieces salvaged
will become parts of tomorrow
some last for eternity
unchanged, never falling
the soundest core
is often built from adversity
stay the course
the journey will buck
move with it
rewards may appear later than expected
all birds yearn to be free
in their own way
cats will not starve
you can hear it in the wire
looking in your window 