Lasts and Firsts

Her father comes upstairs.

“Time to say good-bye.”

She turns to me – her tear-filled eyes gazing into my heart –

And gives me a hug for the last time.

His mother walks in the door.

“Almost time to leave.”

He turns to me – a lone tear running down his cheek –

And shows me a smile for the last time.

Her brother comes down the hall.

“Time to go home.”

She turns to me – a suspicious grin creeping across her face  –

And gives me a kiss for the first time.

Left on the Shoulder

Now I stand here, left on the shoulder

The road we traveled was long and abandoned;

The desert around us was dry and hot;

The journey we shared was calm and joyful;

So tell me. What happened?

Now I stand here, left on the shoulder

Was it the speed bumps we went over?

Was it the endless traffic that distracted us?

Was it the dark skies that we drove through?

So tell me. What happened?

Now I stand here, left on the shoulder

I hope you’ll come back,

Then you can tell me what happened.

Untitled

I need a break.

All this stress is burying me alive,
The tons of dirt compressing my chest,
I'm fighting for every breath.

I need a break.

All this drama is washing me away,
The floodwaters sweeping my feet out from under me,
I'm grasping for an anchor.

I need a break.

Lightning and Thunder

My whole life is a raging thunderstorm

From the bright flashes to the crashing boom

I’ve been this way ever since I was born

And the storm’s not ceasing any time soon.

I’m the lightning – deadly but rarely harms

I’m the thunder – scary but I leave no mark

They fear me so much; they’ve made storm alarms

So they have a warning before I start.

I’m sick of people fearing knowing me

I want to be friendly, just like the sun

I can be good, I promise – you will see

When you see me, just please don’t turn and run.

I can’t wait for the end of this tempest,

For then, I will finally be at rest.

Lawn Battles

The rivalry between armies is strong,

Equal in strength and number.

Every battle is 90 minutes,

Each ending in one’s demise.

The armies are only 11-strong

And carry no swords or guns,

Yet they come out bruised and bloody;

Sometimes, it’s even worse.

When the 90 minutes come to a close

And a whistle’s shriek sounds,

Some heads are high and some are low,

Yet both armies talk as friends.

Knowing Her Worth

She is seen.
She is the candle in the night.

She is strong.
She is the wind in the sails.

She is valued.
She is the amaryllis in the weeds.

She is important.

Who Are They?

He's the quiet person at the back of the room
He's the quiet person who doesn't talk much
He's the quiet person who has plenty of ideas
He's the quiet person who never lets them be heard

He's the noisy person at the back of the room
He's the noisy person who can't help but talk
He's the noisy person who doesn't know what's going on
He's the noisy person who needs help following along

He's the lazy person at the back of the room
He's the lazy person who is never prepared
He's the lazy person who wants everything easy
He's the lazy person who can't wait for the day to be over

She's the busy person at the back of the room
She's the busy person who is running on 3 hours of sleep
She's the busy person who barely has any personal time
She's the busy person who never takes a break

She's the open person at the back of the room
She's the open person who has no secrets
She's the open person who doesn't care what others think
She's the open person who has all the friends

She's the private person at the back of the room
She's the private person who struggles alone
She's the private person who no one really knows
She's the private person who never asks for help

Untitled (May 2015)

She's left alone on the floor

The room, cold and dark around her

No one seems to understand

Her world deteriorates as they leave

Each person in her life vanishes

She has no one to talk to

The world grows smaller and darker

No relief in sight

But he's been watching her -

He knows the pain she feels:

Stabbed in the back and shattered heart

If only she knew she's not alone

She sits on the roof at night

The man in the moon looking down on her

The moon's light is her sun

The darkness - her blue sky

The creaking of the roof startles her

She spins around to see him

Her eyes - blue as sapphire

His eyes - green as jade

They sit together on that roof

Their hearts pour out like rain

At last, they're not alone.

At last, they have a friend.

Last Goodbye

She and I sit in the dim room,

Laughing and sobbing on her book-covered floor.

“When do you leave?”

Wanting no reply.

“Tomorrow morning,” she replies

With a tear racing down her soft, smooth skin.

I take her up in my arms,

Holding her as tightly as I can.

My sleeve dampens from her pouring tears

And the brush of her long, blonde hair

Plastered to her rosy cheeks.

“I love you,” I want to tell her,

But I know it’d only hurt worse,

So we sit there in silence.

“Alexis?”

The silence becoming too painful.

She looks up. “Hmmm?”

I look into those hazel eyes.

“I promise this won’t be the end.”

Freedom in the Light

The sunlight creeps over the horizon,
All the days of pain are finally done,
I start to feel released from the darkness,
I start to feel freedom from the distress.

I ascend from valley to mountaintop,
When I see the beauty, I start to sob,
Not for the light I thought I'd never see,
But for the beauty strewn out before me.

When I look around me; oh, what a view!
Hundreds of birds filling the skies, so blue,
And each mountain peak clothed in blinding white,
And prairies below, gold with morning's light.

I may have been consumed by night's dark veil,
But I know the light will always prevail.