Thick Skin

 I stood today in the chaos of my 9-5 prison cell and paused The cold air pressed against my cheeks  I could feel them turning red like leaves Pressing against the inevitable - change A gust of wind, seemingly reserved just for me Sent leaves swirling off the trees Spiraling, swinging in swaths Dancing through the dawn Coming to rest at the feet of the tree That once held them so tenderly I closed my eyes and took a swelling breath I can see the orange hue of sun through my eyelids Warm and inviting me to open my eyes and see To lean into the changing of the seasons To know that I too am changing  And reflecting on the phase that came before this When I was fearfully waiting inside of my chrysalis Shaking at the thought of flight In this ever-present circle of life How beautiful it is to behold When your truly at the center of it all

You're standing in front of the freezer. The cold air creeps out slowly, a veil of white mist enfolds you. Drapes itself over your hair and cascades down your back. An ice water bride. I am watching your body move. Curves. The winding roads. The rolling hills. The crescent moon - and you. All belonging perfectly and effortlessly to this earth. All beautiful and wondrous and magical. Never out of place or unappreciated. Your very existence is poetic, in the same way that sunsets and hummingbirds are. Dancing on dimly lit bridges in the middle of the night and pulling me close to you when it's cold.  Your body is intuitive, soft, full of motion and music. An abundance of joy flows from your fingertips, your lips, your thighs, your hips. Music is within and without you. It pours from you like wine, from your enthusiastic hellos to your solemn goodbyes. Your body is a catalyst of energy, of light of love. And I know it all by memory. Every freckle, every curve, every source of inse...

Thinking back to when I first met you It felt like the first time in years that the world seemed still The planets aligned, the trees breathing Birds singing and my soul was healing I wasn't looking for answers, or more questions But I ended up questioning everything I was thinking about the natural placement of galaxies How vast the spaces must be between two worlds Between two hearts How hard it must be to know when you might meet someone Who will change your life forever I'm glad I didn't know I'm glad that it happened organically That I was pulled into your gravity Thrown into your orbit, and stayed And somehow everything just is Somehow it all fits Your hand in mine Your lips on my lips My heart lives within your chest I'm trying to question less all the time Because when I don't everything seems to fall into place The way you stop to inhale the aromas Of the wildflowers by the streets The way you dance in the kitchen The way you scream in cold water The ea...

In the reflection of the black mirror on the wall My arm is delicately balanced between your head and your pillow Your mind swimming through possible solutions Through a sea of emotions Riding the wake of wave after wave of loss and grief Too much for one mind to keep But we live in this world now The upside down Where everything that you thought was, isn’t And everything that wasn’t, is How do you deflect the storm? The barrage of little deaths? This land where birdsong doesn’t seem to hold the same tune It seems all the world has turned down the volume On the beautiful, wonderful things There are no voices singing No rejoicing in moments of joy or gratitude And we’ve turned the volume up On sickness, hatred, anger, racism All in the name of freedom Our voices seem louder than ever No wonder we’re tired Every nerve is raw, every word is flawed No matter how lightly we say it No matter how kindly we place it Something always seems out of place I wonder if the earth itself is off its ax...

I was born in the summer The season when everything is thriving  And so were you Stars aligning You were born when the blackberries are ripe Sweet and warm  I plucked you from the vine With delicate hands Knee deep in thorns Every step carefully planned This statement is sworn:  The work is always worth the berry When the days are long When my heart is wary The rewards are sweet And the sun is warm on my face I would gladly lay my heart at your feet For a simple smile Send me reeling Sprinting through the river wild Stone over stone, that summer feeling Will you take my hand? Will you run with me? Will you lay naked on the sand? Will you hold the honey bee? Always daring Ever growing Music blaring Wind blowing Through your golden hair Across the softest skin I can't help but stare Can't help but gently lift your chin And press my lips onto yours Taste the sweet fruit  I could spend hours  I could take root Right here next to you forever I think I will  A st...

My mind is a labyrinth To which I am a slave Wandering in my wonderland Exploring every unwalked path Trying to navigate Through passageways With dead ends Searching for answers For prayers For some peace of mind In a piece of my mind Some corner I’ve yet to find Some solution I’ve yet to seek Some thought I’ve yet to speak Where this mess makes more sense To me and everyone around me Can I still retreat to the silence And find myself at home there? Or will I always be a stranger to the solace From which I once came? The white noise fills my ears today And every day Surrounded by the grey buzzing Of television shows, of music, of cars driving past Some days I value the transparent nature of this sound Surrounding me, so I am never alone, so it is always around A constant consistent friend I can count on I used to live in silence, with words and numbness And then I sprinted into the fray, full of unwanted voices My dichotomy is sometimes my enemy Confusing the very heart of me Demanding...