I knew him then, in the glint of his eye

and the turn of his chin.

Red creeping up his neck, that stiff collar could never cover. His rigid posture did not keep

his hands from shaking.

I know him now, his morning coffee dark and bitter

but never as bitter as the aftertaste

left by the nightmares that plague him.

His favorite color? No idea.

But his darkest secrets? Those I knew well.

In th...

It started with hair,

and a little less sleep.

Hot irons burning me into submission.

Then came the skin.

Too red from the sun,

too quick to flare, easily aggravated. just like the rest of me.

I stayed inside, stayed away, stayed fair.

It continued with growth.

Summer turning a budding flower

into a weeping willow.

And that willow did bend, in attempt to shrink.

Shoulders hunched and ...

Clouds cover the skies, rain pulls at your eyes,

but nothing hurts as much as little words turned lies.

You rationalize and compromise.

You bend. You break. You try, and try.

But no 'why' is reason enough.

A storm is no ones fault, it is just nature.

And yet it destroys all the same even with no one to blame.

Lightning rages across the skies, thunder builds behind your eyes.

Loud and booming i...

On nights like this,

I think i'd be just fine to never see the sun again.

Because the night is alive-

with your laugh is in my ear

and her shoulder pressed into mine.

Lights cut through the dark like stars,

so bright I forget it was ever dark at all.

I think i'd be just fine to never see the sun again.

I never knew we could escape

without leaving.

Our steps sync against the pavement,

like o...

In contrast to the enduring cold, this comforting warmth scorched my skin. Prickles ascended my limbs as the fog rolled out—simultaneously slow and all too fast. Finally landing on my face and setting me aflame after centuries of darkness.

I could almost smell the warming air. The stone heating quicky under this intense new glare.

Something shifted in that moment.

A wave of fear overcame me as I...

My first was a waste. So, despite this choking anxiety burning my throat, I’m determined not to waste another. Having only two lies left at the age of twenty eight is not ideal for someone in my unique circumstance.

Alas, I was never a cautious child.

Never obedient enough to heed my mother’s constant warnings:

“Honesty is a virtue, Silas.” or “Save them for the storms, Silas." whenever I asked...

A breeze touches my cheek like a kiss, the sun envelopes me in warmth, golden arms wrapped around me.

I have all of the love I need right here.

Gleeful laughs slip from my lips as soft grass tickles my calves. Flower petals stain my palms as we hold hands.

I have all of the love I need right here.

The rustling leaves sing me their secrets, and I whisper mine back to the trees. No truer friend ...

Two go in, and one comes out. A dark embrace to soothe your mother's doubt.

Your father's disapproval, because children must behave.

Two go in, and one comes out. There are two sides of you, one we never talk about.

Part of you whimsy, part of you rage-Good girls would never behave this way.

Two go in, and one comes out. Kill the one we could do without....

I can never know if this path is an entry or an exit. So all I can do is prepare for both.

The slam rings heavy in my ears, rings heavy in my heart, with the weight of closure.

Cold knobs, warm wood, contradictions like myself.

I walk over their thresholds , the way you walk over me. I say hello and goodbye at the same time, part of me ahead and a part behind. Only some of these doors have lock...

Cold crescent peeks at me

From under the darkest blanket

Soft. The clouds that cover you.

Soft. The dirt that covers me.

Soft. Your kiss that awakens me

And then your light shines wide and full

We reach for each other

Finally. This stretch feels delicious

I always unfold for you....