Fear whistled to me

And we stood there face to face

She said “I know that you won’t do it.”

I started to turn away.

But when I turned back around,

She had transformed into a horse

How did she know my weakness

My deepest childhood ghost

Instead of sinking to her

I firmly stood my ground

Calm, unwavering

Reaching my hand out

Slowly to her now

Creatures only fear

When they smell it on your skin

I always thought they didn’t like me

But it was more of me not liking them

Sensitive and shy

Fearful of their size

Once I walked into the unknown

One determination did I hold

To emerge as a victor

Who had vanquished this one foe

The antagonist was not

The creature standing there

It was within myself

Weakened by the stare

Fear is only strong

When you’re blowing coals and embers

As she threw her thoughts at me

“Be afraid don’t you remember?”

Planted, as violent wind around me snarled

Talking myself slowly through

I have sent fear far away and whispered

“I am not afraid of you.”

As I skip to school at eight thirty

Leaves crackle underneath my feet

I kicked a rock to a tree

And I laugh

I laugh because, because I know

There is only one way to go

And that’s

Through the bitter

Snow

And sometimes I feel a little sad

There are many things I want

And I don’t have

But life is fine

I have a mom and dad

Who love me more

Than anyone else has

Recess is full, so full of fun

We play tag

You’ve gotta hit someone

I love hiding behind the trees

I squish my fingers to make mud pies

And my favorite thing to do is catch fireflies

In the middle of July

We eat our veggies so we’ll grow tall

But high school is not fun at all

They laugh

When you’re not cool

I have two friends that are mine

When they come over, we have a good time

I choose quality

Sometimes I get sad

There are things I want

And I don’t have

But life is fine

I have a mom and dad

Who love me more

Than anyone else has

Oh the blessings that were held

Within those withered hands

As her silver hair sparkled

Like the sun on New England sand

The wedding ring she twirled around

Remembering the day

The sailor came into town

And even longer did he stay

Ruddy and sturdy as a wooden mast

With kind emerald eyes

There was nothing not to love

Summer brought his affection

And it never went away

And now all she holds is his memory

Close throughout the day

She lives in a small space

Surrounded by others

Who feel out of place

But she never complains

She rereads the torn love letters

Each one takes her to another time

Every word brings back a picture

And a smile to each tired line

And every night at nine sharp

She tells him of her day

Though it hasn’t varied in years

And after she kisses the air

She feels warm tears

No, she doesn’t fear the journey yet to come

He’ll come on the Evangeline, his ship

To take her to a never before-seen home

Once again sweeping her off her feet

She will float right through the ceiling

In her new body of air

As she is lifted so gently inside

The ship she built piece by piece in her dreams

She’ll run to his side

And whisper “it’s been forever it seems”

As the wind makes her hair

Slowly take flight

Onward and upward they’ll go

Into the absence of night.

The reality is only
A figment concocted in the mind
My plans, the goals
And who I’ll let in
Within good time
My body slumps over
From the burden
Of the dreams I carry
Around
And everyone’s living
Life through someone else
Parents through their children
Lovers through their others
Or the characters
They read or view
Step up
And live your life
If you have the nerve
If you have your eyes
Open them
To the peak of
Height
You could reach
If only
You released the hold
On vicariously

Beauty living
In simplicity
Comes in fleeting
And goes unexpectedly
And the good
In hoping to be
Becomes only gold intention

Balance internally
With the Greater
Manifested only
Half-heartedly
Hands must dig
Into Truth
Continuously

Brilliance subliminally
Comes through beings
Continually
Through portals
That no finite mind has ever seen
Imagination
Merging into fire
Flickering candles
Faintly seen

Get me down
It really gets me down
Living so high up here
All I want
Is to be far
Away from Kansas dear
For they think I’ve got the answers
Though another man
Not I
Perched my arms in this formation
Chosen to scare the birds off
I couldn’t tell you why
Lacking in so many ways
Though held up for two reasons
To point directions that and this
I couldn’t tell you which way is north
Or even know how much I’ve missed

Alas, I hang
Uncomfortably
Upon a haggard wooden post
From this mid-western crucifix
Penned is all I know
But with plans hidden in my stuffing
Secrets in the straw
Time is my only blessing
To plan escape
And as I look across fields of golden corn
Miles of corn I see is all

Each harsh word is a stone
Hurled directly at me
Nagging and cackling crows upon my shoulders
Just will not let me be
They scratch and claw to erode my tired soul
In my painted ears they scoff
But I bet you a thousand rows of strong stalks
Someday I’ll be off…

Perfection
Is not a goal
Only a defeating state of mind

Fear
Is the biggest part of me
I hope to leave behind

Self
Is always there
Though I’m controlling her each day

Love
Is what I’m lacking
In my diet every day.

This is a story

Of a short little girl

Who lived oh so shortly

In a short little world

Her name was so short

It only had one letter

They had always called her “D”

Short for Delores Debetter

And she lived in a short house

On a street made of bricks

And the days she was happy

She skipped upon bricks

But one day it was raining

And just for some kicks

She skipped and she skipped

But GASP! She slipped on the bricks

Her rain boots flew off

And her dress blew up high

Each neighbor in shock

Was completely mortified

And she tried to get up

But her knees wouldn’t give

And she thought to herself

“I don’t think I shall live”

And what “D” didn’t know

Is that she was right

For when you think thoughts like that

They come right to life

For her fingers grew cold

And heart thumping stopped

And the neighbors once more

Were in states of shock

So the moral is sad

But the moral is true

Don’t think negative

Or like “D,” you’ll die too.