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Does the lamb know She was raised In a lion’s den? Do the lions knowThey infected her bones, When they gnawed On her like a passing snack? Was her mother A sheep or A subservientLioness? Do the lions know, She was never a sheep, But a tiger, That took a while, To find her stripes and fangs? Their lamb escapedin the sinking dusk. Uncertain if she…
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Growing up with a bullyFor a father,Can twist up a young human’s guts,No two humans respond,The exact same way. Some learn to be anything,To survive the next fight.Their brains learn,To accept any challenge. Chaos swarming his bones,Rattling his growing mind. He learned what he needed Was total control. Building a life, Escaping those early days.…
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There’s a secret hiding inside her. She wants everyone to know,But then again, she doesn’t. Many parts make up her heart. With their own names,They each want their own stage. The meanest one Rattles against her iron cage,She demands they bow toHer seething rage. But once you’ve met her,She can’t be unknown. Chomping on the…
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She said look back, so I did. She grew up, and learned she’s not a doll. And you still can’t lie to that book. Once the feather has been gripped, What is written is forever a moment of truth. Perhaps not forever, But with that ink,She spoke her truth. She sobs when she writes about…
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Rustling leavesDance through my ear,Like tiny sandpaper sheets.Stuck contemplating who owns the trees. Their roots intertwined with each other and the soil. When its neighbor is dying of starvation,It doesn’t stand idly by.Sending resources trying to revive the tree nearby. But not so much that it itself shrivels and dies. A balance unknown to my…
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Safe hands Touch only when wanted. Safe hands Caress gently up, willing and excited legs. Safe hands Hold other hands softly, Never by force. Safe hands Only slide into pants, Directly invited inside. Safe hands Never pull back to strike. Safe hands Don’t squeeze fragile things. Safe Hands Don’t hurt things. Safe hands Don’t take…
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On the merry go roundShe let her hair down Pushing her harderHands held tight Eyes strained upSpinning in space Wind whipping locks out of placeSewn into her smiling face So dizzy, she became But still They spin her round Metal, hot to the touch Sizzling tender thighs Fingers getting tired Fearing she’ll fly into spaceThey…
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Melancholy filled the fibers of my lungs when I caused the arctic divide. Idyllic pictures dripped off my pain stained cheeks in disbelief, I’d really ran you off. Candor finally bestowed itself upon me, I clung to your lips. Hope danced our fingers around until they interlaced, daisy’s invading our space. Auras of a love…
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My palms pound the headboard Searching for the source of buzzingRattling me awake.Another lucid dream sent to live in rifts around my psyche,I bat my eyes and press my feet to the carpet. I reflect on the moment the ship was going down“Where are the life jackets?” I scream at my dad as he dove…
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The panic bunny kicks my chest. Will it explode? I’m reminded again today That even I will die. Eyes transfixed on the cloud, walking by,silently, I beg her to tell me her secret. This life, How do I keep it? My foolish mind pleaded. Grappling with the universe. A puffy smile looks down at me,…
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Dry and burnt Thirst for the river Just out of reach Lick cracked lips,Do you know you’re thirsty today? Stare at the pavement watching the waves juggle Your restless mind. What will you find today that hasn’t already been found tomorrow? Wandering through brown once green leaves, listening for the crumbles of dying things. Gasping…
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Anguish saturated my brow,Neurons fire in rapid succession,Unable to answer life’s greatest questions. How can they have behaved in such a deplorable way? A math problem without a solution,A maze without an exit.A loop I lived stuck in. Stabbing my stomach each time I repaired it. Stood in my way from a beautiful stage. The…
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What makes the pain go away? When I lay my father down to rest, I won’t be concerned with the worst of his crimes. Yet, for years, his sins kept me awake each night. And still, his choices keep me away.Am I sad for all he’s done, or am I sad for all that I’ve…
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I do not chase a life Free from pain I pursue knowing it will be okayI chase the knowledge That no pain is too big For me to endureBecause I have grown the strength to withstand the raging storms.
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Splash here Splosh there I used to see my friends everyday this time of year. Wandering around Lost but thrilled. Older now, Wondering when the Thrill was lost. The days are hot Those friends are gone. New ones are here. When was the moment Everything changed?
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Every dagger plunged through porcelain bones,Shattered my pieces, scattered on the floor. No blood to be found, Just remnants of a once hollow place.Shattered glass shaking, pulling jagged edges together again. Not even a tear could she shed. Sat pretty on Mama’s shelf Shattered in daddy’s shop. What would be left when she was all…
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My eyes squint, lips quiver. Don’t look at me.The flood gates open, Goop slides out my nose. The churning stops my breakfast from going down I rev my engine, I’m on the run Get away from me I cover my mouth,bile’s about to blow Brown locks whip wet pink cheeks,The ache of hearts incinerated sets…
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He told me we weren’t actually related His words are leeches inside my headSucking the belonging out of my head They were sharksI was a birdNot really his sisterJust barely their daughterHanging by thread Laced round my neck Trying to show themI could swim
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Sweat drips off my beak The dreams returned to me Holding him in my arms He’s elected for his last breath. He mutters he’s sorry And then he is gone. I carry him to his grave, a single daffodil, I lay His one human life is now done. No more sunrises, no more chances for…
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What happens after my last breath? I ask myself for the thousandth time. Hair prickles, Palms sweat. I chew the end off my thumb nail. Stomach churns, I don’t know. What will it feel like? The beat of thumping in my chest growing louder, A concert just for me. I close my eyes tight All…
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The world is on fire Will I burn too? When I wake up tomorrow Will the sky be blue? Hazy heat, a double-edged sword. Frigid cold can’t touch my bones, But will the blaze find its way? My brain melts in tiny beads Rolling down my forehead. The dampness of spring has long since dried…
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For months the blood drained out of the tiny holes Where feathers once rested. I was certain the bleeding would never stop. I could see no path forward. They had destroyed me, What was the use? One day I found a small vile, at first I felt it no use then after a while, I…
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Walked in circles colored with my blood. Dug a crimson rut. Clueless to the way the ground was lowering beneath me. Looking right,Looking left, Looking down, Looking up,All those birds, Flying above me. I wanted to be up there. At the time, I hadn’t noticed A door not far away, I’d been too busy begging…
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Taking flight never felt so hard.Looking down, my feathers were gone. I can see it now,The way they laughed at me Each time I’d jumped from caged windows trying to fly. Dad scooped me off the pavement again andshoved me back on stage,“Sing lizzybird, sing”I opened my beakAnd let out a scream.What a marvelous sound…
Healing Birds Fly Again 