While I Grow

I'm too sensitive

for the blunt force

of your stick

I won't

harden my shell

to make it thick

I watch

as you try to 

bleed me dry

But I have fists

resting

in my veins

You won't

burn me out

or use red

to paint my name

The truth

you think 

you know

makes me

run wild

beneath the moon's

yellow glow

And it's there

where you can watch

while I grow

and grow

and grow

-November 2015

Consumed

There's a light

in the road

and it's starting

to dim

Would it

have stayed

longer

if I hadn't licked

all the salt

off the rim

The light's

been blinding

Have the

shadows

been binding me

behind my back

You tell me

all you see

is fading

into black

You're losing

the salt

in the air

But I 

still see

the gold strands

waving in

your hair

Why can't you

feel it

the way 

that I do

You leave me

alone

each time

you let

the darkness

consume you

-October 2015

A Drop In A Bucket

The bullet rings

in the empty bucket

We watch

as they paint

the walls red

Some try

to repaint

in white

but red

is so hard

to cover

Some will break

their backs

trying anyway

We're all

just a drop

in a bucket

Trying to keep

our form

The day 

we choose 

to live outside

our limits

is the day 

we will 

be free

-September 2015

Your Fluidity

Do you ever

drip free

I'd love

to get lost

in your

fluidity

Dive into 

the depths

of your

endless

ocean

Lick

the salt

clean

from every

motion

we create

-August 2015

Uninvited

You keep 

ticking

inside of

me

And there's

no way

for me

to leave

You keep

showing up

uninvited

I feel myself

tense

and the fire's

ignited

I drop

my crown

on the

floor

I know

it's been you

breathing

at my

door

I don't want

to let you

in

But somehow

you always seem

to win

Will I ever

escape

this feeling

that makes me

want to

hate

-August 2015

Different

What will I 

write about today

Protesters

are being compared

to terrorists

without hearing

a single word

that they say

Let's just spray them

all away

Then everything 

can go back

to being

A-OK

What are you

gonna do

When a person has

a different point of view

from you

Why don't you grab your

pitchfork and gun

Really show 'em

how it's done

'round here

If you don't 

agree with me

The man

will lock you up

and throw away

the key

Being different

is just wrong

That's what

they've wanted us

to believe

all along

That fat old book

they'll wave 

in your face

Never mind

that they're not really

living from grace

You're different

and dripping

with sin

Who needs compassion

when everyone's

fighting

to win

-August 2015

This Is My Heart

This is my heart

Each word

has its own beat

Like a deep

rumbling drum

or soft flicker

of a thumb

This is my heart

-July 2015

Ride Those Waves

Is she wrong

when she's 

been wronged

Who wants to fight

when they can just

take flight

and burry themselves

way down deep

I too

have covered myself

in mud

to blend in

to the mold

that was waiting

all too eagerly

Is it wrong

that I've

been wronged

While my soul

has been searching

for a voice to use

A voice that echoes

against the grain

Is she wrong

to shove open the doors

while her skeletons

blow so openly

Her pain blowing

in the wind

like a flag

praising the sun

She uses her voice

So I shall use mine

It's the only weapon

we own

Let's make them

Roar

And forget

the shame

they use to paint us

We're more

than our pain

We're more

than our silence

We're more

than our struggle

to feel free

We're more

than those

stolen dark nights

We're more

than victims

We're survivors

of those 

dark stolen nights

Never to be hushed

to keep from

making waves

Make those waves

Ride those waves

with the sun

shining down

Lighting our souls

on fire

-July 2015

I wrote this in response to the thirty-five women that have recently come forward in the news and have spoken about the sexual assault they've endured by a man they trusted. I wrote this for the women who fear ridicule and backlash and shame for something that wasn't their fault. I wrote this for the women who have not yet found their voice. I wrote this for your Mother. I wrote this for your Sister. I wrote this for your Aunt. I wrote this for your Friend. I wrote this for me.

If you or someone you know is suffering and looking for ways to cope with sexual assault, please contact RAINN for help. https://www.rainn.org/get-help/national-sexual-assault-hotline

You Dream

You don't know

where to go

but this path

is getting old

You're feeling

too worn out

You keep

telling yourself

you know

what this life's 

all about

You stay stuck

in your dream

While your heart's

about to rip

at the seam

And you choke

just a little

Your life line's

starting to feel

a little more brittle

each time that you

breathe in

And you dream

-July 2015

Silently Alone

He looks

at the flower

impatiently 

He wants

to touch it

He wants

to feel the

smoothness

beneath

his fingertips

and the power

that he'll draw

He reaches

then hesitates

Wondering

if the delicate

bloom

will tremble

He breathes in

its sweet scent

and tenses

His eyes

penetrate

while he grips

Harder

Stronger

Until the release

and the petals fall

silently alone

-July 2014

I've had this tucked away for a little while. I'm glad I found it this morning.

One Drop of Whiskey

The shadows

do well

at holding

him in

He looks

from left

to right

not knowing

where to

begin

So he walks

feeling

frustrated

He doesn't 

understand

his heart

and his voice

are related

He drinks

whiskey

from a

paper cup

Trying to find

anything

that will fill

him up

But he's already

overflowing

It happened

without him

knowing

His eyes

were shut

too tight

To fight 

the demons

that come out

at night

He looks ahead

and then

back again

Too afraid

to face

the past

he's been

drowning

in

He washes

the sand down

with one 

last sip

One drop

of whiskey

resting on

his lip

He rolls

the paper

into a ball

As he closes

his eyes

two tear drops

fall

-June 2015

Locked Up Tight

The walls

don't seem

to dry

these days

Sometimes

it's too easy

to get lost

in your

charming ways

But I keep

breathing in

all the fumes

It's still hard

to believe

they've been 

coming

from you

I've been

suffocating

looking for air

I keep reaching

for your hand

but you're 

never there

Each time

I open

 a window

to let

the light in

You slam it

and lock it

up tight

once again

-May 2015

Lay Down Your Crown

Take this needle

and thread it

twice

Stitch up

your heart

Doesn't that

feel nice

Lay down

your crown

and lie next

to me

Close your eyes

and just let

yourself be

We all

get a little

lost sometimes

It's easier

to hide it all

away

Then it is

to allow ourselves

to feel

all the pain

Take this needle

and thread it

twice

Everything changes

each time we roll

the dice

Lay down

your crown

and come lie next

to me

I'm right here

with you

I just wish you 

would see

You're closed up

so tight

and won't let

anyone in

You're not

alone in this world

We've all lived

in sin

So I'll take this needle

and thread it

twice

I'll stitch

my heart 

to yours

oh, won't that

be nice

And I hope

one day

you'll see

just how beautiful

your slice

of life

can be

And I hope

oh, I hope

it sets you

free

-May 2015

Wherever You Are

You drip

and I catch you

I feel you

swim

and I 

shiver

You warm me

with your essence

and I become lost

Lost in your

taste

Your smell

Your touch

You make me

sizzle

and burn

with desire

I'll wrap myself

in your bones

and become

your veins

I'll nestle myself

into where you beat

the hardest

And soak

into the warmth

of wherever

you are

-May 2015

Disintegrated Reasoning

These glass shards

keep splintering

and burrowing

in my flesh

My blood becomes

hot and sticky

with the layers

of hurt

that run deep

in my bones

down into the hollow

where the echoes grow

Every now and then

I feel the leash loosen

allowing glimpses 

of a life

I can't quite

make out

The reasoning

has disintegrated

in the murky water

where the soap

never gets you clean

What does it mean

What does it all mean

Even I don't know

I say to myself

as I collect

each grain

of sand

to seal

tightly

in a jar

-April 2015

Whisper

Whisper

Whisper

to me

Dive into 

my soul

and I'll set

you free

He dug

right in

to my flesh

and watched me 

bleed

Watched me

bleed

Close your

eyes

You can not

hide

from his

breathe

from his

eyes

his touch

His hand

lingers 

in my

soul

Pushing me

down

Holding

me still

and I

freeze

Like a bitter

winters

breeze

He is the

voice

in my head

I keep 

hearing

instead

of my own

He is the

guilt

that fills

me up

The sin

that I 

swim in

oh

let me go

let me go

These stones

I carry

are not mine

I wonder

if I'll forever

feel their 

weight

Whisper

Whisper

to me

This echo

in my heart

I do not know

if it will

always be

-March 2015

I'm linking this with Poets United Mid Week Motif -- Captivity