Of all the little things
you have given me
the myriad of kindness
you have shown me
well, this
this is the best.

If I were you
I wouldn’t bet on me
the odds are stacked
against the pureness
of your heart

Sometimes when we talk
I am lost
In the joy
That you are
And always will be
The better part of me

You said
leave me where you found me
and in the leaving
you will find
a better you.

I knew myself better
when I wore
another man’s
clothes

Sorry
is not big enough
for this
I know

I
Want
To
Write
One
Word
For
You
And
Only
You
But
No
Word
Presents
Itself
As
Big
Enough

The world is
not about
you and me
Much as we try to make it be
It’s bigger
and better
and about way
more important things
Than
simply
You
And
Me
and who we are desperately trying to
be

Someone once told me
a poem should be long
rhythm and thyme
and take a long time
so love and regret
pain and explain
delete and blame
repeat and destain
let go and restrain
sunsets and more
two people or four
fall down then soar
sweetness and gore
does this really say more
than
I love you
whatever the score!

I remember
birthdays
tiny small blond little girl
birthdays
tall glamorous  blond big girl
birthdays
now
faraway distant missing you
lonely horrible make do
Zoom birthdays

I have gathered up
all the little bits of me
the sharp edges
and the tiny shards
I have put them in this bag
right next to me
I won’t touch it
if
you don’t touch it
to
two
too.

I just want
the good bits of you
I want to package them up
shape them
into a man I can love
you can take your other bits
the bad bits
and sell them around town
I just want
the good bits
of you
Am I wrong?

Here is
a  very tiny small part of me
take if you will
just promise
to toss it back
before you leave
so I can catch it
mid air
and save
the little tiny best bits
of me

I think I know the
meaning of No
when stakes are high
and morale is low
I think I know
the pain of resist
when lights are high
and pain exists
I think I know
how far people go
when desperation hits
And your core is in bits

Let me give you the bits of
the conversation
we should not be having
so we can decide
together
which bits are worth
saving.

Do not inch towards me
if you cannot fight for me
I have been here
too many
times
My boundaries well defined
my edges sharp and fine
Do not inch towards me
Unless you are certain
you are prepared
To bleed before you dine

and in the blink of an eye
we lived
that  same old lie

Don’t leave me to stand all alone
I fear I will bend over
and break an important bone

I
wish
I
could write
a poem
about you

You’re trouble
this much I knew
from the moment
you stood there
boldly
and
answered
right back

I cannot mop up
all your sadness
but I will try
I cannot laugh loud enough
to silence your cry
I cannot dance long enough
to make you fly
but trust me
I will try.

I used to be you
giddy and careless
brave and cold
outspoken and bold
hold the line
it’s worth the unfold

I would like to give you tomorrow
fresh and fragrant
wrapped up in a bow
I would like to give you yesterday
rosy and pink
without any foe
I would like to give you today
smiling and new
I would like to give you forever
If only I knew

I knew a girl who played a pink violin
So beautifully
That the world fell
Into time
with her uneven  tune
I knew a girl who played a pink violin
So violently
That the world stood still
And changed their mind
I knew a girl who played a pink violin
So silently
That the whole world
listened
heard unintentionally
Applauded gently
then quietly
peacefully
blissfully
Closed their eyes
And
universally
Fell into a
Very
Easy
Deep
And beautiful
Sleep

If I had two thousand words
with which to describe you
I would ask for two hundred
to lessen my task
and still flounder
let me use two instead
uniquely beautiful.

I could spend all night
and deep into tomorrow
listening to your song
You are a melody
awaiting a tune
hang on!

How were you to know
this world
would so harsh
on you

I watch my girl
claw herself upward
slowly and painfully
on the greased pole
of her dreams
while others
take the stairs.

I will trade
all the best of my
tomorrows
for the worst of your
yesterdays
and then some!

People often ask me
Where am I actually from
think I was born right here
right now
in this moment
Unsure
where
I hailed from.

I was born
yesterday
but I do my best
to live
today

Forgive my insecurities
they are born
from my badly cracked heart

it was late
it was a good time
just as I was leaving
guess what I found
someone who looked
just like you
staring out
from the bottom
of my bottle
well ….
that ain’t right.

I once knew a boy
Who laughed out loud
That’s how I found  him
In a dreary crowd!

I know you think
the shadows are
falling upon you now
but if you turn your head
right to left
left to right
maybe they fall
different upon you now
perhaps they are not
shadows
just falling lights
yet to be lit.
falling upon you now

They are grown men now
I watch over  them from afar
they have their wives and rings
and slings
and other things
that bind them
and make them sing
sometimes I want to scoop them up
one in each arm
like long ago
throw them in the back of my car
and sing out loud
ridiculous
melodies
laugh out loud
to
lyrics
born
inside my car.

The words flowing
easily from my brain
tonight
are everything I ever wanted to say
to you
too much
you say
a bit insane
yet still
my words flow easy
flow easy
for the first time
from the inside of my brain
insane
you say
maybe
you’re right

There is a newness about today
and I welcome it without delay
a brand new sun
of a brand new year
I will hear no bad of it
I will believe in it
I will welcome it
I will savour it
I will believe in it
no matter what
you say
I will believe in it
Today

I believe you are brave enough
to love me
you carry a. weapon
to even up.the score

These might be the moments
we might try
to remember
the days we fight hard
not to fade
the smiles we are are glad
that we gave
freely
the moments that remind us
we were once
too young
too giddy
too brave.

When there is nothing else left
I suspect
I will see you
Exhausted but still breathing
Trudging wearily
Over the precipice
To find us again
Know this
I will be here
Still breathing too

You left tiny pieces of yourself
on the dance floor last night
I only noticed because
when I began to sweep
they were still shining
bright

I have nothing to declare
except
my very bright red
lipstick

Let me take your broken dreams
and put them back together
bit by bit
crack by crack
and if we can’t find the missing bit
let’s learn to miss it
heart by heart

the  garnish glittery
golden bits of me
faded effortlessly into
the subtle serious
silver bits of you
smelted for a bit
and became
slowly solid
indestructible undefinably
bronze.

I have had a missing person alert
out for you
for most of my life
so don’t show up all shiny
this late
without a decent
excuse

You will always be
the missing piece
In our three piece
jigsaw family.

reveal your thoughts
yes, all of them
let them tumble upon the floor
naked and raw
the little bits of you
no one has ever
ever ever
seen before

Everybody gets bruised
some of us
hide it
some of us
shout it
either way
everybody gets bruised

My thoughts shatter
like bubbles upon touch
reigning droplets
upon my soul
an old soul
one that really should
know better
yet still
even at this late hour
a soul that
simply
doesn’t know how
To fair better