I look deeper into the mirror
Hatred is all I see
Perhaps despair also in reflection
So I  resolve to change
Scratching
Clawing
Pulling
Pushing
Biting
Clutching
Tearing
Enflaming
Ripping

To shed this skin
And stand beyond my nakedness in front of you

sunny afternoons in the mall
strawberry ice-cream dripping
onto the manicured lawn
we'll laze in the shade of the big oak tree
you fall asleep while I try to speak

we make angels in the snow
your lines are sharp and defined
in the light mine falls in shadows
I store away the laughter
you leave around so carelessly

under the warm whites
steam is still rising
from your coffee mug
you left untouched
the wind chimes by the door
sound like your smile
sound like the ending of a day

What is a smile?
To others,
a smile is an expression of happiness,
of emotion.
To me,
a smile is an act.
A facade.
To hide my real feelings.
To hide the perpetual frown planted on this face of mine.
Maybe I fake a smile because I want it to remain frozen on my face,
forever.

The hot air blows me dry
even the sweat disappears,
to be cool how hard I try
but the fire seems to reappear

Hope never dies
in this land of chaos
truth floats over lies
all you need is a stir
and a heart that's wise

A jolly smile and beady eyes,
pitcher and crunchy fries,
in this tipsy walk of life
with friends it is always cheers
down to the last mug of beer.

.

Her smile is always first to me

but it is at the end
of these long, lonely days

when dark clouds
invade her world and her
heart hurts that I think

making her happy is the

last thing I should do

.

The rain has stopped,

the sun is shining bright
in blue September skies

and she is happy,
making the world

a more beautiful place

wherever she smiles