One-Two-Three-One-Two-Three
These are the steps I take
One-Two-Three-One-Two-Three
At the Masquerade Ball!
One-Two-Three-One-Two-Three
I hope that I will wake,
One-Two-Three-One-Two-Three
before my smile is stitched on.

The mask I wear is oh so pretty,
that no on can turn away.
If only they knew behind all the glitter
that my heart is feeling quite bitter,
at the fact that I must always pay
for being without some pity.

Smile and nod, smile and nod,
is what my parents say.
Smile and nod, smile and nod,
and it will all be okay!

Oh mama, papa,
you know that to be untrue,
for I as your daughter
saw the reception,
and your faces looked so blue.
-the daughter of a monarch

Do not cry, my dear. You see, men like him chase dimming stars, the most visible, blinking ones: flashing, burning, dying. Unstable.
But you are strong.
You are far too bright,
far too precious to be consumed.

Men like him are blinded by your light—fear it even. It pierces their void and makes them question.

So do not mimic the flashing.

Do not mimic the dying.

Do not waste your power—
your precious stardust—
on someone who does not value your light.

You are without a doubt  a yellow
You, are the sun, you rise and fall
Silently, your words each have meaning and so beautifully observant
It’s curious how you make me ardent
I wonder why that shade of gold stays frozen in my head
The eyes I forget what color sometimes, they make me weak
The curve of your nose alone had to be studied before I realized if I liked it or not
But you are as yellow as that raincoat you wear
And as soft as the night sky in summer
If you were a season, I don’t know which one you’d be
You are to others, summer, sunshine, fun, and the feeling of being young
But to me you could be winter, soft and a little bit cold in all the right ways
You could be sweaters and snow, and falling on skiis
You feel like Christmas and gliding across ice on skates
You could be spring, something very new and gentle, and the most vibrant colors
And natural smile that feels like an award
You could be fall, all the browns and oranges found in your eyes and lashes
The beautiful carved mountain side of your profile
The long limbs like tree branches with leaves fallen.
But I don’t even care what season you are because I want you year round
You are so much more then a period of time because you are a constant
No matter what emotion you are a constant sadness, euphoria, melancholy, mischief, anything I’ve ever felt all at once

there are so many of you
that i would love to sit down with;
maybe over a milkshake and a plate of fries;
and just talk.
i want to ask you about the boy that hurt you,
about the anger you feel deep inside
over a father who said he’d come back...
and then didn’t.
i want to run with you through pages of words and say
“oh that’s right, what a lovely metaphor.”
i want to see all your smiling faces and
thank each and every one of you for showing me kindness,
for saving my life.
i want to collaborate on novels of poetry
and laugh with you through the tears of our pasts.
so until we sip those milkshakes and eat those fries...
thank you, to
some of the most beautiful people i have never met.