If the stars should align to make our futures the same,
I'd spend every day playing our game,
Our game of love, mischief and aches,
Playing and swimming in shimmering lakes,
Romping around between the trees,
***** hands and scraped knees,
Playful giggles and stolen kisses,
I'll play the Mr. if you'll play a Mrs.
A time of growing, learning and change,
If only the stars would rearrange.

I don’t have to have everything figured out to do the things I’m interested in.
For does the hermit crab let its shell crush it before selecting another?

I don’t have to be totally secure to love and be loved.
Does the redwood wait until it’s fully grown to offer its shade?

I don’t have to be financially stable to have a good time.
The deer frolic and dance, never troubled by rent or savings.

I don’t have to be healed to start living my life.
The forest doesn’t wait for the trees to regrow after a fire before painting the hillside green again.

You asked me what love is.
Love is memorizing your body language,
Knowing when you're happy or sad without having to ask.
Love is learning your favorite recipes,
Even if I burn them at first.
Love is listening to your music,
Especially the sad ones.
Love is staying up late, talking about our dreams,
Even when we don't know where they're leading.
Love is knowing your interests,
And trying my best to engage in them with you.
Love is learning about your favorite teas,
Even though I don't drink tea.
Love is being patient,
Even when you hurt my feelings.
Love is sharing our thoughts and feelings,
Even when it's hard.
Love is knowing that we are enough,
Even though we aren't perfect.

Lead me by your leash,

Drag me through the dirt,

Lay me down on a bed of leaves,

Cold and sharp against my skin.

Strip me of my dignity,

Make me wait for your touch.
Then, one day,

A different hand appears
,
It finds me where the shadows hide,

Where the wind bites sharp,

And I am alone.

It reaches through the quiet,

Pulling me from my cold prison.
The warmth floods in,

A door opens wide,

I am pulled inside,

Where fire crackles in a hearth,

And the hunger is fed.

Gentle hands pet and soothe,

Whispering,
"You are enough."
All I ever wanted
,
Was to be a good dog
,
Not to be broken,

Not to be left waiting,

But to be seen.

When will enough be enough?
When the seed of doubt has fully bloomed?
When the clock on the wall has struck its last note?
When the thumping of the rain falls silent?
When the light of dawn breaks through the dark?
When the winds of change blow their final breath?
When the weight of silence is lifted from the room?
When the shadows fade and reveal the truth?
When the last step is taken, and the path is known?
When will the end finally meet the beginning?

Brought into this world, ****** and afraid,

My face blue, unable to cry,

I took my first breath in silence,

A cry buried in the depths of a heart not yet ready.
I woke up one day, six,
And found the bitter taste of my father's world,

Beer and cigarettes,

Ashen remnants of choices he never took back,

I swore I'd be nothing like him.

They taste gross,

Their sharp edges biting against the innocence I tried to hold.

I fell back asleep,

A sleep that carried me through the years.
I woke up at eleven,

Staring down at the chalk on the ground,

Scraped knees, tear-streaked cheeks,

A bruise on my soul, unseen but aching.

Falling asleep again,

Trying to outrun the weight of the world.
I woke up at fifteen,

Cigarette in one hand, beer in the other,
Guess my old man is still a part of me,

His ghosts clinging to my skin,

Yet I carry them like a burden I never chose.

I fell asleep again,

Hoping I could escape,

But the shadows lingered,

Uninvited, relentless.
I woke up at twenty four,
And the weight had shifted,

I put down the beer, swapped the cigarette for a vape,

A quiet rebellion, small but real.

I’ll fall asleep again,

But not as the same person.

I’ll wake up accomplished,

Surrounded by a loving community of friends and family,

Roots that stretch deeper than the chaos of the past.

I will not let my past become my future,

I will grow beyond what I was,

And the kid who couldn’t cry,

Will one day find their voice.

Are we a novel or a short story?
Will the hero vanquish the villain, or will we spiral into a psychological thriller?
Is there magic lurking in the corners,
or mischief in every twist?
Will we find glory or guts,
or will gold be the prize we never reach?

Will there be romance that ignites,
or a slow burn that fizzles out?
Will triumph rise,
or will we drown in the weight of defeat?
Fighting, feuds, will they scar us,
or will they push us toward something greater?

What will our story look like?
Are we a best seller, cherished,
or a forgotten tome gathering dust on a shelf?
Will we inspire revolution,
shifting the course of history?
Will we echo the power of ancient, biblical texts,
words that change lives for centuries to come?

Will we inspire, educate, and challenge?
Or will we lull, a quiet companion to sleep?
Do we linger in quiet moments,
read in bathrooms, in bedrooms,
or do we make our mark in the world outside?
Are we a tale as old as time,
or a new chapter waiting to unfold?

Time will only tell,
but I wish I could read between the lines
turn the page
before the story’s over.

Your heart remains covered by vines and branches
The vines shroud you, and the thorns guard you
I will not hack and slash to reveal you
I will water and nurture, letting the small bulbs grow into vibrant flowers.
I will not pick them, I will let them live and thrive
If the season of frost comes again, and the flowers wilt
and the vines turn brown
I will be patient and caring, tending to the garden of our love
waiting for your heart to open once more

I want to be nowhere special,

with no one special.

Our home, just walls and quiet rooms,

our cars, worn but dependable,

our bank accounts simple,

our clothes, nothing to boast about.

Our food, plain and comforting,

our jobs, unremarkable but steady,

our phones, just tools for connection.
But in the midst of it all,

we will be something quiet,

something real.
We will be enough,

without ever needing to be special.

You fall asleep on the phone, I stay silent and still

I watch the clouds roll over the hill

Wonder how long before you let me in

To the place by the mountains, covered in snow

The frost on the windows, the cold biting your nose

You need your space, you crave their love

You sleep on the phone, and my hand aches for your touch
I hope you think I matter as much

As the boy in your dreams, soft and frail

Nights like this make me feel like I’m in hell

But hell would be warm, this love makes me cold

I hope we’ll be able to die when we’re old
Sitting in chairs by the fire, hearts full of desire

Grandkids aplenty, stories to tell

Not just a house on the hill, but a love that lasts

And when it’s time, we’ll be the past

A hole in the ground, where we’ll rest side by side

And the gravedigger will fill the void where we once lived our lives

My intentions are pure, as you must know, for sure,
I dreamt I waited outside your door.
No knocking, no doorbell, no words, no more,
I listened and waited for the sound of your voice.

She giggled.
He sighed.
She fretted, and more.
He grumbled.
She whispered.
She moaned.
You laughed.

My ear drank in joy.
My mouth frowned, then smiled.
I sat there and listened for another while.

They’re happy.
She’s smiling.
He can’t help but write.
She loosens her shoulders.
He can’t be so uptight.
She’s free to be, as free as a bird.
She’s free to speak her sultry words.
You’re happy, healthy, and that means the world.

So goodbye, sweet darlin’, I'll finally let go,
And give you the distance you need to grow.
But just remember me in your quietest times,
When the world is still, and your heart softly chimes.

Try not to let show,
The shadow of doubt you still carry inside,
That weight you hold, so hard to hide.
I’ll be here, not gone, just a thought,
A whispered memory, a lesson taught.

I wanted to be a good dad,
I wanted to be a musical friend
I wanted to be a right hand helper,
I wanted to be an older sibling,
I wanted to be a gentle hand,
I wanted to be a body and mind,
I wanted to be a life-long lover.

I’ll find peace in this, I swear,
Even if it means I’m not there.
And if ever you need, if ever you roam,
Know my heart will always be home.

Cashiers at In-N-Out,

Friends on the phone,

Sisters on the front porch,

Vendors on the sidewalk,

Strangers at a party,

These are a few of the ones I enjoy.
Baristas at dawn,

Cousins in the kitchen,

Neighbors waving at the mailbox,

Kids chasing the ice cream truck,

These are the echoes of everyday joy.
Librarians who pause to smile,

Artists with paint-streaked hands,

Old timers on park benches,
Musicians singing off-key.

These are faces I savor in my day-to-day.