A Leap... A Poem

A year ago today
you said you would be here
with a million little "I cans"
and a thimble full of fear

You brushed off the word unhappiness
and promised yourself success
you said you'd conquer insecurity
and solely work to be the best

You dreamed of flying airplanes
into the sun and distant lands
you thought of the world you'd conquer-
counted setbacks on only 1 of your hands

You gave yourself some deadlines
took some consequential leaps
yet when time got lost in little trenches
you let them invade the dreams inside your sleep

Laziness took over
and a voice inside your head
took all the little million "I cans"
and turned them into "I can'ts" instead

Distractions became your to do list
your priorities slipped and fell
and on lonely nights when the lights went out
you were left only to sit and dwell

The people who entered and stole your attention
you see now you should have let them leave you
but instead you kept them close to your heart
allowing their presence to deceive you

So I tell you today
a year ahead of your time
before you go forward
and move out of your prime

Sit down and write lyrics
blogs, poems, and stories
turn battles and defeats
into grand, triumphant victories

Because in a year this time today
you'll wish you had taken the risk
to write the words upon your heart
to have all you ever wished...

To You

Who am I to you?
like wind that drifts below the trees
I'm there for a second then drift away
like the lapping waves of angry seas

Tossing, turning beneath dirty sheets
who am I to you today
the warmth of skin upon your shoulder
the kind that fades away

You see my face in the crowd
nonchelantly dismiss my smile
who am I to you tonight
another shadow in your heart's exile

The rain scatters on your furrowed brow
your eyes have never looked so blue
we say nothing, I speak to your ghost
Who was I to you?

Picking Up the Pen

It's been a while since I've picked up a pen and written down a rhyme. So here it comes, after a mini-vacay from hittin' the sheets (of paper, that is!) Happy Thursday, everyone!

I wake up, my hair in knots
my toes are cold, my cheeks are hot
pressed against the pillow case
a tired and aging face

I slip on my socks and shift across the hard wood
pull on my cotton pants, adjust my sweatshirt hood
reach into the cupboard, pull out the coffee tin
measure one scoop, two, three..add water, dive in

Can't find my toothbrush, my lips are dry
splash water on my skin, watch droplets fly
return to the coffee mug on the table top
await the sunshine, pray the rain soon will stop

Pick up the phone, dial the number on my mind
bring up conversations, any topic I can find
he doesn't answer, I'm not surprised
hang up, no message, close my eyes

Wipe away steam, tears, from coffee or a broken heart
just in time for the lightning strike, the thunder starts
turn on the radio, people murmur nothing new
I turn the off the sound and think for a few

Street lights flicker off, the rain now a misty gray-white
the sun fights the cloud cover and pronounces daylight
a door slams out in the stairwell, the world starts to wake
take the towels from the dryer, give the sheets a shake

The phone rings, I run in the bedroom where it sits
just my brother, I'll call later, unless I forget
return to the kitchen, pour another cup coffee
as he does the same, somewhere far from here, without me.