cherries for sarah

"it was fate," she told you
the way she caught your eye
walking alone
as you usually did
never missing a thing

was it the shape
of her confident stance
or the smile, like a child at play?
you'll never know
but she had you

the words came easy
as if from a thousand conversations before
"i love you" preceding "i want you"
seconds turning to hours
you kissed

her Ruby lipstick colored your lips
"it looks like cherries," she said
and that's when you knew
you'd bring cherries for sarah
forever

a flower to tread on

the evenings hasten
to steal the light from you
leaving you to curve forward
in search of life

you lean toward the path
upon the steps I take
so beautiful in your struggle
to reach me

a crisp wind pushes you back
swaying as you once did for me
our paths colliding again
in this underfoot serenade

i used to be here

this place of vines and thorns
drawing blood with every move
blinded by the pain i sought alone
living in the shadows of each day
wondering why the warmth i felt was cold
cool as the earth beneath me
the wind driving the thoughts from my head
to wonder; will i live again...

the truth of words and deeds

remember the story i never told you
cast in brilliant shadow
for all to see
a true picture
the essence of who i am

veiled as if to confound the seeker
the blind and the seeing
opened to you
a true moment
the essence of who we are

can you take these words
and the deeds preceding
available now
a true process
the essence of who we become

ashes

when the tears
of the unforgiven dry
and are ground back into earth
i will be there

salvation

when i suffer
i love you most
words, like an open wound
ravage me

empty

gray
ashen kettles of nothing
holding what we thought we were
looking, still
for the things that held us close
gone
leaving nothing but the search
for the the thing we never had...