Looking into the past
I see the fallen love I worked so hard to save
Lying in the ashes of resentment and dissatisfaction

I see the fields of purple and pink
Where I used to pick flowers for my grandmother
Now dug up and paved

I can smell the petrichor from the interstate
The same way I did when I was sitting in my mom's backyard
Pretending to make cakes from the dirt, and herbs from the grass and weeds

In the shadows of my unfinished life,
Regrets whisper secrets, a haunting strife.
Unhealed wounds still seep, a slow decay,
As heartbreak heavy chains bind me to stay.

In my perceived "enlightened" mind, there, seek dark things still,
My eyes imitate a waterfall of tears not seen by many,
A heavy cross I must carry deep into the depths of my unknown path,
Leaving no footprints behind, only tears that wept the dry ground.

Across the stagnant waters,
whispers of woe, wallow in the waves.
The voices cry, but you can't hear them,
while crossing the bridge of lies.

Promises of love pollute the air,
clouding charred hearts with chaos,
choking on the cinders, grinding their gears,
searching for a hand to hold in their despair.

You can't turn around, trapped and betrayed.
Tainted touch upon worthless words,
Lifeless, left to weep, as another dream dies.
You are now a slave to the bridge of lies.

Years ago, but fresh this day.
Norma and I, out for a lark
on a country drive to a ghost town.
leading to picnicking with a six-pack
in a dusty, deserted graveyard.
With laughter and whispered
ghost stories, of the dead
who we presumed resided here.
'Til sun's Zenith approached.
The best of the day spent
we started for home.
I, ensconced in passenger seat,
cross legged and easy
no seat-belt to impede me,
on a sunny summer day.
She liked traveling slowly
through stop signs

All our lives we've heard tales
Of her deadly desire

Not to let an houri enter
Your breast pierce between

The thighs of another man's wife
Take a virgin in the hidden pass

But wait on the allotted hour
Happiness will enter your kingdom

Though it's written in your every cell
Kiss every mouth interpret every smile

As invitation to the Festival of Love

long, top-down drives
even shirtless-tans
sweet strawberry-kisses and
glorious watermelon stains

laughter lifting through the trees
glimpses of sun-blest promises
sugar-coated whispers
catching in the breeze

fruit bowls, waterholes
and refreshing icy poles
interlacing fingers share
starry nights and lazy days

What a horrendous experience I encountered as a child.
My beloved pet named Fe Fe met his horrifying death.

Fe Fe was my cherished kitty.
He played with me. He let me dress him up and roll him around in my doll buggy. I loved Fe Fe.

It had been cold and raining for weeks and I missed Fe Fe
It was a day after school, my friend hollering at me to go upon our deck to our swimming pool.

What a horrendous experience I encountered as a child.
My beloved pet named Fe Fe met his horrifying death.

Fe Fe was my cherished kitty.
He played with me. He let me dress him up and roll him around in my doll buggy. I loved Fe Fe.

It had been cold and raining for weeks and I missed Fe Fe .
It was a day after school, my friend hollering at me to go upon our deck to our swimming pool.

Time stops
We watch in fear
Praying for some movement
Heart beats so fast eyes filled with tears
Silence

The March winds ripped off
three panels from under the eaves,
hurling them out onto the street.

I heard the "twi-tip, twi-tip, twi-tip"
sound as one car after
another ran over them,

flattening their form, smashing
the metal into recyclable rubble.
I gathered them up, just to be quite

finished with the annoying reverberation
batting at my brain. Off in the distance
a church bell pealed the 4:00 hour, its song

tong
tong
tong
tong