Veil of Tears

I have woven my veil
tear by tear
it shields me,
shapes me
clarified
through my sorrows

Doubter's Prayer

Rescue me
from my fantasies

take from me
what I think I want
give to me
what I really want

lace my dreams
in moonlight
blind my fears
in hope

until fantasies
realities
and I've burned
all my doubts

Masterpiece in Progress

I am unfinished
added to each day
by some
taken away
by others

you can see
the way I smile a little wider
glow, just slightly brighter

you've added to the measure of me
made me more who I am
more who I want to be

you listen to me
and make me smile
you make me feel
like I'm worthwhile

my heart grows
fills me chest
leaving little room
for even breath

with each step
in each day
I feel cherished
loved
in a unique way

I am becoming more
than I thought I could
(realistically)
be

Thank you for adding to
not taking away from
me

Running Away

Spine to spine
close, connected
Heading separate ways

heart pounding
shallow breaths
anger rising in an empty chest

wait 3 seconds
ignore
 breathe

laugh too hard
smile too wide
squint away disappointment

breathe in steel
set your jaw

legs start pumping
everything falls away

don't focus
don't think

run
fake it

Secrets

I keep my secrets in ink
black so deep
they could never betray me

yet,
I'm afraid it's not enough
I add more secrets
crowd them together
till they become inseparably connected

there is danger here
touch one
you touch them all

they become my fatal flaw
one drop
enough to blacken a page
seeping to the edges
revealing too much

what was I thinking?
ink could never have hidden me
what else could
distill me into a word

Drive from Idaho Falls to West Jordan at Midnight

Stars drip through the clouds
pin pricks of light
peeking through misty lace curtains

black behind us
black ahead
rain slicked streets

silence against the mountains
shadow from crest to crest
we are in the valley of the night

darkness
to appreciate the light

4000 Steps to Freedom

Inspired by Kip

Freedom is full of sweat
Heat
Hair and clothes so hot that we seem to roast in our skin

Freedom is full of aches
in arms
legs
and feet
as we pound it out to the finish line

Yes, Freedom is full of pain
tiring work
past faces
and bodies on the sidelines

but, Freedom is also full of joy
faces breaking in smiles
voices cracking in celebration
as we glory in choice and agency

We walked 4000 steps
a small sacrifice
to celebrate the freedom
won for us
on the backs of unknown names