The Grand Fade

The wood is dark

The noises frightening 

I don't dare leave my cave

This is my new home now 

No search parties

No tracking dogs

I left without telling a soul

And I know I won't be missed

Lust v Love

Similar but not the same

Intense 

Powerful 

Able to create or destroy

Capable of generating tears or laughter

Crushingly

Blindingly 

Beautiful 

And I walk forward

With one foot on each side

Of the Red Line

Embracing both

And fearing neither

The Abandoned

Rain soaked and heart sick

No end in sight 

For the downpour 

No shelter

For the battered spirit

No way to get

Back to home

Back to you 

castleFloor

On my knees for thirty minutes now

One snap for each minute

Naked and exhausted

The Punishment falls from my hand

The fireplace scorches my front 

To match my broken back

Torn flesh so numb 

I can't feel the rivulets of blood 

Pooling at my feet

But for thirty split seconds 

I felt 

Alive

Apothecary

All of the years shared

And I'm still discovering

The magic of you.

languageBarrier

There were no words I understood

But his intent was clear

Slight corrections 

Small manipulations

Tiny marks left as reminders

Of a session 

In a foreign land 

Without leaving home

The Longest Night

I crawl into bed,

Whisper I love you, and wait

For you to join me. 

Hunt(ed)

Jagged-toothed and snarling

Hot foam dripping from bloody teeth 

The Ugly comes for us all

And no salt or iron

Daylight or stake

Can stop the darkness 

From swallowing souls

At breakneck pace 

Run 

If you think it will do any good

But when it chases faster than thought

You'll find it waiting for you

Around every corner

Ink

There is a heart

Full of tattoos

Words written 

That tear

That mend

That break

That bind

Story after story

Marked on a heart

Tucked away 

Where no one sees

Mirage

There is a lost key

To an unknown lock

For a hidden treasure 

The reckless have searched 

With no clues to guide them

The unobservant have 

Walked past every day

But the treasure is patient

The lock can be understood 

And the key is nearly found 

sprungLocks

That tipping point where

Turning the key won't allow

You to stay the same 

swiftBoat

Flash and bang

Over and under 

Restlessness sets in

Give and take

Open and close

The love across the sea waiting

To claim my soul

Eyes that branded my heart

Never letting go 

The Ghost of You

It's inescapable 

Your face is everywhere 

Haunting words 

And blurry memories

Of time shared

Intense eyes 

Reflected in every face

I'm waiting for the haunting to end

And the possession to begin 

Frame

Flash

And gone

The photo created

Locked in time

A frozen moment

Burned into my soul 

It brings tears

Of longing

Of joy

Of overwhelming isolation

My only decoration

In my forgotten cage 

While I wait for the Maestro

To call his muse

Covet

In she walks

Emerald eyes and

Olive skin

Hair the color of holly

I'm tied to this chair

There is no escape 

She's prettier than you she taunts

She's smarter too

Shut up I yell

I already know

You gonna keep letting her win

Yes

Why

Because I don't deserve to be happy

Damn right you don't

She walks in circles 

In and out of line of sight

But I know she's always there

Because I can feel my soul

Turning green

Doll on a Shelf

Broken and remade

Perfect waves of ecstasy 

Over an imperfect beach

Winds whipping a fire

That never stops 

And the soothing balm

Of words spoken only

With eyes