Autumn leaves began to fall
as she reminisced of gardens full of life
before the storms came and tore through her synapses
monsoon rains pattered on her front porch
as she struggled to save herself from drowning.

She'd watched Love abandon ship
too many times to count on tired fingers
white flags grasped tight in hand
they'd make their way to tiny lifeboats
only to become pearls along the sailors sunset.

But this winter felt change
as she knelt down in the mud stricken driveway
with hopes that the rain wouldn't wash you away, too.

She just needed more time
to sift through the fog
then she'd stepped back into herself,
and light up the darkness for miles.

-

They say...
home is where your heart is
... but My home
has never been a place for my heart to breathe freely.
my heart has worn its armour
and bolted its metal doors
too many times before
preparing for war on the homeland fronts
for as long as I can remember

Until the day
i met Her.

-

After years
of countless battles and shattered pieces
she'd finally cracked open a window
and swept the dirty floorboards
The newly opened window
surprised her with swirls of fresh summer air
as the smell of clean laundry and sun tanned skin,
filled her damaged lungs
like a fresh oasis in the desert center
She felt her heart sigh a sense of relief
as the cracks in her temple walls
began to heal themselves back together
She was whole again
She was herself again
She was,
happy.

-

She could feel deep inside
that her soul had traveled the universe
hundreds of thousands of lightyears
just to end up in this moment
in love with Her.

-

She didnt know how to tell you
that you had opened her eyes to what was real.
That because of you
she had re-discovered her worth again.
No more settling for people who couldn't give her their all.
She was too full of life and love to be glanced over
like a untouched stone in the riverbed.
You showed her that someone can love all the spaces of your being,
even the dirtiest, most darkened corners,
without running away.
They can love you harder
until all the broken pieces
mend themselves back together,
and you're left with nothing more
than a heart full of love.
You taught her to love herself again,
And as she began to fall in love with life,
She fell in love with you, too.

-

The muddied terrain began a landslide
between her bloodied fingernails.
As she clawed at the tattered roots
to keep herself from sinking deeper.
Into the darkness she could feel
the frigid grasp of the empty abyss
reaching its outstretched arms to hold her tight.
Drawing her in close
like a kiss from the devil's lips.
She began to drown in the chatter
of her own mind.
Collapsing in on herself
like the death of a thousand burning suns.
Even the heavens stood by
and bowed their heads.
To the blackhole residing within her soul
that raged an epic battle
to heal itself.

-

Crashing into hotel room doors
their clothes found their way to the nearest exit
fire lit eyes fell to the covers
as my fingers wrapped around her throat
gently enough to bless her
with the taste of cherry flavored lip balm
like coming up for air
in summer swimming pools of milk and honey
yet gripped strong enough
to feel the pulse of her heart beating beneath my fingertips
reminding her whose kingdom she's residing
shackled to the bed by a hurricane
of seduction and temptation
she closed her eyes
arched her back
and surrendered herself to the night.

-

She tried to outrun the thunderstorm brewing within,
the excruciating tearing of her own heartstrings.
She fell to her knees in disbelief,
as she wiped away the tears that streaked silently down her cheeks.
Memories jammed on repeat and rewind,
like an old picture movie refusing to drop the final curtain.
You were love and joy like summer pools on the front lawn,
As cool and fluid as the river rushing between your toes.
Dreams featured in black and white,
were now doused in your color's of life.
And there you stand in the eye of the storm,
with outstretched arms.
Final breaths of fresh air fill your lungs,
for you knew all along those arms of yours were merely wings.
Trusting in the process above,
knowing that the good ones,
always got called home early.

All my love, little bro. 💙
All my love.

-

The love she once longed so desperately for
slid gently into the backseat of a yellow taxi cab
leaving as swiftly as the winter's breeze
Now, all she wanted was to be left alone
No more lingerie wildly thrown about the room
Or promises built on nothing but the graves of blinded passion
But instead
scattered plane tickets ransacked her bedroom floors
As books began to pile themselves on the vacant nightstand
Realizing that no love could fill her empty spaces any longer
No love but the taste of her own freedom
As she traded in her red flags for white
seizing the paused moments
to love herself harder than she's ever been loved before.

-

She read through an array of love quotes.
Searching for just the right words to describe,
the hole left in the middle of her heart.
How disheartening,
to stumble upon an archeologist.
Desiring treasures,
yet refusing to dig.

-