We’re Engaged!

When I was single, I generally hated seeing social media and other posts about people getting engaged and being madly in love. Alas, I guess I’ve become one of those people, though I don’t mind that much.

For most of my adult life, I never thought I’d get married and settled down. My mental health was always precarious, and my early twenties were filled with addiction and psych ward visits. I did have long-term relationships, but the inevitably failed for various reasons. This time around with Rachel has been different. Perhaps it’s because I’m getting older (I turned 36 this week).

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Why Do I Deserve Such Tenderness? (a poem)

She said, “Open the door, let me in.”
Inside my fortress, I freeze to death
Every night stripped and shivering
Rusted bones, my body glimmering

But she comes to me in silence
Wraps me in warm blankets
Tells me the movements of the planets
And the location of distant stars

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The Black Mist (a poem)

The black mist rolled around me

And the vase shattered into a million pieces

The flower petals it once held

Orange, red and yellow, they were all scattered around

The pieces are now jagged and sharp

Piercing my skin deeply with every try to collect them

Maybe I’ll make a mosaic of them one day

And hopefully that image is as lovely as the vase used to be

(Photo by Fabien TWB on Unsplash)

Daisies & Heartbreak (a haibun)

I hand her a bouquet of flowers in the shadows: daisies, her favorite. A token of my love, a symbol of my guilt. For my sins, my mistake. It is a peace offering, made in the dying light of our backyard.

She accepts daisies
Takes them and leaves for good
Relationship done

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The Day my Brother was Born (a poem)

The day my brother was born, I was torn –

already 16 years old

on the cusp of college & adult life

he was so precious

he kept me close to home

in mind & soul

even though the family fell apart

I keep him close to my heart

worry about him, but know that

he’s my blood & I’d go to the gates of Hell

to protect him.

(Photo by Kylo on Unsplash)

What is Happiness? (a prose poem)

What is happiness?

It’s sitting in the comfy chair in the reading nook, next to you while you work away at your desk. It’s our pup laying behind your chair, chewing his favorite toy, completely at peace. It’s our baby girl, purring away sitting on the ottoman next to my feet.

Happiness isn’t money or the nicest things the world has to offer.

Happiness is your kind and loving heart, loving me forevermore.