Cherry Blossom Angel

Alone in the darkness I stand.

I inhale deeply and the scent of earth after a good rain invades my senses.

Looking up, the domed veil of blackness is alight with thousands of glittering orbs.

Full and luminescent the moon shines tonight.

I look down into the valley and smile to myself when I hear the hint of the rushing river down below.

The limbs of the cherry trees around me dance a slow tune with the breeze.

In the silence i hear the voice of an angel.

My eyes close- dare I hope?

I turn, and there he stands, as if Nature's music lead him to me.

Slowly he comes closer until he's but a breath away.

Sure this is an angel, for the moon's light has given him a white halo.

His voice is soft and deep as he whispers my name.

I reach out slowly and touch the smooth sheen of his golden cheek.

Soft as an angels' feathers.

Bright blue eyes reach out to me and I drown in their depths.

His strong arms surround me and my knees weaken.

Leaning in to me, his lips touch mine, softly clinging as if even they know we are meant to be one.

The wind picks up and I look up and laugh as thousands of pink cherry blossom petals fall toward us.

The alluring aroma swirls around us like tendrils of hair flowing in the wind.

My breath catches when I look into your eyes and see love shining there.

"Fly with me," he whispers as his lips touch mine once more.

Up I go, into the light and wonder he makes for me.

Into forever we go, with cherry blossom petals and sparkling stars to guide us.

Losing Myself

The misty fog surrounding my thoughts seems to have become a permanent fixture.

Pain and sadness swirl around in dizzying eddies up there- dancing merrily in each others' company.

The pain seeps into my body, like blood slowly dripping down a wall- consuming what's underneath.

So much so until there's nothing left but the faint memory of a healthy body and conscience.

Sadness creeps in behind the pain.

Like a decaying stench, it covers everything.

I feel hollow inside and the starkness of my features reveals this truth.

Like a rose deprived of moisture, I shrivel and shrink into myself.

The sunlight is warm on my skin but all it does is dry me up inside where I start to crumble with every whisper of the spring wind.

Even the stars, which so often have brought me peace, have lost their charm on me.

There they shine, unaffected by my tears, my sorrows.

It angers me because no one seems to understand my pain, the fears I have to live with inside my heart.

My heart aches, no longer filled with hopes and promises.

Slowly and quietly I reach for Sadness' hand and walk with it into the dark abyss.

Too tired to fight, too tired to care, I disappear into the darkened recesses of my mind- lost for always.

Message In A Bottle

SILENTLY HE SITS WATCHING THE WAVES GENTLY LAP THE SHORE.

A CRESCENT MOON HANGS PERFECTLY AMID A STAR-SOAKED SKY.

THE SOFT BREEZE RIPPLES THE WAVES AS SHADOWS OF SEAGULLS DART ACROSS THE SKY.

THE WATER-TOP GLISTENS WITH THE MOON'S MILKY RAYS.

FLAMES FLICKER AND HUNGRILY CONSUME THE WOOD MEANT FOR IT.

HE STARES AT IT, LOST IN MEMORIES OF A LOVE LOST.

SEEMS A LIFETIME AGO, WHEN HIS DAYS WERE FILLED WITH HER SMILE, AND NIGHTS FILLED WITH LOVE AND PASSION FEW EVER FIND.

THE COLD GLASS OF THE BOTTLE HE HOLDS IN HIS HAND REMINDS HIM OF HOW HE'S NEVER LET GO.

THE FIRE'S LIGHT DANCES ACROSS THE SEA GREEN COLORED BOTTLE, A NOTE ROLLED NEATLY INSIDE.

FOR ALL THOSE TIMES HIS HEART HAS ACHED, FOR ALL THE MOMENTS HE SAID THE WRONG THING.

MAYBE THIS SIMPLE LETTER OF LOVE WILL EXPLAIN IN WAYS HE NEVER COULD.

THE FIRE POPS AND SENDS A SHOWER OF GOLDEN SPARKS INTO THE AIR.

HE WATCHES IN SILENT CAPTIVATION AS THEY FLIT ABOUT UP INTO THE SKY LIKE FAIRY DUST, AS IF THEY ALONE WERE AN ANSWER TO HIS SILENT PRAYERS.

THE LONELINESS INSIDE HIM BECKONED, AND HE GRASPS THE BOTTLE TIGHTER.

RUBBING TIREDLY AT HIS MISTY EYES HE SLOWLY MAKES HIS WAY TO THE WATER'S EDGE, SOMEHOW CALMED BY THE SOFT SAND SQUISHING BETWEEN HIS TOES.

BRINGING THE BOTTLE TO HIS LIPS, HE GENTLY KSISES IT, HOPING THAT THE TREASURE INSIDE STAYS SAFE.

WITH A MIGHTY TOSS IT SAILS THROUGH THE AIR TO LAND WITH A SPLASH IN THE DARK WATERS.

A SILENT PRAYER, HE SENDS UP.

LET THE FINDER OF THESE WORDS OF LOVE TEACH THEM THAT LIFE IS TOO PRECIOUS TO ALWAYS STAND ON THE SHORE.

SAIL THE WATERS, THOUGH THE DESTINATION IS NOT KNOWN.

BECAUSE WITHOUT THE JOURNEY, ALL YOU HAVE TO SHOW FOR IT IS THE SAND BENEATH YOUR FEET AND A NEVER-ENDING ACHE IN YOUR HEART THAT NEVER FOUND A SAFE HARBOR TO NOURISH IT.

What it Means to Me

I take a slow, deep breath and I wait.

My eyes flutter shut as the world around me disappears.

The light from the sun shines golden behind my eyelids as I slowly breathe in and out.

A warming calm seeps through my body and I feel it coming.

A slow smile spreads across my face as the grip on my pen tightens.

I'm on the brink; waiting for what I know is to come; that magical force I've always had that appears when I need it.

A force unseen guides my hand as it glides over the paper, leaving its mark.

Each word is love, knowledge of my soul's mind expressing truth.

These words are my essence; as they slowly leave my body to become thoughts frozen in time.

I sit back, looking down at the finished script feeling a little sad.

I can not describe what it means to me to see my creation in all its glory in front of me.

It seemed only to take a moment, this jewel of my heart.

For a moment I feel drained, my essence seemingly gone from my body.

But then I remember.

I remember that my essence ebbs and flows like the tides of the great oceans; it always comes back and fills the space left open.

And like the waves, I am left with the assurance that my words will flow out and be caught up in someone else's heart.

To make them laugh, to make them cry, to make them have a better understanding of life.

To touch a life, there is no greater accomplishment.

So I give you up, my words, in the hope angels carry you far.

Ride gently upon their wings and fall gracefully to this earth.

Let them be heard, so people may know, just what writing means to me.

Promise of the Lotus

I SHIELD MY EYES FROM THE BURNING ORB OF DAY'S FADING LIGHT.

I SMILE TO MYSELF, NOTICING THAT THE BURNT ORANGE AND REDS OF THE SKY MATCH PERFECTLY THE COLORS OF MY ROBE.

THE BREEZE IS WARM, I FEEL IT CARESSING MY SKIN-URGING ME GENTLY ONWARD TO MY DESTINATION.

I STAND IN WONDER BENEATH A WONDROUS TREE.

REACHING OUT I CARESS ITS TIME-ROUGHENED BARK, KNOWING THAT THIS IS THE PLACE I WAS MEANT TO BE.

I PLACE MYSELF AT THE BASE, ATOP THE COOL GREEN GRASS.

PART OF ME IS AFRAID OF THIS JOURNEY I MUST TAKE.

BUT I FEEL IT IS MY CALLING.

TWILIGHT GATHERS IN THE HEAVENS AS STARS GENTLY TWINKLE INTO THEIR PLACES FOR THE NIGHT.

I TAKE A DEEP BREATH, INHALING THE SWEET SCENT OF THE EARTH.

FROM THE FOLDS OF MY ROBE I FIND MY TREASURE.

IN THE GROWING DARKNESS I CAN JUST BARELY MAKE OUT ITS SHAPE.

BUT MY HANDS KNOW THE SOFT PETALS OF THIS FLOWER WELL.

ITS PERFUMED SWEETNESS FLOATS UP TO ME ON THE BREEZE.

THIS BEAUTIFUL, DELICATE LOTUS, MY FAVORITE FLOWER IN ALL THE WORLD.

TAKING DEEP STEADY BREATHS, I CLOSE MY EYES AND ENTER A PLACE WHERE MY BODY CANNOT FOLLOW.

WARMTH AND LIGHT SURROUND ME, AND I REACH FOR IT, KNOWING THAT JUST BEYOND MY FINGERTIPS LIES A PLACE WHERE I KNOW THE ANSWERS I SEEK AWAIT.

AND WITH THAT PROMISE, A SMILE ON MY LIPS, THIS MIRACULOUS PLACE IS OPENED UNTO ME WITH THE BRIGHTNESS OF TEN THOUSAND SUNS AS I TAKE MY FIRST STEPS INTO THE UNKNOWN.

Two Sides Of Love

I watched as he made his way down to the water's edge.

The March wind blew at his snow white hair, ruffling it, making it look like he'd just run his hands through it.

Today he wore a light flannel shirt tucked into a pair of jeans.

Besides his hair, you'd never guess that he'd seen five more winters than myself.

Tall and lean, I watched in longing as he leaned down to pick up a sea shell, ever so gently rubbing the sand from it.

Oh how I wished he would show the same affection towards me.

The strength of those fisherman hands touching my face in a tender caress.

Oh how I've dreamed!

With a sigh I watch once more.

A smile crosses his face as he walks against the wind, the movement increasing the wrinkles on his face.

He was a man who had lived, with each line marking the passage of time and the character that living a full life brings.

Every day, rain or shine, he makes his way along the beach.

And every day I sit alone, dreaming and watching from my rocking chair, the man that I've always loved.

Maybe today he would come, I thought with a hopeful sigh.





The salty smell of the wind made his nose tingle as he walked along the beach.

Having been a fisherman most of his life, he knew today would have been a good day to bring in the fish.

But that time was long gone now, having hung up his fisherman's hat to enjoy what was left of his life.

It was such a nice day today, the sun was warm on his face and he had not a care in the world.

As he walked he came upon a seashell sticking up out of the sand.

Leaning down he picked it up, gently rubbing the sand from it.

Instantly he thought of her.

The shell was the softest of pinks, reminding him of her cheeks when he gave her a compliment.

For as long as he could remember she had been his neighbor.

There were many nights when he would stand on his porch, just out of sight, and watch her adoringly as she rocked back and forth on her front porch swing.

Oh what it would be like to sit and hold her hand and watch the stars come out!

He had loved her for so long he couldn't remember when the feeling had first hit him.

It seemed like a lifetime ago.

As he walked, he knew from somewhere in the house she watched him.

It was always on his mind to go knock on her door and urge her to walk with him.

But the bumbling old man he was didn't know just how to go about wooing a woman anymore.

He thought of her steel gray hair, worn long and free at her shoulders.

Always he had the urge to run his fingers through it.

The days had grown into years, seemingly in a blur, and still she had never made a move.

He was getting old, even he knew time was growing short.

Today was the day, he told himself.

With a determined glint in his eye, he slowly made his way to her front door.

Before he could knock, there she stood, door standing wide open and questioning hazel eyes gazing back at him.

Without a word he handed her the sea shell.

He watched as a blush stole across her cheeks.

"I've always loved you," he whispered hoarsely before he gathered her into his arms and gave her a kiss that sent them both into a bliss only soul mates would know.

With the sun shining warmly and a soft breeze blowing in off the ocean, two souls united for the first time, their love taking them to heights even the stars couldn't follow.

Second Chances

With a loneliness no one knows, he sits dejected in his chair.

The signs of a hard life show in the sagged line of his mouth and the determined way in which he grabs the bottle.

The long greasy strands of his black hair hang in disarray, as if the life from them too, has been sucked out.

Low firelight flickers, casting long shadows across the dark room.

His eyes stare glassy and unseeing as the fire hungrily consumes the wood in the fireplace.

Too many nights he’d spent just this way.

The scorching of the whiskey no longer affects him as he swallows hard, waiting for the drink to numb his veins.

If only it could numb his heart the way it did everything else.

Shaking fingers grasp the frayed edges of the faded picture.

The smiling faces of his wife and children stare back at him.

He tries hard to remember the sound of their voices, their laughter, but like the photograph, the memory has faded with time.

Nine years today he got the call.

The voice on the other end of the line had been slow and cautious.

Images flashed through his mind of the drunk driver crashing into his wife’s car at seventy miles an hour.

His entire life ended that day.

Now he sits alone, despair whispering into his ear dark thoughts.

The light in his life had died that day along with his family.

Everything he’d taken for granted hung like skeletons in the closet.

A tear slips down his grizzled cheek and steely determination makes his grip on the gun surer.

The time to join his loved ones has been too long a wait and it’s time to make it happen.

With a half-hearted prayer he whispers for forgiveness as he pulls the trigger.

The sound reverberates within the empty walls of the house.

Heart racing, breathing deeply, he opens his eyes.

In a daze his trembling hands open the bullet chamber.

Dropping to his knees he stares at the lone bullet still in its place.

Looking up he cries, and the scent of his wife's perfume fills the air.

"It's not your time," he swears he hears between the pounding in his ears.

A warmth not caused by the whiskey flows through his veins.

The light he’d been missing for so long slowly fills his eyes as he drops the gun and bottle with a new vow and a bright hope in his heart.

Untitled

Beneath the glow of the midnight moon he lies next to me.

The cool breeze from the open window ruffles his hair and my fingers itch to run through its downy softness.

Such a sweet contradiction, a man is.

All hard lines and muscled physique give off the aura of strength, while his touch is softer than the petals of a rose.

He is the last of a dying breed, this man.

The true romantic in every way.

His eyes are so tender when they look at me, the swirling amber lights in them resting on me, putting to memory the love written on my face beneath the moon's light.

When he looks at me, he sees not the imperfections of a plain woman with no special features that would make her beautiful.

To him, the sweetest poem by Frost or Shakespeare falls short of explaining how he feels for me.

Instead, he sees the truest of poetry in my eyes and behind my every smile.

How lucky I am, to be considered beautiful by him, and for me to be able to hold his heart.

I fall into the depths of his love, riding the waves as they hold me and ever so gently carry me home.

Sharply I inhale as the callused pad of his thumb reaches out and traces the line of my lips.

Never breaking eye contact, he leans forward and I can almost taste the desire on his lips.

"My love," he whispers as his hands frame my face and his lips touch mine.

As stars explode behind my eyes I'm drawn completely into the love we share.

Outside the moon continues to shine, and the breeze still blows.

But inside, the passion we have is creating a new world of its own and I gladly succumb to its magic.