Tag: poem

Matters of the Heart

I know I probably talked about the matters of the heart so many times. As I think about it more and more I realize that the heart is one of the most essential organs we have in our bodies. It pumps blood and keeps us alive every day. I really am sorry for everything that I put my heart through. I am thankful for it every minute of every day. That is the very reason why we have to protect it. That leads me to my first quote of this post. Proverb 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” In other word we should protect and guard our hearts because life itself flows and comes from it.

I could go on and on about how important our heart is, but I think people get the point. There is so much more I could say about our hearts, but I will conclude with a couple of more quotes and they are important ones. The first one is by Princess Diana. She says “Only do what your heart tells you.” In other words, you should be trusting and following your heart. You should be doing what your heart tells you to do because it is usually right. That leads me into my next and final quote of this post by Alfred Adler. He says “Follow your heart but take your brain with you.” It is a gentle reminder to follow your heart, but do no not forget to take your brain with you which is very important.

This post is a gentle reminder for those of us who forget that our hearts are the most important organ we have in our body. We have to take care of it, not only physically, but mentally as well because we put it through a lot. The truth is that we cannot always count on others to take care of it for us because it belongs to us and no one else. In a way we have to take care of our own hearts before we take on the responsibility to take care of someone else’s heart because our our health should come before someone else’s damaged heart. So this post is for all of you. Cheers! And enjoy these two poems. The first one is in tribute to Rita Dove who is a poet I came across in one of the competitions I took part in on DUP (won runner up position). You can read her poem that was the inspiration for my poem (click here). Like I said before, I hope that you all enjoy them.

There Goes My Heart

Pitter patter
goes my heart
every time I see you.

Take what belongs
to you – the heart
moving with
every breath
and word spoken
So eloquently.

All I yearned for
was simplicity
and easiness.

The heart never
loses its shape
nor its color
as it never stops
its birdlike or drum
like consistency.

It never stops its
path to freedom.

Visual poem titled “Healing Heart.”

Things That Are Left Unsaid & Unsent Letters

We all have things that are left unsaid, especially when it comes to someone who left or died. This someone may have hurt you or vice versa. In some way these things that are unsaid impact you in some way. These people have an impact on you as well whether you realize it or not. That brings me to my first quote by Sara Zarr, who says, “There are certain people that come into your life, and leave a mark. I’m talking about the ones who, for whatever reason, are as much a part of you as your own soul. Their place in your heart is tender, a bruise of longing, a pulse of unfinished business. Just hearing their names pushes and pulls at you in a hundred ways, and when you try to define those hundred ways, describe them even to yourself, words are useless. If you had a lifetime to talk, there would still be things left unsaid.” In other words, there are people who have an impact on your life and even if you had all the time in the world to talk to each other there will still always be things that will be left unsaid.

These things that are left unsaid also stay with us no matter what. Which brings me to my next quote, which says, “Things left unsaid stay with us forever.” I think I already summed that quote up perfectly already, but I will reiterate. The things left unsaid stay with us permanently, no matter what happens in life. They linger and stay with us.

Sometimes there are things we wish we would have said and sometimes I write those things into poems/letters. It is the best way to get it out even if that person does not see those poems/letters. Those people are such a huge part of our lives and even if we left on bad terms there are some things that are going on in our lives currently that we wish we could tell them. My point is this, even if you do not send those poems/letters it gives us closure in some way or the other. It gives you that clarity that you did not get before. It especially helps when there is physical distance between you and that person.

I wanted this post to be one of the first ones of the new year because it is like starting with a new slate. In a way you are writing your thoughts without really sharing it with anyone or anything besides paper. That brings me to one final quote by Nancy Ducey. She says, “There are letters I have written, unspoken words I must release. I bare my soul on paper, but in the end it is only ink.” So here is a poem that I wrote in some sort of letter format in the hopes that I am able to get almost everything out that I want to. The second one is a letter that I did indeed write and neither one of them had been sent. And I encourage my readers to do the same. Sit down and write a poem or letter, but do not send it. I hope that you all enjoy these poems/letters.

Unsent Letter

I have to write this with a clear heart
And head. I just wanted a fresh start

Miles away from where we met and
Fell in love. I never could understand

How one person who always had my
Heart could be the one to have me cry

Because as I tried to believe in us you
Were shutting down and carried too

Much weight on your shoulders. Even
When I was walking away on uneven

Ground as my balance was slipping
Fast, my eyes were still dripping

With tears of the final goodbye. I just
Knew I tried to move on as the lust

And love were still trying to tug or pull
At my heartstrings one time. I was full

Of doubts and questions. All of this
To say that although I will truly miss

The person and memories that came
With us things we were not the same

As we once were. We are now grown
And changed as the world has shown

Us a different life. Different jobs, hair,
Journeys and destinations. The air

Has changed too because gone are
The days when I could not move far

Along the path I wanted to follow.
So forgive me if I ever sound hollow,

Shallow or selfish because I truly
Did it for myself. I walked from a duty

And promise to you. Although I still
Wait for that one message I fulfill

That promise I made to myself long
Ago of loving myself and staying strong.

To a Poet I Once Knew

September 20, 2018

Oakland, California

Dear D.,

I hope that this letter finds you well. I have been thinking of you lately as the sunsets remind me of our short time together. All I can think about is the first time we kissed as the city lights felt as if they were miles away. For that one moment my heart felt steady and I just knew that it belonged in your hands. Just as the better days were approaching after the hurricane, I found warm shelter within your embrace.

I am forever thankful as I swiped right on Tinder, even though I did not know your story or recognized you in the flesh. Flash forward to 4 months later and our story was ending although I was scared to say goodbye, but I had to say goodbye because although the good memories were there the days leading up to this final climax were coming fast. I could do nothing, but cry that night when you said it was over because who was the guy I was falling for? Because I did not see or recognize the man you became. It is like the time you told me that you did not want to make me cry but looking back now it is a lie. All the memories associated with you are tainted.

This letter to you is to not wish you any ill or bad feelings, but to remember the good and bad times we had together. No matter how many times I have been going around in circles with questions like… Why you? Why her? Why did this have to happen? But neither one of us have the complete answers. Sometimes people like you are just meant to be in our lives for a short time like a stranger who has become a friend and lover. Then they go back to becoming a stranger again.

I have been trying to find it in my heart to forgive you because although you let me carry the weight of the world you also gave me every reason to be alive again. You gave me every reason to grow and carry myself like the woman we both know I could be. And for that I am thankful, but maybe it is best for us to move on like I know you already have. I wish you nothing, but happiness and hope that the sunshine still finds you wherever you are. I hope that you continue to follow the path you have created for yourself and just know that even though we are miles apart I know you will conquer the world one day.


Take Care,
Elena

Lord Byron Tribute

It is time for another tribute post. This one is for Lord Bryon, whose birthday is right around the corner, January 22. I first came across Lord Byron through a book my mom gave me one year for my birthday in college. That poem that I came across and is one of his most well known poems (also happens to be one of my favorite poems today) is “She Walks In Beauty” (you can read the poem here). I will let my poem speak for itself and the poem did get runner up position for a contest I participated in last month on DUP. I hope that you all enjoy it!

She Is True Beauty

I see her standing there like a true vision.

How I wish I could meet her right at the
Water’s edge so captivated by her beauty

And true perfection. In some other world
She would be mine, but in this world she
Is fawned over by many others like some
Boyhood or girlhood fantasy. When she

Laughs like a musical melody others stop
To listen. With her smile she can light up

A dark room and with her eyes she can set
Fires. She walks in beauty like the silence
In the wind chimes, but no one knows her
True beauty on the inside and the strength

In her bones like the women who all came
Before her. No one knows the struggles she

Faces to be like the girls on the front of the
Magazine covers. She does not know that I
Am standing right here to catch her if she
Ever falls. She offers love and kindness.

She is like an angel who walks in beauty.

My Start In Poetry

As we kick off the new year (happy 2021 everyone), I want to take this time and look back on when I first started writing poetry. I first started writing poetry in middle school and I believe it was 6th grade, but by the time I was in 8th grade I really got into it. I always credit Mr. Rose, my 8th grade English teacher for my start in poetry. I began connecting to it a lot more and I have carried it with me since then. It has become my whole world. Poetry is all about perspective and experience. That brings me to my first and only quote in this post. Muriel Rukeyser says, “Breathe in experience, breathe out poetry.” I really do breathe poetry. I do not want to make this post too long, but I would love to share some of my earliest works with you and I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do! FYI, I wrote this poem from my grandma’s perspective who at a young age moved from Arkansas to California. I thank her for being one of my earliest inspirations and for continuing to cheer me on. I love you grandma Nan!!!!

Grandma Nan Moves From Arkansas

When I was ‘bout 13 years old
Younger than you are now
I was leaving our only family home.

I said goodbye to our ratty,
Yet warm and welcoming house.
I also said goodbye to
The faded and chipped red painted barn,
Occupied with the clucking of the rooster
And the loud noises of the other animals.
I was longing and aching to touch them
One last time,
Before I said goodbye
To them for the very last time
I grew up with them
I have loved and cherished them
As if they were a part of my family.

I am leaving the old country side
And all of the roads that
Isolated us from our neighbors
Down the long bend
And those kicking up dirt
As we drive on by in our car.

I was going to miss my Arkansas
But we were leaving
For something better,
A life in the city,
In San Francisco, California
A place known as
“The land of sunshine and opportunity.”

It’s a place where my poppa could get a real job
Making enough money to support us.
He doesn’t have to live on the minimum wage,
Barely making a dollar an hour.

The Great Depression
Swept through the country
And took everything that was in it’s path.

I wonder what ever happened to that house
For I have never gone back to Arkansas
And I still haven’t to this very day.

Overcoming Addiction & Recovery

This is something that has been on my mind for quite some time. I know that a lot of people struggle with addiction on a daily basis. It is like what Jm Storm says. “we’re all just a bunch of addicts, struggling with our drug of choice.” Whether it is drugs, alcohol, gambling, or something else, it can be difficult to quit cold turkey. An addiction can also come in the form of a person. I think it is quite possible to become addicted to another person. Many of us have been struggling with these issues for many years. Addiction is not easy for the addicts themselves, but it can also take a toll on the people around him/her. It can be draining and sucking the energy/life out of everyone involved. Addiction can also be self destructive which leads me into this next quote. “The worst part about anything that’s self destructive is that it’s so intimate. You become so close with your addictions and illnesses that leaving them behind is like killing the part of yourself that taught you how to survive.” That is why quitting your addictions is so hard. It is sometimes like cutting off something that you needed in order to survive and live.

What comes after addiction is what we call the “recovery” process and that could include anything from rehab to therapy, etc. I admire those who realize that they have a problem and decide to overcome their addictions because recovery is just as hard as the addiction itself. DW says “Those who overcome addictions may be the strongest people on the planet.” Those people are strong and brave. They are my personal heroes. I thought I would combine these two subjects together because they go together. You cannot overcome addiction without the recovery process. To some people it is scary to enter the recovery and sobriety phases because they realize that they cannot rely on the things they used to before. It is pretty much like starting your life over or starting with a new slate. It is one of the scariest things to do in life.

How people choose to recover is their own decision. In other words, it varies from person to person and is very personal. Recovery is all about acceptance. That leads me into my next quote by Jamie Lee Curtis. She says “Recovery is an acceptance that your life is in shambles and you have to change it.” So in other words you have to accept that your life is falling apart and you have to be willing to change it. I have been wanting to talk about this subject for a long time and I finally feel like I have the courage to publish this post. I hope whatever it is that people are addicted to, they take the courage to get over that addiction. I know that it is hard, especially if it something that passes down from one generation to the next like alcoholism. Anyways, I hope this post and poem provides some inspiration, especially for those who are struggling with their addictions every day. I am thinking about each and every one of you! This post is what I am concluding 2020 with. I will see you in the new year!! Cheers!

Letting Go of Addiction

Maybe it is your eyes that drew me in and got me hooked,
But there is something about you that is like a piece of art.
You know how to fuel my addiction like adding wood to
The burning fire. Every time that you glanced and looked
My way it is like my soul had a mind of its own. My heart
And essence is what you took. Some part of me just knew
That I did not want any of it back. I just knew that it was
Going to be coming back to me bloody and blue. It is like
You squeezed the life out of something I used to think
Was so beautiful and chaotic. You sunk your sharp claws
Deeply into me, trying to keep me in place like a shrike
Looking for its next prey. It is when I got to the brink
And edge of destruction that I finally thought I needed
To break this endless cycle. I could not keep going back
To something that would leave me with nothing that I
Could mend, fix, rebuild or begin anew. It is as if I weeded
Out all the bad toxins. My life had to get on the right track
Again. I had to push aside all the tears I knew I would cry
When I was missing you and during the detoxification
Process. That is when I begin to heal and rise up from
The ashes like a phoenix. That is when I knew I had
To stop the addiction. I depart from a new station
And a new place, going towards the light. With some
New and old memories along the way. Being clad
In armor, but not being afraid to let new things
And experiences come in. Once again I find my wings.

Heartbreak, Depression, Anger And All That (Not) Good Stuff

I know that I have talked about some of these topics in the past so I am only going to skim over these topics once again since it is that time of year when people get into that kind of funk. If you combine heartbreak, depression, anger and all of that other stuff there is sure to be some sadness there too. It is something not necessarily good. I think that this quote sums it up a little bit. “Loneliness, trust issues, depression, suppressed anger. These are some symptoms given from heartbreak.” In other words there are symptoms that stem from heartbreak. It is like your heart is torn in two. There is something about those feelings and emotions that you will not trust. That is the scary thing about heartbreak, depression and anger. You cannot even trust yourself sometimes and you will not always like what you see in the mirror.

That is why I titled the poem “Never Again.” You have to keep saying no to situations and people who put you in those scenarios where you get heartbroken, depressed and angry. It is going to keep happening over and over again. It is the cycle of life. I may have said this before and I will say it again. If you ever feel heartbroken, depressed and angry in unhealthy doses seek help. Whether it is reaching out to a loved one or seeking professional help never be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I know I have been there before and that is why I always give that advice. SEEK HELP IMMEDIATELY! And I cannot reiterate that enough. In a lot of cases it is better to seek help from a professional. A friend or loved one can certainly help but sometimes they are not equipped to help. Lots of love to everyone who is going through something that is making them heartbroken, depressed and angry. You will get to the other side of it all! Cheers!!

Never Again

I hope you remember that I was the one who stuck
By your side through all the rain and rough patches,
But when I was the one who was really in the muck

You just left me to sink to rock bottom. The matches
Burned out and you left me all alone in the darkness
With no way to see or claw my way out. The scratches

And bruises made me feel ugly. I felt lonely, heartless
And lashed out on people who were just trying to assist.
I used to believe in the stars and moon, but the starless

Nights taught me to never trust when I was in the midst
Of my storm just like I could never trust any of the love
That ran through my veins. I told myself I could not exist

In a world filled with fake love and every mourning dove
That would take my sorrows away. I buried everything
Deep so no one can touch one thing I should be proud of;

The endless love that is bottomless. I know I cannot bring
Myself to the table where I know I am the one who gets
Left behind. I could no longer be your toy or plaything

When you get bored and lonely. I am the one who quits
You like a bad habit. You are the extinguished cigarettes.

Water Under the Bridge

So I am sure you have heard of the following phrase water under the bridge. What does it mean? After looking it up here is what it means (source is dictionary.com). “Water under the bridge refers to past events, especially fights or disagreement, that are forgiven, forgotten, or otherwise no longer considered important.” So more or less water under the bridge is something of the past. We cannot change things in the past, but we still move on. That brings me to my first quote of this post. “The wise treat yesterday’s problems as water under a bridge. Where the unwise will treat them as a place to build a dam.” In other words, the wise and mature ones will think of things of the past as water under the bridge or in some ways resolved/forgotten while others will keep building upon their problems like a dam. I think of it in terms of a past romantic relationship like eventually it can be water under the bridge, especially if there were problems and that can take patience and time when both partners are mature enough to handle it.

Sometimes it is not all water under the bridge, especially when those problems go unresolved and fester, especially with abuse of any kind. I really hope that people do not let that happen. In addition to patience and time it also takes forgiveness. You just have to wish people the best no matter what, even if they hurt you or if you hurt them. I am one of those people who wishes everyone the best no matter what, especially during these weird and strange times. It is like what Ike Turner says. He says “I’m not gonna try to defend, or undo what’s been done. All I could say about whatever’s been done, it’s been done, and it’s water under the bridge. I have no regrets of my life.” So in other words we cannot undo the past and we should not have any regrets in life.

I am urging my readers to let their past problems flow and drift away like water under the bridge. In a way it is like you are getting closure and clarity. I did want to post this with Thanksgiving right around the corner because being able to move on from our pasts is one more thing to be grateful for. Forgiveness is also another thing to be grateful for. That brings me to the last quote of this post by Pema Tshokye, who says, “My past is like water under the bridge and my future is distant sun on the horizon of my imagination.” So in other words, our past is like all the water under the bridge and our future is something that is bright like a light on the horizon. I want to conclude this post with the following poem. I hope that you all enjoy this one!!

Water Under the Bridge

You popped back up in my life after years
Of not talking and this time there are no
Expectations. But I do not expect things
To go back to like what they were before

The storm, chaos and without any tears
Or fears in the way. We continue to grow
Every day despite the setbacks and flings
With other people. What life has in store

For us, especially during these weird and
Strange times is forgiveness. No one can
Ever replace the hole you left behind, but
No one could ever mend the love we used

To have either. No one could hold my hand
Or heart like you did. We should have ran
And thrown everything all away. In this rut
And pit stop life tempts us with confused

Or muddled love when in fact we should
Be remembering the love that should be
So simple or singular like the one heart
That beats for you. It is all water under

The bridge despite everything that could
Have swept us away like anger or the sea
Of resentment. We are one step or start
From leaving every mistake and blunder

In the past while we have moved on, but in
The end we are far from where we have been.

Game of Chess

I have never been particularly good at playing chess. It definitely requires concentration and strategy, after all it requires to win the game by check mating the king. That leads me to my first quote of this post by Garry Kasparou who says, “Chess helps you concentrate, improve your logic. It teaches you to play by the rules and take responsibility for your actions, how to problem solve in an uncertain environment.” So in other words, chess can help us in so many ways in real life. It teaches you survival and problem solving for example.

I am going to do something interesting here by comparing life to a game of chess. That leads me to another quote, this one by Allan Rufus. He said, “Life is like a game of chess. To win you have to make a move.
Knowing which move to make comes with IN-SIGHT and knowledge, and by learning the lessons that are acculated along the way. We become each and every piece within the game called life!” He sums it up perfectly for why life is like a game of chess.

Like I said before, in order to win the game you have to capture the king and be able to say checkmate which is when the other player is all out of moves. This is another way in which life is like a game of chess. A lot of the time you have to make moves in silence. That leads me to my next quote which is pretty straightforward. “Move in silence, only speak when its time to say checkmate.” So in other words, do not announce your moves to anyone. You do not want anyone, especially your enemies to know any of your moves ahead of time. You just want to keep them guessing.

Some people might think an important piece is a pawn or maybe the king because that is who a chess player wants to protect, but I personally think that one of the important and powerful pieces is the queen. That leads me to these next quotes, the first by Karim R. Ellis who says, “A king may be the most important piece on the chess board however the queen is the most powerful as she performs more moves than any other token. Men take notes.” The other quote is by Tiffany Reisz who says, “The king was the strong piece, of course. The most important chess piece and the most vulnerable to attack. But the queen… the queen was the most powerful chess piece. More powerful than the king. And the queen could move any way she wanted…” Those quotes sum it up perfectly of why the queen is the most important and powerful pieces. She can go in any direction she chooses and is not limited in how many squares she can move in. Horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. It does not matter.

Let’s move onto the king and the whole meaning behind chess. Like I said before… the whole point of chess is to capture the king. This next and final quote sums up what chess is all about. “In chess, the king is the most important piece. The object of the game is to trap the opponent’s king so that its escape is not possible (checkmate). If a player’s king is threatened with capture, it is said to be in check, and the player must remove the threat of capture on the next move. If it cannot be done, the king is said to be in checkmate. Although the king is the most important piece, it is usually the weakest piece in the game until a later phase, the endgame.” So in other words, the king can be an important piece as well as being the weakest piece too. I know there is a lot to absorb and remember here, but the main thing is that although chess is just a game it can teach us a thing or two about the real world. I am including a poem here. It won me runner up for a competition I participated in on DUP. I hope that my readers really enjoy this one. Cheers!!

Game of Chess

Make your moves in silence as one does
In a game of chess. Watch out as pawns
Become castles, knights, bishops, queens
And kings. Do not second guess because
In those moments of weakness the swans
Take advantage. Mirrors or smoke screens

Will advert you from the truth as you keep
Your guard up with your knifes sharpened
And ready. Calculate your moves so your
Enemies do not see you slipping or asleep.
To them you are like a decaying carcass,
But little do they know you won the war

And the game they came to play. My dear,
It is already check and checkmate. They
Should just give up the game as you are
The true queen. They should not only fear
You, but also underestimate. You will stay
Useless in their eyes, but you are the star.

Ocean Vuong Tribute

Here is another featured poet that I just recently discovered thanks to a contest I participated in on DUP. His name is Ocean Vuong. With his birthday coming up on October 14 I am posting this. The poem that inspired my poem is titled “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.” I put my own spin on it. If you want to see his poem click here. Otherwise I am going to let my poem speak for itself. Enjoy!!!!

Beautiful Memories (Ocean Vuong Tribute)

I see the lust and hunger in your eyes,
green like the meadows we spend our
summers trampling through as children.

Home… Who would have thought we
would come back to the place where we
began and started. Memories filter in like
all the times we sat on the front porch
waiting and watching. Or when we laid
down on the soft grass and we would
see the stars shatter and break like
bullets going straight for the heart.

Did you know how many times I saw
you cry and how I wished I could do
something about it? I never saw such
beauty until I saw you pray for miracles
in the middle of every disaster you faced.

I wish we could go back to where we were
most beautiful with your hair as a tangled
mess and feeling your heat through my shirt.

Your heartbeat was my favorite sound as
the silence was so loud. Your feet on the
dashboard as we would follow the moon
everywhere. Your laughter and meaningful
conversations that kept us up all night until
we saw the sunlight bleeding on the horizon.

I never knew love until I saw your eyes
change from lust and hunger to love and
adventure. I wanted to spend all my days
with you by my side as the world has so
much beauty. In between your fingertips
I see the real you that no one else knows.

So let me know you as beautiful and
imperfect. Sunshine and rain. Whole
and incomplete like a puzzle. Autumn
and winter. Spring and summer. I just
want to know what you would look like
with wrinkles yet still having that sparkle
in your eyes like you never truly aged
at all. I would love you even more.

Keep On Living & Moving Forward

Sometimes grief hits us like a tidal wave. Well… sometimes that is how it feels to me because sometimes it just hits us out of nowhere. This post is all about moving on from that grief. Sometimes all we can do is to just keep on living and moving forward without that person. It could be losing someone literally or figuratively. We have to come to realize that the world just keeps moving forward, which brings me to my first quote of this post. “The world moves on with or without you.” I know that sounds harsh, but it is the honest truth. Whether we realize it or not the world just keeps moving and turning. Sometimes we cannot stop for anything, including grief.

Sometimes it hurts because you thought that person was going to be around for the long haul, but something happened and all of a sudden you are left to move and walk forward without them. In some way you have to let go of them. That brings me to my next quote. “There are things that we don’t want to happen but have to accept, things we don’t want to know but have to learn, and people we can’t live without but have to let go.” That is the sad truth about life. It is not all perfect, but we still have to move forward with our lives. Sometimes that person is still right alongside you even if they are not physically here with you and sometimes it is okay to walk alone. They would want you to keep moving forward, even if it was without them.

I know that this post is all over the place, but I want to conclude my talking a little bit about my poem that goes along with the theme of this post. The below poem is inspired by the following quote (which turns out to be a part of a poem written by Pablo Neruda). He says, “My feet will want to walk to where you are sleeping but I shall go on living.” The line is very similar to a line from his poem “The Dead Woman.” I submitted this poem for a competition I took part in on DUP called “From Our Differences In Life And Death Is Born Love Eternal” and it won first place. There was a video (click here to view it) that inspired this poem too. I hope that you all enjoy it!

Steps Forward (Without You)

It is hard imaging you not being here
Right now, but for both of us I have to
Walk towards a better tomorrow, one
Foot in front of the other like you have

Always taught me. You always steer
Me, not in the direction where you
Were laid to rest, but where the sun
Still shines the brightest. Your valve

And battery decided to give up, but
I will keep living. I will keep thriving if
It means I can still remember you and
Your smiles. I never knew it was love

Until I saw your eyes and in this rut
You held me as the edges of the cliff
Became sharper. As we held hands
That night I knew it was the dove

Who delivered its message. “Keep
Moving forward darling. I know that
You are tired and you do not want
To move on without me, but I am still

Here in the breath you inhale deeply
Into your lungs. I am still in the flat
Curve of your laughter. Ghosts haunt
You, but I still keep you safe. The thrill

And yell escaping your mouth shows
That I am alongside you on this roller
Coaster ride. Do not lose those west
Coast vibes I fell in love with when we

First met or easy smiles as time slows
Down for our magical kiss. The solar
Eclipse got nothing on the stars winking
At us night after night. We were sinking

Our feet into the soft earth, getting lost
In the steady heartbeat of the world.”
We were programmed, but at what cost?
To feel nothing, but I felt it as you curled

Up against my chest looking at me like
I had all the answers and the cure. I did
Not know that it was your last strike
Of the game. Life came to a quick skid

And halt after your last breath, but I just
Knew that to honor your memory I had
To keep pushing on. You laid the trust
And happiness in me so I am not sad.