The Animal Abode

The animal abode
was carefully tucked
into the back pocket
of the chocolate box neighborhood,
where every other piece of property
held a cottage,
and the mansions filled in between.
It was too homey of a home,
at least for me,
because we all lived there
and grew old there
and spent our summers at the beach
and winters in our eclectic houses,
year after year after year.
The animal abode
was not too homey, however;
in fact, I never knew it existed.
I had traced every trail
in the tiny community,
but there was no trail to lead me here.
I wish it were owned
by the animals.
I would spend all my days
living on this almost untouched
patch of land
until I had studied every inch
of this place, too.

Airplanes and Space

It's an overcast dull grey day,

But I am moving. I am moving so fast

That I'm afraid if I blink,

I will miss the flight. The flight is the best part

Because it's the only chance

To be in so many different places

In such a short amount of time.

I always had a fascination with space.

I wanted to go to Mars

Since I couldn't reach the stars.

I erased logic and for a moment,

It made perfect sense.

The views, the discoveries, the problem-solving

Would be nothing like here on Earth.

I would have an entire planet to discover,

No passports or visas necessary,

No itinerary or travel guide

Or pre-marked hiking trails.

For now, this is what I have:

Airplanes over man-made cities

And man-made bridges over bays

And islands and towns to rediscover.

Norris Lake

In early summer, there I was,
stood on a ship in the midst
of an engulfing maze-like lake.
The lively green Appalachian Mountains
surrounded the clear lake
and I was alive, breathing
and spinning around in the middle
of this three-dimensional postcard.
Jumping off the ship
into the warm, but refreshing lake
was like jumping into a fantasy world
where everything real is forgotten.
I melted away as I sank
into the silky water,
the sun warming my skin
as I stayed still in a back float,
stunned at the surreal silence
As my ears seeped just below the surface.

Split Second

You shift the gear and go,
In reverse, in drive, on the road,
Another car comes, collides, crushes your car.
You are only bruised. He and his car are fine.

You retrace your steps and count your blessings,
Grateful for the split second that saved you,
But you can't help but think
That an extra few seconds wouldn't have hurt.
Why me, why now, why the damage, why the injustice?

The frailty of a second, a moment, a life
Spins your mind like the amusement park ride
You rode one too many times.
Nausea sets in, not from what happened,
But from reliving what happened again and again,
Each time imagining a different way it could have happened.

You realize you were holding your breath,
So you let it out, trembling,
And close your eyes, hoping to think of something new.

What New York is Made For

New York doesn't stop at a red light.
The screens don't turn off at midnight.
Buildings don't stop at the second floor.
Builders don't stop with a revolving door.
New Yorkers don't fall short of their dreams.
Rivers don't dwindle into streams.
Bridges don't end halfway across the bay.
New York is made for going all the way.

Ella

Anyone that joyful and energetic
Must be hiding something.
The laws of nature
Wouldn't allow that much joy
Without a balancing act of struggle.

Ella was the best actress I ever knew.
Her eyes always sparkled;
Her laugh seemed effortless.
She was always doing something
And never stopped to catch a breath.
She was always running from something
And couldn't stop to catch a breath.

Sometimes the monster caught up to her
And she had to go to battle.
Eventually, she learned that in fighting
She would always lose,
So she cared for it instead,
Thinking love would solve everything.

Some creatures can't be tamed.

When you run from the same monster for so long,
Running starts to get easier,
And even when the monster goes to sleep,
You forget that you don't have to keep running.

Other times, Ella saw a flicker of humanity
When she turned to face the monster.
Sympathetic eyes, or maybe begging eyes.
She couldn't tell the difference.
And in those moments, she let the monster catch up to her.
Besides, she needed to rest her feet.

At last, she ran far enough away where she could hide.
When she peered out from behind the bushes,
The flickers turned into moments, then days,
But she knew she had to watch from afar.