To go into the world

To find your soul
a safe place on someone
else's cupped hands

and balance 

and words

and again a way.

Damaged as we have been,
broken as we are,
pieces of our bare selves -

It's for you,

the clean smile I wear
when I leave my body and

go into the world.

The boy who lived on the second floor

He would pull my hair,
run after me around the block
holding a caterpillar on a stick,
and call me stupid.

I would bite his arm,
spit on his head whenever he
walked under my window
and call him stupid.

We would throw spiny seed capsules

of the castor oil plants around
at each other all the time.

Until one Sunday morning
getting back from church,
he left a note under my door

which read (in horrible handwriting):
Will you be my girlfriend?
and I crossed the box under yes.


(Written for Susan's Midweek Motif over at The Poets United and Robert Lee Brewer's Wednesday prompt over at WD)

Eta Aquarids

On the peak of Eta Aquarids,

the entire universe skipping bed

in exchange for a shooting star

(except for me),

he wakes me up at two,

because he can't see East

from any of his windows

and maybe I could lend him

one of my wishes.

At two in the morning

on the peak of Eta Aquarids

we haven't seen each other in ages.

I tell him about my encounter

with Comet Halley in 1986

and how I finally understand
some things are not meant to stay. 

He continues not loving me,

but that's no longer on my list.

Pauli exclusion principle

I know for a fact, much before
Physics class in Junior High,
our neighbor's oldest son Marcus's tongue
uncomfortably chasing mine,
that two bodies cannot occupy
 the same space in time.

But there's nearness,
there's warmth.
There's this vacant spot
the closest from my chest,
right around my arms -
I am saving it for you.


(Started for Susan's Mid-week Motif on Science over at The Poets United. Completed for Fireblossom's Flash Fiction 55 mini-challenge over at the Imaginary Garden)

On the top of the tallest trees

And now I wish to admit
I ignored the clouds.

Last night there weren't
dreams or stars for me.

Still I went outside
for a walk with the cold wind,

the eyes of the universe resting
on the top of the tallest trees,

the night so quiet anyone would
become more pensive.