Oval Park

I step onto the playground. The streetlights are the only thing left to illuminate the glorious Oval Park. My very own ghost town awaits me. The wind alerts the swingsets of my arrival followed by the high pitched sound of rusted metal pacing back and forth.

My walk to my familiar spot underneath the jungle gym is matched with the aroma of mulch and pure summer night air.

We sat underneath the jungle gym right amongst all the mulch we could ever want. The smell of the dirt interwined with the smell that was seaping from the glass blue bowl. There was silence besides the occasional "flick, flick" of a stubborn lighter. The wind would tease us by pretending to be sounds of foreign feet breaking the earth or whispers of an unwelcomed guess. It wasn't the smartest place to get high, but it was brilliant in its own mysitc wonder.

We knew hours previous children had been sitting on the top of this jungle gym kingdom believing they could take flight. No we sat underneath convinced that we too could take flight.

Under the sky the stars blinked curiously at us and God cringed at our stupidity. We stared back. In the sober darkness we soaked in all the little moments that we will remember when we are back at school wishing that we had been left there underneath the dark, summer sky.

Onward and Onward

When I am sheltered in his presence, I am shielded by every second thought. I am shielded from the deeper lessons of this cloudy affair. I see only our underground tunnel with the future driving, speeding with no escape in sight. He bewitches me with all of his hidden talents and the sweet new flavor of his world. He leaves me starving for discovery and growth. But a case of chronic bulimia occurs with an aftertaste of truth. I choke on bitter flavors that taints all the sweetness of his filling meal. I begin gagging on the unbearable truth. Right when I think it's going to take me, I'm saved by his Heimlich of lies maneuvering the sensible logic out. Dislodging doubt, questions, and the right answers.

Fearfully and Wonderfully

The feeling is pulsing through my veins. Hello again, I never thought I’d feel you here again. Here, where darkness clouded it’s vision. My heart could not see ahead and never dreamed forward. I thought it was the end, it should have been the death of me. I had stopped hearing, feeling, knowing you. I was left in the company with fear, unfaithfulness, and defeat.

You heard me all along. Your heard me blaming you, cursing you, and disowning you. You felt me all along. You felt ever fistful heartache, you felt all of my falls, all of my blow outs. You’ve known me. Known me when I loved you, when I left you, when I forgot you. I had given up and then you stepped into my ring. After watching patiently in my corner you fought back. My enemies didn’t stand a chance once you brought down your mighty hand. This would be the last round of bullying and setbacks. Ring, goes the first bell. You made contact with my opponent with the your unfailing love for me. Ring, Ring goes the second bell. Darkness, was blinded by your strike of freedom and sacrifice. I heard the last ring. He had beaten my threat with his grace and his promise that he will always be in my corner.

He reached for me and the he embraced me. My sins, my shame, my fears, and everything that filled the space between me and him. And for the wonder that happened next..thank you. I wanted to thank him for every gifted second that he revived me. His whisper of peace swept away everything that I should have apologized for. But those things remains in the darkness; forgotten, alone, without me.

I Am Eve

She took her stance in the middle of the first garden.

The teasing tree shielded her from the watchful sky, his watchful eye.

The leaves hissed her closer but the wind sat steadfast.

Her hand stretched upward reaching for her downfall.

Fingers brushed the heaven sent fruit,

a fruit that was flavored by knowledge and truth.

She had been blinded by evil desire.

She stretched

fingers spread like spider legs,

fingers ready to take

The sphere was shaped for her palm.

Lust brought her lips to kissing

the forbidden fruit before biting deeply.

Bitter remorse seeped down to her core.

Sour disgrace stained her lips.

The sun peaked through the branch-

Caught, Spotted, seen.

The fruit, the betrayer fell from her touch

She took back her place in the middle of the first garden

Naked.

Pen Strokes

my pen hits the paper

it strikes a cord

hearing your music

in my head

strumming my fingers along

lyrics on your sheet music

matches words on this page

i paint you here

you paint me there

this paper

my canvas

your paper

your measure

co-write my pen stroke

looping, tracing

letters upon letters

your rhythm circulates

through my fingers

your music

my words

this song.