Nature

Firefly, guide me

To something lovely

A flicker so bright

Through this endless night

Tired, you must be

With stories, plenty

For I know your fight

Is why I can be bright

Remind me to see

That I will be free

If people begin to tell me I am not enough

that I am not worthy of life’s fruit

and I no longer have a place to call home

the earth will take care of me

It will take care of me

like how the ocean loves the sand

the endless reach and retreat of the water

seemingly superfluous

but I don’t imagine the sand could ever tire of it

it will wash me clean of my sins

I will find a field of thick grass

and lean into the soft tickle

it does not need to know why I am there

and yet it will still cradle me softly

a cushion between the soil and its grounding tendencies

There will always be trees for me to lean on

skytouchers, light pursuers, life providers

I will learn to grow roots where I am planted

I must reach for even the things I cannot yet see

The sun will be bright even when I cannot be

it will shine on me regardless

and paint a romance on the sky where it kisses the earth

as if to remind me that I, too, am lovely and warm

If the world’s love turns to that of a rock

I will allow my heart to blossom around it

I will rejoice in the very things I am not supposed to

joy is when flowers bloom

in soil that's grown too many other things

other people’s beliefs

their big feelings and their fears

of a love they've never known

and to grow a garden, even in dry soil

is to believe in tomorrow

it is to believe that good things will fruit

but know that it will take time and care

to taste their sweetness

to be here is to plant the seeds

of the garden that will become tomorrow

it is to believe that good things will fruit

but know that it will take time and care

to taste their sweetness

there is joy in passing on these seeds

sharing slices of this fruit

with those who wish to partake

in this world, blooming and bright

there is joy in growing old

and watching young children flourish

showing them how to root, passionately

how to stand in the sun’s light

I’ll tug on this light so it radiates

on the living witnesses of our past failures

those who have been given the most

malnourished soil in which to root

for an ecosystem cannot flourish

without its most vulnerable

sage green stems conceal a love 

in fields of intimate pink and blue petals

and after the long, numbing winter

the purple flowers, planted with love, will bloom

this love will not die

before I am allowed to hold your hand

before our stems, sage green and blooming lavender,

can knit themselves together, over and under each other

Mother Earth will tend to the weeding and watering

her sun will watch us fondly, and nurture us dearly

her rain will moisten our souls, each drop, another “I love you”

her wind will carry us, delicately, out of harm’s way

she has been a witness to all love

that of man to woman, 

of water to earth,

and me to you

under her care, and in her arms

our love will grow, it will bloom

and for the love of all things earthly,

let the world witness our garden of purple, me and you

Hold me

While the life around me grows

Love me 

until my flowers fall off

For I am lavender

Trying to grow

in soil made for other kinds of plants

The yellow flowers are not weeds

I don’t think the world would make bad things pretty

They’re like teeny-weeny sunflowers

And I want to give you every single one

But I can’t pick that many during one recess

So I’ll give you one at a time

Teacher Andy told me to stop

He says I should pull the whole thing

not just the yellow part

I guess he thinks the’re pretty too

But not as pretty as you are

We as humans

must live darkness

to know light

It takes a long time 

for the human eye 

to adjust 

to a darkness

Crunch

of dead, dried up leaves

too loud

for the sleeping sky

But star

and moon

don’t hide

because they know 

It takes a long time

for the human eye

to adjust 

to a darkness

But only a short while

for us to fall

Into that darkness

forever

This is where I come from

The dirt and the trees and the sun

The wooden playset in the backyard

It's 14 years, magically molded by the laughter of the neighborhood

The rules of the yard, so simply understood

Out so late into the darkness of the night

It swayed as I swung, my hands clinging to the chain in the warm spring

The creak when you sit is almost like it’s trying to speak to you

This is where I come from

The dirt and the trees and the sun

As the wind kisses the trees

Blowing off the golden leaves.

The sun wakes up the earth.

Leaving honey colored trails of light on the path.

Who knows what’s to be made of our life long journey?

I may never know which destination is right for me.

Do I search for joy?

Because it is everlasting.

Or happiness?

That must come in the form of small success.

The grass tickling me with its tentacles.

Shushing the creatures and their intense chuckles.

The squirrels preparing for their winter rest.

While the flowers still awake in protest.

Who knows what’s to be made of our life long journey?

I may never know which destination is right for me.

How many people will reach out to hold my hand?

Or will everyone fall through my fingers like sand?

Will I ever be the sun to someone’s flower?

Or will it always be a lonely hour?

The morning fog embracing nature with its refreshing love.

As it reaches down with its arms from the clouds above.

This journey we take while we are still awake.

The journey we make for tomorrow’s sake.

A bright azure blue fading into deep oranges and yellows

Leaving behind a mellow feeling

With dappled spots of navy blue invading

Bits of pink and purple showing through

As I sit here on this rock floating through space

I watch as the sun disappears without a trace

I know it will come back tomorrow

But still I am filled with sorrow

In the night sky I see the moon

As it rises high in late June

Seeing it replace the vibrant sun

All because the day is done

In the morning I will come back here

To watch the sun reappear

Over this mountain in Illinois

As the sun fills the sky with joy