The little girl
Grew up to be
A little strange
Hungry for change
And for new places to see
The little girl drew her own maps
Wrote her own books
Created her own reality
The little girl hated their sanity
And the boredom it brought
She often thought
If it has been done before
No need to do once more
And so she carved a brand new world
Loneliness takes many forms
Some can be deceiving
She’s in a crowded picture
Yet she’s surrounded by strangers
And I
Sit high
Looking down on those alone
Forgetting my loneliness
In my own home
Careful steps
Feet barely touching the ground
He can’t be heard
Must make no sound
The father exists victorious
The child sleeps on the ground
Surrounded by a pile of toys
That mom never allowed
She missed the smell
Of the slightly rotten wood
Covered by the scent of cinnamon
Freshly baked bread
And warm coffee
She missed the morning mist
And the days she felt lonely
As this new home
Carried a new smell
The fresh paint
Had no story to tell
He smiled and assured her
We’ll make it our own
With our son on the way
You’ll never been alone
She wandered
Looking for happiness
Thirsting for a smile
In a desert of her own creation
Every inch felt like a mile
She lost her way
Hoping to find herself
The familiar stranger
She lost on a shelf
Too high to reach
Too dusty to see
Her own reflection
She sighed:
Oh how I miss me
Funny how the bricks arrange
Making cozy yet strange
House for us to call home
Place where we don’t feel so alone
Here I rock you to sleep
Thanking the bricks that kept us safe
In this new place
Your first home
Where I became your mom
The lonely forest
Felt lonely no more
With monster barging at its door
And I, a creature liking solitude
Had to change my ways
And hide my loot
For no witcher was left to save me now
I find pieces
Among the ashes that were left
Too small to truly tell
But I knew it’s where I sat
Gathering stories
Making believe
That I could escape
That I would leave
I find pieces familiar, yet strange
For I have wandered far
And with time
I grew to love change
I learned that without those pieces
I’m still whole
Shedding them off had failed
To make me feel small
The earth gives me power
And I, like you, little flower
Have learned to push the concrete aside
Have learned that I no longer need to hide
And I came to know my true power
The monsters won’t find you here
My little one
As I hold you dear
The monsters won’t find you
In my belly where I protect you
And in a short while
I’ll see your smile
And I’ll know
The monster won’t find me
Anymore
Ever
This familiar wind
Hot and dry
Carrying pieces of my old self
As it hurries by
And smells that no longer exist
Perfumes no money could buy
This familiar wind
Carries pieces of my old river
Euphrates
Reminding me of nights spent together
Eating ice cream
Watching the candles light up the stream
Making wishes
Dreaming a dream
This wind passes much too quick
And I rush looking for a jar
Or a bottle
I want to save you
For my selfish reasons
And trap you
Like the memories that trap me
In a place that I no longer know
If it still exists
If it could resist
The bombings and the shootings on a small town
How could you, wind, turn this around
And take me to a moment of peace
As I float
Another piece
Of history
That no one remembers
Organic matter
That’s easily recycled
Easily blended
Easily camouflaged
Between the wind and the sand
I reach out my hand
As if to hold yours
My old self
You did good
You escaped that neighborhood
Where no child, or adult
Was safe
Where bombs did not discriminate
Stuck between love and hate
You soared far
And maybe you have the winds to thank
Or a God somewhere
Watching a dreaming child
And allowing her to yet dream
Oh how these dreams have changed
How your life has changed
Old self
You did great
Stranger Paths 