Cold shiver

cries of the fallen

dents and tears

on icy steel.

Scratches of where

you’ve been

and who tried

to come close.

Steel is clean

small initials

a faint hint

someone tried

but fell short.

Changed on a second

that was counted twice.

The statue

a long our toes

the stone eyes

blank without pause

focused.

Mute and bleak

king rest in an open grave

to pay respects

for silence

was thee request.

See it to the end.

A sweet sentiment

I’ll carry it with me

as I row away.

Can’t think of a title

a name

for a baby

who called

on his twentieth birthday

tattoos and whiskey

wondering

if I’d come back.

If only he knew

I’d never left

Standing to forget where

we were

won’t fell us

where to go

Trying to not be cynical

is hard on days like today.

Surrounded by four feet

of chocolate

and six dozen roses,

what do I do with this?

Everything is not

corporate America.

I chant this like

go de-fense.

Chips away

like an ice sculptor,

one day it will be

chip free.

Following shaded paths

corridors covered in

cactus and bright nothing.

Signs point in several directions

trails with no footing

and mirage of success.

Sun follows with a knife

to my back

plunging

and keeps me

walking forward.

Sometimes

the greatest way to say something

is to say nothing at all.

Walk away from the strings

breathe

really breathe.

Follow nature to

serenity and a drink

and let the world

shape today.

I’ll challenge you

to try today.

Find the patience of a pen

grace of a brush

and try.

Building blocks in comfort

is only a shell.

So will change it.

Why wait till tomorrow

since we write the calendar,

it may never come.