Believe me when I tell you

the Earth is dancing 

at your toes.

so step into her current.

let her take you there.

.

I want to be

outrageous 

sharp edged 

and earth colored.

.

they say emotions come in waves 

the good,

the bad,

and the in between 

for me

they’re more like tsunamis 

I’m just teaching myself 

to be the water 

rather than the town. 

–I am the tide.

.

let your mind dance 

like there’s nobody watching 

be creative 

unapologetically.

–a mind of your own.

.

If it’s the last thing you do 

let the words chase

the tip of your tongue 

eager seagulls on the shore 

for the 

very 

last 

morsel. 

.

the greatest gift in this life

is to know your worth.

-and feel it too.

.

experiences are the best “things” to collect. stock the shelves of your brain, the drawers of your being. and one day, when all those trinkets and clothing mean nothing, the experiences will be what circulates throughout your soul. the second your life flashes before your eyes, the moments where you were truly present will align, stars in the night sky. –fulfilled

.

they ask me “what do you do?”

when the real question is: how do you “be”?- change the dialogue.

.

they say “grab the bull by its horns”

why not armor up, gather allies in protection gear.

the confrontation will be tough.

pet the bull,

feel its fur gracing the edges of your fingertips.

hear its pants

soak in the warmth of its torso.

your demons are more malleable then they seem.

make peace with them,

then watch as they run off into the distance.

–they feed of your unease

.

your tears are simply the rain plopping

onto the pavement of your life.

it’s your choice:

grab a bucket

collect the water

then watch as the flowers

bloom

or stand in the storm

and let it drench you.

which will you choose?

–options.

.

Sometimes the tiger in me growls:

“One more long poem”

as it the were were

the plumpest lopes

across the savanna.

when the reality is:

my poems are the bees

feasting

on the flowers of my brains soil.

they come and go as they please.

they’re bright,

and sometimes soft

–but they may sting.

. 

what a creator you are.

you have the savvy

to turn your defeats

into triumphs

to create sculptures

from specs of sand.

yet still,

they stand.

–masterpiece.

.

I find it strange how most of the human population doesn’t devote time to exploring their own brain. yes, there’s ferris wheels and beaches and mountains galore. there’s thrills to be had, waves to jump over, slopes to conquer. don’t get me wrong- there’s so much value in these endeavors. but the one thing you will have with you throughout life is your mind. I say it’s time to check that off your bucket list too. –and add it back on, again in again.

.

your tears are simply the rain plopping 

onto the pavement of your life. 

it’s your choice: 

grab a bucket

collect the water

and dampen your soil

then watch as the flowers 

bloom

or curl up 

in the storm 

and let it drench you. 

which will you choose? 

–options. 

.

send your ideas into the wind

if they have wings they’ll fly 

otherwise they’ll drift away 

to someone 

somewhere

who can find 

comfort

meaning 

in what they have to offer. 

-valuable.

.

sex without connection

is like licking

the caramel off an apple.

savory, 

tasty, 

and maybe a little sweet.

but lacking in vitamins,

fiber, 

nourishment.

it’ll give you a rush, 

but won’t fill you up. 

-intimacy is nutrition.

.

They say not to play with fire,
unless you’d like to get burnt,
but I dance 
with that golden goddess 
my sways are her gasoline
her sparks are my light
amber fireworks spew 
each time we ignite

.

what a wonder it is

to be a woman.

we’re tender

but move mountains

with our strength.

our insides rebuild themselves

time and time again.

only to one day

have the ability

to grow another life.

to provide nourishment

during the most formative stage

of another beings existence.

to bend without breaking,

to heal,

to nurture,

to create

with our bodies and minds.

to feel fully

holy

and

freely.

and to repeat the process

again and again

as much as we please.

–raw talent.

.

there is nothing more important in this life

then gathering the water necessary

to douse your soil.

this way,

you can nourish others

as you start to bloom.

–pour from a full cup.

.

annoyance is life’s gentle way of reminding us that perfection doesn’t exist in this world.

–but we can create our own version of heaven on Earth herself.

.

women are damn talented.

we know how to be

rough and

piercingly primal 

when the moment is right 

yet tender as 

the Summer wind

when we need to be. 

–duality. 

.

lap up each moment 

like a cat 

devouring 

the very last drops 

of milk in her bowl.

–your time here is precious. 

.

be gentle with your words,

intentional with your time,

and 

ferocious 

in pursuit 

of your passions. 

–and all will align.

.

the second panic hits you 

feel your toes kissing 

the Earth below, 

rooting deeply into their origin.

imagine your legs 

as a tree trunk,

bolder and tougher 

than anything 

across the horizon. 

feel the storm collide 

into your sides 

then vanish into the distance 

as your strength bores it.

–human nature. 

.

the writing used to be

a dissection of my mind,

solely a string

of carefully selected syllables

silhouetting across the page.

now it’s more like

a resurrection

a revival in its most simple form

sometimes harsh and sometimes warm.

.

the next time your eyes flutter

open

may your waking moments

be filled with the type of laughter

that makes your sides hurt,

the kind of food that leaves your mouth -watering for more,

and the type of conversation

that electrifies each atom in your body.

–because that’s when you know you’re truly living.

.

if only inspiration

would dangle from each tree branch

crisp, juicy, and

plump as a pig…

then I’d go apple picking

day after day

–and sink my teeth into the fruit, time after time.

.

I look into his chestnut

eyes

for the answer

when searching elsewhere

just doesn’t do the trick

–they are all knowing.

.

what they never told you

is that there are streams

flowing inside of you

sand to sink your toes into

snowflakes to peep in awe at…

–there is a whole world inside of you, just waiting to be discovered.

.

when he speaks

my mind puts everything else

on hold and the words

the tone

the resonance

seep into my ears

like good news

on a bad day

–he is music to my ears.

.

nothing should be more important

than finding

what it is

that sets you free

and using it to

release

the parts of you

you thought would be caged

forever

–no animals should be caged, each aspect of your existence included.

.

think back to the moment

when the world told you

you were nothing

now turn to the Earth

for the real answer

–she speaks the truth.

.

I crave

the nights where the moonlight

kisses my tresses

the wind dances with my soul

and the only noise that can be heard

is the melody of the crickets

chirping

until the sun embraces the sky

and the morning

dew drips from the crisp grass

–they nourish me.

.

how could you

expect me

to not be

feisty

with flooded emotions

at times?

I am made of saltwater

it runs in my blood

circulates throughout my being

saturates my soul…

–a woman of the ocean

.

don’t you dare

catcall me

I am a lioness

the word “cat”

doesn’t even begin

to describe my prowess

–speak to me like your life depends on it.

.

he didn’t soften the blow.

he loaded his gun fully

and shot me in the place

I am most tender.

the good news is

I’ve now created

my own bulletproof vest

through which

my soul spews

ammunition on demand.

–fully armed.

.

why do we treat

a force who’s provided us

with so much warmth

nourishment

comfort

and belonging

with such disrespect?

–we’re disgraceful to Mother Earth .

.

No wonder we have

floods

earthquakes

and

hurricanes-

we have turned this Earth

into one huge

natural disaster.

She’s

sobbing up a storm

trembling in fear

and swirling in anger.

–I would be upset too if I were treated how she is.

.

I’ve eaten poison ivy

many

times before

allowing its leaves

to melt on the tip

of my tongue

its vines strangling

the smooth edges

but now

I grab the vine

and gut it

ripping right at its root

before

I’m tempted to succomb

to its suffocating effect.

–poison doesn’t have a place in this body of mine.

.

you should never be ashamed for

starting a fire in the midst

of a stormy

day

sometimes,

that is the only way

you can light your path through the day.

.

the Earth is your Mother

but I’m telling you:

she will not swaddle you.

trust me, you won’t find her waiting

by your bedside

until the morning light.

she is here to cheer by the sidelines

rather than hold your hand

throughout this game called life.

–your cheerleader.

.

for once,

he’s not one to ask

for the birds and the bees

without providing

the nectar.

–he nourishes me.

.

as humans we lap at the deep pool

of envy

as if it’s more nutritious

then simply

drinking the juice of our own fruition.

–try appreciating your own victories instead.

.

I don’t need permission to dream what I dream so why on Earth would I need permission to write what I write?

.

Writing is just as powerful as a matchbox- both have the ability to bring about flames. Use these tools wisely.

.

Creating a balance between saying what you want to say and saying what you need to say is a delicate dance- don’t twirl around this task.

.

On the day that I go

wrap me in lavender silk

douse me with vanilla water

sprinkle my limbs w/ rose petals

then allow me to continue dancing

with the most beautiful forces of Earth-

the fire and the water that fit my fortitude.

.

thank you for creating a home for my heart outside of my body. thank you for not being blinded by the dust that rose the moment I let my walls down, for choosing to stick with it even when your eyes started watering. to hold me when my eyes created an ocean for other reasons, for not being scared away by the floods they created. for choosing to stick around until the water created gardens blooming with glorious flowers: shades of deep purple, cobalt blue, and moon white. but most of all, thank you for helping me to continue watering this garden that is me- for staying by my side even during the moments where my petals are limp or weeds start to pop up. because you and I both know that the garden will always flourish again. thank you for holding up a mirror to my stem and reminding me of that time after time.

–thank you.

.

.

.

.

… to be continued.