The Finale

The Finale

Let’s be clear—I’m here
Naked and molding
Into the ground 
My amygdala was shot
Out of the cannon 
Into the sky
For the last time
Maybe I’ll stay
Maybe I’ll fly away
Come see this retiree
Confident and quite sure
He has nowhere to be



Z

The Smile I Found

The Smile I Found

A smile came to me 
on the other side of the trees
after I flew over the stony wall

today, in a daydream
Thank you, dear pilot
for taking me in your helicopter
to meet a special tour guide
I thought I always knew

We walked about and explored
the colors I’d never seen
until the pilot shouted
C’mon, we must leave
I looked back, as I ran—

so scared I wouldn’t remember
the details of my tour guide’s face
Then, I received an indelible smile
to carry away from my new favorite place


Both my last blog post called Puddle of Gold and today’s came from weird, awesome dreams I have been having. I love when I manage to remember and, hopefully, write down my dreams. Like the face of the tour guide, I often find many details of my dreams to be a bit blurry, but not all of them. Also, I was thinking about the difficulty I can have remembering the face of I person I find intriguing, not long after we have met. I am going to keep trying to remember my dreams.

Z

Puddle of Gold

IMG_6317

Puddle of Gold

Have you ever reached a goal
you went after turn out
to be treasure you just couldn’t hold?
The mountain of happiness
you were waiting for Victory to bring
was the gift you never received

Solid dreams drip down fingers
of the hands of those who can’t handle
a temperature of 1945 degrees
You’ll look down and you’ll see
an unexpected defeat:
a 24-karat puddle of gold
right in front of your feet



Z

 

A Friend Creates


An hour ago, I finished reading my friend’s first novel. The time I took to finish was, admittedly, way too long. But, I was determined to read only when I could give my full attention. Falling into the creative work of a friend is something incredibly delicate and special. 

The characters, storytelling, and page-turning quality were present the entire time; I would have found the statement to be true even if I did not know the author. I finished completely pleased with the way everything turned out. However, I really wanted to know what was to come. I imagine my reaction is a goal of any novelist. I immediately contacted my friend and shared my thoughts and feelings. 

I started thinking about how proud I am when a person I know creates something beautiful. These days (and really every day), supporting the people around us who are creating and expressing themselves is beyond necessary. Whether or not thousands of people ever get to read my brother’s essay, see my neighbor’s drawing, or hear my Grandma’s song she learned to play on the keyboard last week is far less important than the support we give each other—at the end of the day.

Perhaps I am being sentimental. But, I will always appreciate the time and energy an artist I know has put into a project. Love is probably the best word.


Z