Little Girl Lost

Little girl lost, I see you crying,

Your wounded heart breaking in your chest.
I know that inside you may feel like you’re dying,
And life is putting you to the test.

The bullies who tease and torment you today
Won’t mean a thing when you’re grown.
Just open your eyes and find your way.
You’ll soon realize that you’re not alone.

They say hurtful words and have hateful ways.
Don’t associate yourself with their brand.
You have words, too, and yours will amaze
In a fashion they can’t understand.

March through the crowd, hold your head high.
You were born for bigger, better things.
Paint on a smile; don’t let them see you cry.
When the time comes you’ll spread your wings.

You’ll fly far away and beat your own drum,
Confident being who you were meant to be.
I can promise you now all these things will come,
Because little girl lost, you grow up to be me.

Black Hell

Once upon a time the streets were lively in that small town
Teenagers cruised the main drag on weekends
Honking and yelling at one another in passing
Children pedaled vigorously to meet their friends in the park
Or to the corner store for candy and arcade games
Mothers pushed their babies in strollers
Around the walking path
Or across the fairgrounds
Circling the midway to the sounds of a carnival
Lights from the streetlamps and storefronts illuminated the night sky
Generations of families lived there
“It’s a safe place to raise kids”
Everyone knew everyone
The faces were all familiar

But people began wanting more than what small town life could offer
The teenagers went off to college
Honking and
Waving goodbye
The corner stores closed and
Children stayed home to play video games
The soil harbored bitterness and
Mothers took their babies away
“It’s not safe there anymore”

The streets are barren
The storefronts boarded up
The faces are all sullen

The driver of a lonely car on the main drag sees a black and white town
Devoid of color
     Growing old
          Dying

Carved in Stone

When you first left I found you everywhere
Your favorite song on the radio
A dragonfly darting across my vision
We floated through the atmosphere together in a dream
And saw the earth’s shadow cast on the moon
I saw your eyes in a newborn baby boy
Who also smiled your smile within a few weeks
But gradually the songs stopped playing
And the dragonflies stopped darting
And the dreams stopped coming
And you are nowhere to be found
Have you gone away for good
Maybe you were never really there to begin with
Rather I have simply become
Accustomed to your absence

The Beast Within

Across the soft green grass we’d run,

Laughing blithely as we’d play.

Through the muddy creek we’d splash,

On a stifling summer’s day.

As children we were so naïve,

We knew not what was coming.

For in the distance the heart of the beast

Had already begun its thrumming.

As time got shorter and we grew older,

We held the world within our hands.

While the beast sat waiting, contemplating,

Devising his odious plans.

His attack did not come swiftly

Like a bullet from a gun.

Once you realized he was lurking,

The damage was already done.

You tried valiantly to fight him,

This red devil concealed within,

As he thieved your hair and poisoned your blood,

And burned blisters on your skin.

You unleashed your own monsters upon him

In hopes of keeping him at bay,

But he only came back stronger each time.

 He refused to go away.

You battled him until the bitter end

As he drained you of your life.

Then he carried away my sister, my friend,

A mother, a daughter, a wife.

The creature moved on to stalk new prey,

Leaving so many questions unanswered.

How can we stop this malignant demon,

The beast we know as cancer?