Addiction

I unwillingly watch you walk down a dark path with your eyes closed.

You hurt everyone around you with no remorse.

Stealing and lying like breathing your daily air.

Something different has grown behind your eyes.

It looks evil and I cannot quite understand why.

The life behind them seems like a dimmed flame.

I know something is wrong but you say nothing.

I ask and you act annoyed by my words.

I am lost about what else to do to help you.

It's like trying to hold onto thread in a hurricane.

Just a slight grasp, but not enough to withstand the wind.

Sooner than I hoped, the thread disappears in the storm.

I wait for you to somehow return back to normal.

However any resemblance has been eroded into dust.

I secure to the only great thing you have left behind.

The day comes when you finally lose the fight.

My heart hurts even though I have not been in love for some time.

Comforted only by the darkness finally being lifted from your soul.

Goodbye, sweetheart. I let judgement free from my clasp.

Simply wondering if I will find our bond again without shadows.

Focused toward the bright horizon, I forcibly embrace hope.

Mustard, Please

I am not normally a fast food eating person. I usually save it for when I am running late or I simply am too exhausted from the work day to cook. With only me and a person half my size in the house, it seems we always have leftovers to heat up and have no reason to buy pre-cooked food in a bag. However, when my neighbor, who is currently out of a job, catches me outside to talk about what lack of work is out there (as if I didn’t know), I do not have enough time to eat my normal cereal. Starving on my way to work, I drove into the golden arches of McDonalds. Yes, not ever my first choice for food, but when it’s already the time I’m supposed to be at work and it is the one of the two establishments on the way, it became the choice to start my day.

I selected a sausage egg McMuffin off the menu. Sausage and egg breakfast sandwiches require mustard for me. It brings out the flavors and gives it a whole new experience. I asked for it to be put on the sandwich. Then a man’s voice comes over the lady taking my order and said, “I’ll put packets of it in the bag for you mam.” I believed this was an attempt to keep their pre-made food just that way, because if you change something they have to make a fresh sandwich. So, when I get to the window I ask why I had to have packets. The man said, “We only have dispensable mustard at 10:30AM when we start serving lunch.”

Really? How is McDonalds #1 in their industry and they don’t even offer condiments on your food until a lunch time that no one really eats lunch at? Are our children the only ones keeping the fast food chain alive? I mean all the toys that break immediately are great to them because they offer the latest characters. It doesn’t matter their food does not rot or they don’t have changing stations in all their restaurants despite their “family appeal.” Somehow they are still number one. Well, I think I have been reminded why I do not eat fast food. Maybe next time, I will look for leftovers in my fridge to take to work and heat up instead.

Free as a Bird

Fluttering, pastel daisy petals swarming within
Slightly warm temperatures between cool breeze.
All the seeds opening into new life,
You can see a smile forming on the trees.

Animals awaken into constant movement
Never looking back into their dark holes.
Nothing can stop their renewed ambition,
There is a fresh gleam around their soles.

Dirt paths lead to flowing streams
Neighborhood children play near daily.
Laughter echoes through the meadow,
Floating upon butterfly wings faintly.

Such a great experience now
Everything seems brand new.
White picket gate is finally open.
Time to come on through!

Obviously

The switch flipped on
air clings to my face,
my finger rises above you.

Enlightenment molds on my lips
shaken by your naive expressions,
your eyes are covered with silk.

Ear suctioned to the wall,
words jumping off right before the bridge -
you look at the dot in the middle,
the picture never forms.

Fluttering jigsaw to the floor with
books leaning against a plastic ball,
you brought the wrong key.
Hair gains space to grow.

Thank you for finally seeing
my way is inevitably right,
you should be very still.

Obviously.