It's late
And I wonder
If I might
Miss this moment
By not picking up the phone
I wonder
If second chances
Really do exist
Or if it's all 
Just a one shot deal
And if this moment
Passes by
Will it change
The course of my life?
The night seems endless
The waiting eternal
And when day breaks
And night
Falls away
This moment
Slips by
Along with it

Pieces

I wonder if you know
How special you truly are
Or did they make it
So that you only think
You are bad
Do you see the beautiful smile?
That hides behind those fearful eyes
Or has it been so long since you felt joy
That you can't remember
How to be happy
Do you know what magic is?
We felt it when we looked at you
It's when something happens
And it is so spectacular
And so extraordianry 
Being a child is magic
And we want you to see what it means to be a child again
It wasn't your fault
I know you've heard it before
And we are here to stay
That, too
But we'll do something more
We'll show you
What it means to love
What it means to find a way
To make it work
To make you whole again
And slowly
One by one
Piece you back together

Bring Down the Rain

Please don't try and tell us
You know exactly how we feel
You don't
Don't try and tell us
It was meant to be
And that she is in a better place
Because even if that's true
We still know our arms
Are the best place
For her
Don't say
You can try again
You're still young
There will be more
As if that could replace
Our daughter
You can't tell us
Time will ease our pain
Because time
Will also erase her memory
And we might forget
The way
She smiled
Or cried
Or laughed
It hurts to face each day
Without her
And goodbye seemed so final
When we held her one last time
It doesn't matter if the sun
Is only right behind those clouds
Because we know
That when the sky opened
We felt the rain

Scars

The scars of a broken heart
Encompass
The mind and soul
Harboring shadows
Secrets
And masking eyes from seeing
Reality
The broken heart does not mend
Yet, shattered, lives on
Existing only for yesterday
Hiding from the reality of today
And fearing the unknown of tomorrow

A Child's Legacy

His legacy left
A setting sun
The very moment
Before it dips low
Against a glowing sky
The smell of rain
On a warm spring day
Offering eternal hope, new life
The brilliance of a sky brimming
With flickering stars
Shooting dreams across the vast open eternity
The beauty of the first snowflake
Magically descending from above
Intricately unique
His name written in the sand
At the shoreline
Where waves break in white capped peaks
And wash away my sorrows
His laugh on the wind
His smile on a strangers face
A teardrop on my cheek
The beauty that he is and was
And his legacy
That crosses the
Boundaries
Of life
And death

I don't remember if the weather was cold
That day
Or if the sun shone bright
Casting rays of light that beamed like halos
Around your head
I can't say if the city stopped
To embrace us
With open arms as we passed by
And if the trees were bare with winter
And the grass was brown from drought
I couldn't tell
I only saw
The way your eyes danced
And your dark hair fell across your brow
As you pulled your thick red scarf
Around your neck
I only heard your voice
Whispering, laughing
And when the world closed in
And time stood still
I touched your hand
And wished
This moment
Might last
A lifetime

Your name scratched
In the wooden post of my bed
It was all I wanted in that moment
The reckless, wild passion
Of a 15 year old girl
Never kissed
Eyes wide open
Hoping
Maybe he'll notice you, little girl
Maybe he'll wink at you
Maybe you're all he ever wanted
And all he'll ever need
But even if you aren't the one
Hold tight, little girl
Cause someday,
You'll see....
You're gonna be okay

Maybe he broke your heart
When you turned and saw him
Holding hands with that new blonde
Maybe he didn't care
When your tears ran down your cheeks
You wish you had him still
Want him holding you
And wonder why you aren't good enough
But, maybe you're wrong, little girl
15 years
And young enough to dream
Old enough to know
That love ain't always
What it seems
But even if you aren't the one

Hold tight, little girl
Cause someday,
You'll see....
You're gonna be okay

I still see that young girl
Arms and legs
Frizzy hair and smile that's too wide
Thinking love ends when a boy breaks your heart
Not knowing she's beatiful inside
So, maybe this time
He ain't the one
But  hold tight, little girl
Cause someday ,
You'll see.....
You're gonna be okay

In your eyes I see forever

Loving you without an end
And maybe when the moon dips low
And starlights kiss my cheek
I'll know that in your eyes
This night
May be my eternity

Sweet Child

In the sea of faces
How can I choose just one?
Hopeful eyes and eager hearts
Beautiful child
Who has been broken down
Yet, smiles through the pain
I wait for our souls to connect
I look for the face that is as familiar to me
as my own
I wonder
Where you are
and who is holding you tonight
Are you warm?
And safe?
Can you feel me out here?
Praying for you
Calling you home

Waiting child
You feel as though we will never come
And the hours turn to days
As we desperately search for you
We dream of who you are
And what you will become
We wonder how the pieces will all
Fit together
Joining us
From two seperate worlds
In this new place
We call FAMILY
Your heart already
So deeply intertwined
With ours
Leading us to you
By fate
Destiny

Our child
Keep hope
And faith
Alive
By grace
We will find you
Bring you home
With love
We will keep you here
Give you roots
And when the day comes
Stand back
To watch you soar

"Come home, sweet child" I whisper tonight
A star shines bright
With the promise of tomorrow
A new day
A new chance

Before she was a mother
she was daughter
a sister, a child, a friend
a lover of art, poetry and music
She wrote in prose
and dreamed in color
She painted her future
bold, untouched
She spoke in foreign languages
that rolled brilliantly off her tongue
And visited exotic countries
rich in history and culture
Before she was a mother
she lived
carelessly, recklessly, wildly
She wanted more
and gained nothing

And then one day she was a mother
and she saw the beauty
in words, art, music
She dreamed of the future
that her child held in his hand
She sang songs
that never sounded so sweet
and saw the world through
her little child's
eyes
And she learned to live
And love
purely, unconditionally, completely
She wanted nothing
And yet, she had
Everything

I feel him
And know he is near
His spirit sings within me
Wanting so badly to see him
To touch him
Just one more time
My skin tingles as though
His fingertips have brushed my arm
And I know he is near
The breeze stirs, warm
And I feel
His kisses
Graze my face
My eyes, my lips
My soul cries for him
Broken, weeping
Not understanding
Where he is gone
Or why
Yet knowing
Somehow
We are together
Still

The reflection whispers back
a woman unrecognizable
her face weathered with lines
a smile dimmed by pain
time has taken it's toll
life has taken her
for all she had
and all she would become
the face of a woman who has created new life
and stared death in the eyes
a woman who has been beaten down
and forced to carry on
she has walked hand in hand
with the power of deceit
has been humbled by forgiveness
the woman who knows the meaning
of failure
and has lived long enough to fear evil
a woman with a past
that has made her who she is....
worthy

The sun burns

on her back
like coals on fire
her skin
taut, brown, leathered
her hands
calloused
her baby whimpers
from the woven cloth wrapped carrier
on her back
This day,
the same yesterday
the same tomorrow
where hope dies
and dreams never come

In His Eyes

The night was cold
and snow swirled in circles
making her feel
as though
she were
lost
in a snow globe

She knew he would come
leaving her heart to race wildly
fearing she would
be lost
in his
eyes
if only for tonight

Somewhere in her mind
she pushes away the thought
of tomorrow morning
when she
is left
alone
with memories of tonight

In his eyes she
sees everything she always wanted
everything she dreamed
of having
a love
surpassing
what might have been

Hit or Miss

I was young then
I didn't know how to love
And the night was dark
And cold
I shivered in my thick coat
Fighting both the wind and fear
That tore at my bones
"Don't walk away"
He whispered
"Stay"
But how could I explain then
What I know now
That love is just a game
Of hit or miss

Spirit

Her spirit
broken
crushed
alone, she weeps
They offered her
only a choice
but where was her hope?
Their words were
hushed
forbidden
spoken in whispers
Her innocence
robbed
stolen
no going back
By chance or by fate
this destiny
that ebbs and flows
through her life
connecting her
with those that are gone
and those that live on
weaving and interlocking
their paths
so closely
they soon
become one

Inspire

Inspire me
Give me wings to fly
Yet keep me grounded
Believe in me
That I can accomplish anything
Yet humble me
Encourage me
To reach, to achieve
Yet allow me to fail
Give me the room to persue and dream
and grow
and most of all
give me the freedom
to be

The prose of my life
is by chance
random
yet true

Cody

They said he wasn't perfect.
They lied.
They told me all he couldn't do
but never all he would.
They looked at him
with pity
and sorrow.
He smiled back.
They saw him only as what he wasn't
Never taking time to see what he was.

I dream in color
where race is spelled embrace
where peace is not a wish or hope
but reality
when love your neighbor
means without prejudice or judgment
when a tender smile
is worth a thousand words
and the future of tomorrow
is not lost
on the generation
of today

The moon hung low in the sky
Like a balloon sailing into the unknown
Full, round, as though it might burst
I danced beneath, swaying to the instinctive rhythm within me
My shadows casting eerie glows
Darting, then peering out to take another glance
And suddenly she appeared
Silent, still
The hush of the night embraced me
Lending an ear to listen
A shoulder to cry on
The moon dipped low behind the clouds
Then vanished
Taking her into the mystery of night's end
As the rising sun unleashed the journey of tomorrow

Memories Of You

In the endless jar of wonder

and magic

I hold memories

your laugh

your smile

like fireflies held captive

burning bright one minute

then gone the next