because God

breathed life

into me

 

and my blood sings

with a thousand

metaphors that

breathe

in-and-out

my experiences

like a life-support

machine

 

and i can hook you up

to that machine

and pump life

into you again

 

because i know

what it is

to be

lost

 

not the flustering-over-

the-keys lost

but the kind

where you question

the essence of

your soul

 

and i know

what it is to feel

pitch black sad

 

it’s hard to

breathe

in a black hole

of aching

loss,

isn’t it?

 

don’t worry

 

that truth-rattling

tornado

around your heart

will cease

 

just climb

into that bathtub  

and clasp onto

the one thing

you know is

worth living for

 

all you need

is one person

worth living for

 

dear one,

i know

what it is

to feel anger

 

anger so intense

you feel like

lightning

on water

 

and all you want

to do is crackle

and burn

and destroy

everything in

your wake

 

it’s scary

to feel that

destructively

powerful,

isn’t it?

 

the important thing

to remember

is to crackle

at open sea

and not in

someone’s

swimming pool

 

and sometimes

there will be no

crackle left in you

 

you will just feel...

 

nothing

 

like you’re the hostage

but also the captor

 

and i know

what it is

to only feel

capable

of sitting

and waiting...

 

for someone--

anyone really--

to come and rip

that infuriating duct-

tape from off

your mouth

 

(the tape

you

put there)

 

and all you

can think once

rescued is

 

“i have no words”

 

but dear friend,

remember

that your

situation

is temporary

 

permanence

is fleeting

and change is

on its way

 

sometimes

it feels like

waiting

for a ride

from the airport,

doesn’t it?

 

know,

that after all

that has

happened,

delirious

happiness

is possible

 

the kind where you

would balance

the world

on your head

cartwheel down

the ice cream aisle

or dance on top

of a car in

utter gaiety

if you could

 

know

that peace

desires your

company

 

the kind where

you are one

with everything

and every

molecule

in your body

feels

crystallized

in gratitude

and awe

 

know that it’s ok

to love again

 

so deeply

you forgive

without question

 

the kind of love

that sustains you

makes you answer

your phone when

you really don’t want to

or that inspires you

to let them

leave you

with grace

 

and if your

soul is sitting

in darkness

you just keep

reading

 

words are my sun

 

and right now

i am a sunflower

at noon with a

pen in my hand--

compassion sliding

from heart

to hand

to paper

to you

 

so you just

breathe

and read

and bask

in my sun

 

(and let me

hug you

with my

parentheses)