Like forests after a fire, reduced to char and ash,
yet teem with new life beneath glistening rain,
you too, my love, can be born again.

Like the silent canary that mourns a lost love,
yet resumes singing in Spring as hope replaces pain,
you too, my love, can be whole again.

So let the chains of your burdens dissolve into feathers,
feel the winds of change gently ruffle your wings,
and soar like a bluebird, free of your tethers
into a horizon of wonderful things.

The starlight sings to the dead of night
crimson lullabies from times long gone,
stories of sorrow, love and might
that keep the dark entranced til the break of dawn.

Though the sun rises, outshining the stars
their shimmering voices can still be heard,
their silver tongues weave tales of Mars
the great God of War and the battles he spurred.

They croon of the lovely Venus, goddess of love
whose body beguiled the lustful soul of man,
whose beauty enchanted realms below as above
and inspired tomes of poetry as only woman can.

As the sun grows weary and his brilliance fades,
and the cotton candy sky gives way to ebony,
as the phantom moon begins her promenade,
the stars reemerge and resume their symphony.

The night is soft and billowy,
Beckoning me deeper into her velvet embrace.  
The dark air caresses me,
Like a smooth, silken hand stroking my face.

The breeze carries with it the scent of autumn;
decaying leaves, campfire smoke, pumpkin spice and pine needles.
A heady cocktail that rouses something in me that no other season can.

This, is my favourite time of year.

The bare trees, colourful leaves and crisp breeze soothe my mind.

The long nights of candlelight and incense soothe my soul.

Draped in moonlight and watched over by the stars,
I drink the wine of ancient Roman nights,
of sacred pagan rites,
of owls' sleepless flights,
of lustful lovers' bites,
That dark and warm midwinter wine.

And it is here

As I lie naked beneath the gentle gaze of the moon,
Vulnerable and exposed,
Innocent and joyful,
With child-like wonder at the beauty that surrounds and encompasses me,
Sipping the crimson nectar of the gods,

That I feel whole.

He sits down near the roaring fire
Wild shadows dance across his face,
A dark room scented with burning briar
Pairs with storytelling like a warm embrace.

Glancing around at those who have gathered
To hear him weave stories with his silver tongue,
Shining eyes meet his gaze and you can bet no chatter
Will be heard amongst them ’til the tale is done.

With a twinkle in his eye he begins to narrate
The saddest story that has ever been told,
The tale of a maiden with such a cruel fate
That would make the hottest tea within earshot, cold.

It’s a story of love and abandonment, of malice and spite,
A comedy and a drama that’ll make you laugh and cry.
A tale of joy and  loss, of hatred and fright
And a heartache so strong. Everything goes awry!

The audience chuckles and the audience wails,
His words build them up and his words tear them down.
He holds them entranced, as though under a veil,
Like a skilled hypnotist, keeps them spellbound.

A narrative so sublime the very moon strains to hear
And stars fall to their knees, weeping silver tears
As they listen to the tragic beauty of his rhymes
Softly ringing in the breeze before dissolving in a dark, velvet sky.

Concluding the tale, he gets up to retire
Leaving them incredulous, sitting by the fire.
Their astounded expressions make the storyteller laugh,
There’s truly no doubt he’s **** good at his craft!

Their fur is like silk
Their paws soft as moss,
Their pupils dilate and
Chase things that are tossed.

Once worshipped as gods
Now they're merely our pets,
Though they wear a facade
That says "Cats don't forget."

They still think that they're sacred
And mankind is their slave,
So they walk like they're royalty and
Take the act to their grave.

Some people despise them
Say they're cold and ungrateful
They look like rats, they cause mayhem
And they're just not playful!

I see something different
When I look in a cat's eyes,
I feel an ancient wisdom
Behind their jaded guise

I am transported back
To scorching Egyptian nights
And see within their pupils, black
The starless desert skies.

An intelligent being stares back at me
In unblinking contemplation,
My soul laid bare before two orbs
The color of amused satisfaction.

So next time you see one lazily
Sunbathing on its side,
Close your eyes and feel
the ancient spirits that
It carries deep inside.

to feel joy instead of envy
for someone else’s success
is a very loving and noble thing
that is not always easy to do

to be able to rejoice
in a fortune that
is not one’s own

to genuinely delight
in the triumph
of others

it takes a certain kind of selflessness
to be able to detach yourself
of your own reality and find
sincere happiness
immersed in someone else’s,
if only for a little while

the Moon was never as happy
as when she made way
for the Sun

and beaming with pride
she smiled
at her lover from afar

watching as he lit up
the world with his radiance
in a way
she knew she never could

but admired nonetheless