flames raze the forest,
bringing it to its knees.
ashes line the ground,
fertilizing the charred soil.
the clouds mourn for the forest,
blessing the ground with its tears.
seeds of all sizes land,
and the sun wakes up to greet them.
a garden rises from the ashes.

shrug off the shoulder aches
as laughter bounces off the walls.
shimmy out of the daily traffic
and into the well-lit streets.
clink glasses to accompany a song
in which everyone shouts the words.
when it's over, float atop the world
with hearts buoyed by love.

butterfly in palm
as bright April flowers bloom -
my heart meets nature.

sweet, full, red apples
plucked, crushed, pulverized to chill -
loved in scorching heat.

the air parts like the Red Sea
so a spaceship can soar,
even as the world
drags it down.

she breaks orbit
to release the earth.
she is now free to float,
and the universe guides her.

My fingers ached as I pried a box
from the sides of my mail slot.
I ripped it open with my bare hands,
and found a note written in cursive:
"Put both feet into the box."
I raised my eyebrows and smirked,
but I stepped into the box.
The base folded in on itself,
and my feet crashed into waves.
My lover floated with the seaweed
until he finally reached me.
His hands brushed my shoulders,
and I whispered, "I think we're lost."
My arms burned as I valiantly fought
to reach the uneven surface,
but his eyes sparkled with mischief
as he took my webbed hands,
pulling me toward the ocean floor.
Flashes of light hit my eyes.
and he led me toward the light.
My fingers brushed the floor,
then wrapped around a rough chain,
and my heart punched my chest.
Glittering diamonds surrounded
a heart of azure sapphires.
He led me back to the surface
as the heart overpowered me.
He unclasped it with ease,
placing it around my neck.
As my hand lightly rested in his,
the water droplets joined us
as we flew toward the sky
right back out of the box,
our hands still intertwined.

baby ducks are enveloped
within their mother's shadow,
gliding across the pond.

but under the surface,
the ducks furiously kick
to stay above water.

their fingers twist around strings
that are tethered to firm balloons.
whenever we see them,
they fly above everyone else,
their taunts trailing behind them.
but when their balloons deflate,
they crash into the rocky earth,
and their taunts are buried.
air always escapes.

If I could melt the confines of my body and spread out into the ocean / I would / push through jagged unwieldy rocks in my path / take up as much space as I need / gently remind the unsettled shores of my presence / encourage my finned inhabitants as they trek across / race past the sharks without a racing heart / vaporize into the sky / and undulate with the moon for all eternity.

They reached behind my sternum,
wrapped their hands around my heart,
and attempted to strangle it.
I pried their aching hands away,
and I tore my bleeding heart in half.
One half shaped itself into bread,
and the other half fermented into wine.
My eyelids slowly came together
as I let the holy water wash over me.
My words consecrate the communion,
and I bless it for people to consume
so we remember that we're not alone.

constant companion
that puts me under its spell -
the world falls away.

it scatters my thoughts,
leaving me in a thick fog
until I slam it shut.