Reflections of Truth

Self-reflection is somewhat skewed for me
It’s as illusory as a mirror
I find that the lettering on my shirt is backwards

So quick to judge others
Yet unable to adequately judge myself

My perception is only an interpretation
I want the truth

Heals

Girl in black high heals
Makes her way through Cleveland's freshly fallen foot of snow
Beauty is painful
Stupidity is painful

Old, Musty Quilt

Alone
Alone
Running alone
And it was a long day
No, a long year
Alone

That word is never far
But never admitted
Why utter what you cannot fix?

He left me that night
It was March 9th
Perfectly still I sat in our wretched apartment
My sons were in the next room
Two and four years old
He was done
I didn’t fight him
Just crumbled
Wrapped in that quilt on the puffy love seat looking at the dark wall
Watching his shadow throw the ring and take the keys
As he angrily freed himself from his life
My life
Our children's lives

Our love will last forever and ever
Even when we die we’ll be best friends in heaven
Isn’t there love in heaven?
We were oblivious to life
Sitting under that big sycamore tree by the pond
Eating our picnic lunch
My grandma’s quilt underneath us
Eyes looking up into the bright blue sky

It’s hard not to look back now

Bridge for Two

We've got the playing cards out again
They certainly pass the time
But aren't you tired of bluffing?
Let's break convention
Show our hands
A practice game, for clarity
We might have learned it differently
I forget some of the rules anyway
Okay. . . flip!

Hey, we both have hearts
I knew it

Great Things

I met this lunch lady in my school’s cafeteria
The sorta tired variety with little light
—the cafeteria, that is
I always get a wrap because I like this one lady who makes them
I don’t know her name, and every time I talk to her she asks for mine
I like that about her.

The other day she made a comment,
“I could never be doing great here, you know. But I’m okay.”
She smiled but that space between her eyebrows crinkled

I gave it some thought while I munched on my turkey wrap
She had surgery the other month and was in a lot of pain at work, standing
Withstanding for her son
So he can go to this college to study biology
Not making a name of her own
Just wrapped up in her son’s dream
All the while spilling light into this dingy cafeteria
Plopping down tomatoes and piles of ham
With smiles and stories

No, I decided
She is doing great here.

Wait

You stole the piece of my heart
That I cautiously protect
I put up a fight
The battle was between my insecurities and your stubborn charm
Insecurities, though, are quickly shot down by your own honest admission

You stole the peace of my heart
That, I cautiously protect
I put up a fight
The battle was between my expectations and our sensible decision
Expectations, though, are quickly shot down by your own honest admission