“I watched as he ignored the world
and focused on his hands.
He creased a simple paper plane
and dreamt of other lands.
I watched him reach to throw that plane
into the open sky.
A passing breeze upheld its wings
and made the paper fly.
I watched a pleasant smile control
his lips throughout the flight,
until the little paper plane
had floated out of sight.
I hoped to see him chase the plane
into the light of day.
Instead, he creased another one
and threw it too away.”
Source: Being Bold: Quotes, Poetry, & Motivations for Every Day of the Year
“The accident has occurred,
the ship has broken, the motor
of the car has failed, we have been
separated from the others,
we are alone in the sand, the ocean,
the frozen snow
I remember what I have to do
in order to stay alive,
I take stock of our belongings
most of them useless
I know I should be digging shelters,
killing seabirds and making
clothes from their feathers
cutting the rinds from cacti, chewing
roots for water, scraping through
the ice for treebark, for moss
but I rest here without power
to save myself, tasting
salt in my mouth, the fact that
you won't save me
watching the mirage of us
hands locked, smiling,
as it fades into the white desert.
I touch you, straighten the sheet, you turn over
in the bed, tender
sun comes through the curtains
Which of us will survive
which of us will survive the other”
Source: Power Politics: Poems
“Returning from the dead
used to be something I did well
I began asking why
I began forgetting how”
Source: Power Politics: Poems
“To say yes is to die
A lot or a little.”
Source: Selected poems
“Father, oh Father, teach me to smile.
Grin in the mirror with me awhile.
Father, oh Father, teach me to jest.
Indulge my silly giggle requests.
Father, oh Father, teach me to say
thank you, excuse me, have a nice day.
Father, oh Father, teach me to learn.
Pass along wisdom. Foster concern.
Father, oh Father, teach me to serve.
Care for our neighbors while I observe.
Father, oh Father, teach me to love,
without exception like God above.
Father, oh Father, teach me to pray,
kneeling beside you at close of day.”
Source: Being Bold: Quotes, Poetry, & Motivations for Every Day of the Year
“The summer sun welcomes me out
to sandy beaches with palm trees.
I am lulled by caressing rays
as warm as heavy, denim quilts.
The heat melts away distresses
from my muscles, from my thinking.
Entranced and contented, I bask
in the careless arms of sunshine.”
Source: Being Bold: Quotes, Poetry, & Motivations for Every Day of the Year
“Some people can’t taste life until they’re close enough to smell the cold air of death. Some people spend their whole world chasing the lady. Personally, I don’t go looking, but I do have an open door policy.”
“I fear that if I tell you what
you mean to me, you might be
tempted to use it against me.
So I keep it a secret. Between
myself and the Keeper of secrets.
As I take comfort in my prayers
for you, that you'll never know.
There's a madman who cares for
you, more than you'll ever know.”
“...poetry, just like any other piece of artistic creation, is subjective. You cannot ruin someone's interpretation of a poem by explaining it. But if the poem doesn't speak for itself, ultimately, it is a failure.”
Source: Black Book of Poems
“Death always wins.”
Source: Nevermore