12 Ways of Looking at a Woman
I
The clear, crystal windows overlook New York
She directs her meeting swiftly,
Intimidating the businessmen.
II
Embracing her children,
The woman smiles.
She kisses her husband on the cheek.
The warmth around her glows.
III
In the cold, blue bathroom
the woman stands.
Gazing at herself.
Broken.
IV
In the warm, sticky evening
the woman slips on her heels
And walks off into the night.
Loud music and the smell of
cheap perfume gets entangled
in her hair.
V
The woman breathes.
Her family prays.
The hospital is eerie.
She lies motionless but her mind is alive.
VI
Standing over a cutting board,
she cooks for him.
The woman is strong enough to stay,
but she is tired of the smell of home cooked food.
She is tired of packing the kids backpacks.
She is tired of waiting for her husband after work.
She is tired of living a simple life.
She is tired of being who she thought she’d become.
VII
Have you forgotten your worth?
Where do you belong?
The woman asks, rocking herself
back and forth.
VIII
Thin, tall, and proud,
the woman walks.
A white lab coat is draped over her frame.
She saves lives at a crisp, white, hospital.
IX
A little girl holds a teddy bear.
She stares into its beady black eyes
until the world turns and suddenly
She is grown.
She is strong.
She is a woman.
X
The woman stands at the edge
of a snowcapped mountain.
White air is cool around her.
She breathes ice.
She inhales the air slowly,
As if it was her last breath.
XI
The mansion is dark and lonely.
It smells like clean, lavender scented soap.
The woman walks down the grand spiral
staircase, slowly, as if she had all the time
in the world.
Her skin is wrinkly and tugged.
Her hair is gray, like the face of a
sorrowful child.
Her body is fragile, yet bulky.
As she stumbles down the stairs,
She seems like a broken accordion.
XII
As she makes it past the finish line,
the woman lifts her strong arms
up in joy.
Her legs almost collapse beneath her,
But she finds a way to keep them sturdy.
The crowd cheers.
She cries tears of joy,
her lips turning up
into a smile.
She did it.
Skyless Sky
Smooth and round, a small box tells its story.
It whispers gently, like a mother to her child.
If you listen carefully, can you hear the tale?
Two men walk
Through a sunless field
With a skyless sky.
It seemed as though only yesterday they started to walk.
When there is no path you must follow your heart!
If there are two hearts, which one will they pick?
Two men walk
Through a peaceful breeze
From a skyless sky.
Flowers and trees stand tall around them, but there is no sun and no shadows.
You don't need the sun to find your light!
If there is no light, how can you find one within?
Two men walk
Through a peaceful land
With a skyless sky.
As night approaches their skin grows cold, but unbothered they keep their pace.
When it is cold, to stay alive one must keep moving!
But won’t the the cold creep up your bones and paralyze you?
Two men walk
Through a quiet night
With a skyless sky.
Once they make it home, they stand and cry.
When you finally reach your goal, you cry tears of joy!
But if you are happy, why do you cry?
Two men sit
At last at home
They share a laugh
Discuss the unknown.
They drink warm tea
That warms their hands
And calms their minds.
A lit candle
Shines a light
That lets them see the sky at night.
It is bright
And it blinks
And it stretches far.
The skyless sky
Is now full of stars.
A Poem Is
A poem is the sweet syrup of a fruit
That falls down your chin
As you eat it.
A poem is the rich honey
That sticks to your fingers
As you free it.
A poem is the rich tomato
That sits in your fridge
Until you need it.
A poem is the hearty bread
That you bite into
When you see it.
A poem is everything and anything
That you may need,
But only if
You can feel it.