King of the Islands

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I would burn down the world for you

My passion blazing so everyone can see,

But you want to be swept off to sea,

The tide taking you out

So I can’t get you back.

I would be a tree growing for you,

Having your birdsong fill my whole being,

But you want to be a kite,

Chasing the wind, 

Hoping it doesn’t let you down.

I would build a castle for you,

The steadfast rock that you claim to need,

But you seek out the fields to run in.

They have no shelter,

And you pray the lightning doesn’t find you.

So my passion turns to stone,

But it doesn’t build a castle.

And my tree roots die to frost

That no birdsong seeks to warm.

And my stronghold falls to ruin

Where the rubble waits dead.

Fairy-Tale Love

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I inhabit the fairytale love,

Not the kind composed solely of passion

As each person burns up before it’s begun,

But of a slow-burning love,

The ember that is offered, regardless of mutuality.

I desire the fairytale love.

It’s pure and simple and sweet,

Only burning when the time is right,

Never waking before the prince comes,

Then rising with the sun on my face.

I still seek for the fairytale love,

One of dedication and chivalry

Where both parties respect one another,

Understanding that’s where true love comes,

Living happily in their commitment to each other.

The Feeling of Colors

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Inside Out has got it wrong,

Joy would be green, not yellow.

Fear would be red, with horns and a prong,

Not some purple-suited fellow.

Now, purple would be Disgust,

Or maybe more magenta.

Sadness, the color of dust

To pass on her gloomy agenda.

For anger, orange or golden

Because it always seems justified

To get your pride so swollen

That it hurts when you’re thrust aside.

No, Disney has got it right:

You do have feelings, it’s true,

But the colors they chose aren’t quite

The perfect neurological hue.

The Doctor’s Closure

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When I said you were mine,

I meant it mostly as a friend.

When I mentioned I loved you,

I didn’t want your relationship to end.

When I said you had a piece of my heart,

I realized that they did too,

And that friendship like a family

Was not just love for you.

It is true that I still love you,

But not in the same way.

I have him, and it’s different–

He shows me Christ every day.

I grieve you and for you;

I know nothing goes to plan.

And I’ll tell you I love you

Because that’s just who I am.

Midnight and Morning

My pale darkness stretches on,

The only light coming from my cold, reflective grin.

Sure, the stars wink out their light,

But they’re like me–distant, unreachable.

The scurry sounds of mice and bats

Fill my aching silence,

Flooding my voice with quiet chaos.

A child cries in the night,

Still I continue,

Solitary and robust.

But then I hear your whisper,

As the fox sniffs out of its den,

As the early bird pecks the ground for worms.

You see my grin, and you blush,

It’s so beautiful that I’m warmed.

My voiceless cacophony grows still

As you stretch your way through.

You’re not as long as I am,

But your short stay impacts me so

That I hold your hand 

As you walk me back to tomorrow.

When Everyone’s Gone

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When everyone’s gone, and it’s just you and them

And you cry on the bathroom floor;

When everyone’s gone, and you start to feel

That home isn’t safe anymore;

When everyone’s gone, and the yelling begins,

And you wonder if there’ll be joy again;

When everyone’s gone, and they can’t see

The wreck you know as your family;

They can’t see you’re trying; they can’t see you’re stressed.

They can’t see your “perfect” life is actually a mess.

But God knows your secret, you think with a start,

And He’s not a person who will ever depart.

He’ll be your shelter, in His arms you’ll be drawn,

So you’re not alone when everyone’s gone.

How God Moves

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I can ask for all serenity,

To be floating on a cloud, 

But God teaches peace

He doesn’t just give it in a second.

I can pray to live in my dreams,

Having my memories fill my waking,

But God has already taught me 

All I can learn from those moments.

I can ask for all the answers,

My future told before its time,

But God knows I will not understand

If I can’t witness it for myself.

God uses experience and time

To teach me about His love,

As my heart is growing toward Him,

I find the answers to everything else.

Tidepools

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The water’s murky, 

And I drop a pebble in,

Hoping the water clears itself. 

You have a bucket of pebbles, God. 

Sometimes you only give me one, 

Other times, three or four, 

And I chuck them in,

Hoping that the water becomes clear. 

But there’s so many ripples, Lord. 

I’m dizzied by the number. 

There’s nothing clear about splashes and waves. 

And I cry to You, 

“Make it stop, Abba!

Make it stop!”

Yet you hush me and tell me to watch. 

I don’t want to watch. 

I want to cry and have You still the waves. 

You tell me again, and I do,

Sobbing all the while, 

Confused as ever before, 

Trying to see through the waters. 

When they still, it’s not what I want to see. 

There’s rocks and plants and leaves

But no diamonds, 

No pearls, 

No fish. 

Somehow, I’m discontent in Your answer, 

Irrationally longing for the high of the waves. 

But that’s not Your best. 

And I sit on the bank

And wiggle my toes in the water,

Just for a moment. 

Until You take my hand 

And lead me to another wave pool on the shore. 

November Showers Bring White Flowers

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I cuddle into my book,

The rain reminding me of Spring,

The air smelling of Autumn,

The cold biting of Winter,

The book bringing memories of summer.

In my home, I am safe.

No snow-drifts float around me now,

But the world holds its breath

And the weatherman predicts

Wednesday brings the uniquities,

The flurry flowers that float to the earth.

Vibing in the Friendzone

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We’re just here,

Talking and laughing,

Smiling just to be in each other’s presence.

Maybe we’re in love.

But right now,

We’re content

To remain in our spaces as friends.

Love isn’t always dating or marriage.

We pray for each other,

And I’m satisfied

To dwell in the friendzone for a while.

I’ve never had that before.

It feels nice

Like a fluffy blanket

Cause we’re comfortable together

And love each other across the distance of the friendzone.