Family Time

Dinner on the table
family time
is it
really?

Time to let
my hair down
put
my leg up
(if I want to)
laugh out loud.

Can I really?

Or would you perhaps
want
a starched dress,
pearls,
white
satin
gloves
with stiletto heels--
the
whole
shebang?

Please
(oh please Daddy please)
tell me
tell me.

I would so like to know.

Balancing Act

It's not easy--
working and studying,
being
student
colleague
daughter.

But that's fine.

It gets exponentially harder
when
I'm compressing
an application, entrance test,
current exam, advanced report with
final exam
coupled with
work,
deadlines
deadlines
(deadly deathly deadlines)
balanced with
stress-beating exercise
creative output
family interactions
transport negotiations
bedtime curfew
family time
and other daily ablutions.

Just breathe.

But sometimes even that's
not
enough.

Little Mermaid

Before the sun rises
she must
kill
kill
kill
him, they say,
before
she turns to foam.

We sheared
our crowning glories
for you
for you
(they say)
to kill
kill
kill him
(do it)

She thinks back

wrenched of her beautiful
(soul-shattering)
voice

for

knives down her
tail-become-legs,
the impossibility of return,
of betrayal
from love



But she cannot
cannot
do it.

For she still remembers
a stormy night
her first night on the surface
and saving him
saving him
from inundation
hauling his waterlogged body
singing into him life.

No, she cannot
cannot
do it

as she hurls the knife
to the sea
to her heart
jumping
flailing
falling

down
down
to the briny deep
blue
beyond blue
light
ascending to

light
becoming
air
daughter of
air
to one day
attain her heart's desire



a human soul.

One of a Kind

Stop
the hate
the self-abuse
the mean words
thrown back
at
yourself.

Wake up--

you're unique
one of a kind
no one else quite like you:

no one else to be
your hero
your champion
your savior

except

yourself.

Transient

What we shared
was real
as real can be.

It was love
pure
unadulterated
ours

but perhaps

'twas transient
fleeting
not meant to be?

Maybe 'twas
enough
when you had bled
my heart
dry?

Vortex Vibe

The sea turns to foam
the surf pounds
merciless
merciless
vortex
suck suck
sucking
flotsam jetsam
you me
everything
dry
to the source
the eye
going
down
to the deep
the deep briny blue
the dark and deep

Perfect 10

For all--

the
rods

and
petite
minis

the
size 2s and 4s



I'm a
10--

big
and
strong

as curvy
as
curves
can be.



And that is

fine

by me.

Happily Ever After

Can I live

happily
ever
after

a trophy life

achieve
to settle?


Is it
can it

be

in me

at all?

May it
(oh please)
be
in

me
me

me.

This Fire

Release me
from

your

hot
hot
wet
tight

kiss

scorching
searing
suffocating

embrace


suck
lick
grasp
taste
touch
fondle

gasp

sigh


pain
pleasure

salty
sweet
creamy

yes.


Release me
from


the ghost
memory
shadow

of your

love

to move on

and just


be
be

BE.










Time to move on.

Cowed

She mustn't
crowd
She mustn't
shout
She mustn't
slouch
She mustn't
play rough

think on her own
not at all

She must be
quiet
genteel
gracious
back ramrod

simper

smile


cowed down
down
down

bury her self
deep.