Jonesin’

you fall in love with the little things,
like that silly breath he takes at the start of a belly laugh,
the crooked way his smile forms when he’s watching your hips sway at the kitchen counter,
or the gentle, deceiving way he runs his lips across your neck before he bites,
and before you know it, you’re addicted;
you can’t imagine going without those things,
and you wake everyday jonesin’ for a fix,
stringing together one little thing into the next,
until your entire existence is one endless pursuit

and that’s when you know

-image via Tumblr; linked to the dVerse Open Link Night

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Rescued

there’s a very real and elaborate world inside me,
a constant and ongoing dialogue,
mountains and mountains of words that for many years I kept to myself

the thing I never knew about my own words,
was that writing and speaking them aloud could help me to see just what I believed in,
in whom I believed,
and set me on a course on which I was meant to be;
sharing helped me find my why

the thing I never knew about my own words, 
is that in sharing them,
they could rescue me

-Image via Tumblr

Backward

time didn’t seem to pass –
through her tiny eyes, there was only the present,
the right now

yes, she remembered, 
she had so many memories;
but time traveled in an unseen sequence,
one which didn’t require much thought

today is all she felt,
and the concept of tomorrow was barely believable;
being anything other than what she was right that minute was inconceivable;
anything else was almost magic

and then there came a day when the magic came to a screaching halt,
when she realized her eyes were suddenly not so tiny,
and time no longer felt weightless

she wondered what it could have been like to go on thinking about nothing,
to ignore death and fate and the possibility that life can be shaken to its core

this is how she knew she’d left childhood behind –
she felt time’s passing,
and she wished for it to go backward

-image via Pixabay

Reality

the harsh light peaked through, 
shining on her now wrinkled face,
and I got a glimpse of reality;
I saw just how time had passed

she is beautiful;
weathered by gritty perseverance, 
and scarred by wisdom she’d never asked for

-image via Pixabay 

Opened

I don’t know if I believe in love at first sight,
but I knew very quickly that I loved him in a way that was the beginning of something,
the sort of love that opened you up for more

-photo via Tumblr

Inside

sometimes it happens so quickly –
looking at a person and seeing inside,
pins and needles in a current traveling up your spine and taking residence in each prickle of gooseflesh

in a flash, you see the core of a person,
as fast as the pull and push of a single breath 

there it is,
right there, in the furrow of the brow line, 
taking up the vast blackness of the pupils,
all the pain and disappointment oozing itself out of two lash-lined windows

and just as fast, they close up – 
not even a chisel or a bulldozer could open them again

-image via Tumblr
 

Unlocked

I dangle on your every word,
breath in every syllable,
take sustenance in every roll of your tongue,
each tooth-tap and lip-biting pronunciation,
snuggling into your context

your words flutter from your soul,
fertile and alive,
taking root in my soul,
caressing my emotions,
sewing me into your will
and stitching me into your desires

your words touch every place that was once untouchable,
telling everything untold,
opening doors we didnt know existed

your words hold my beating heart;
they lift me up, challenge me,
inspire me

your words are the gentle scrape of metal against metal,
the breathtaking tumble and click,
acknowledging my need,
and my absolute delight in your praise

speak to me,
my skeleton key

unlock me

-image via Pinterest

I Am

I am torrential rain in dreary drought,
and clear skies on the darkest days

I am the smell of black coffee at dawn’s breaking,
and rocking chairs in the autumn breeze

I am shady trees on mountainous trails,
and the song of paddles splash-pushing in the river

I am sunlight warming salt-licked skin,
and moonlight washing over gooseflesh 

I am rosy-cheeked memories,
and hope-filled daydreams 

I am the light in your eyes,
and the marrow in your bones 

I am hard-earned wisdom,
and success in the trying 

I am evolution, 
and one day at a time

I am not perfect,
but I am yours

I am forever, 
if you’ll have me

-image via Pixabay

Grit

for years I dreamt with my eyes closed,
and opened only to forget;
no amount sparkle could erase
the near constant reel of regret,
and the only thing with power to change
was this steadfast soul full of grit

-image via Pixabay; shared as part of the dVerse Poet Pub’s prompt, change