the day I became an adult, was the day I told my mother goodbye

even though we complain, secretly, I like wasting time with you

light danced across faces,
pausing on noses and cheeks,
reflecting of the tracks of salty tears.
emotion hung heavy in the stagnant air.
the sweet smell of smoke permeated the room.
tired hands linked us together,
in a bittersweet begining.

I wish you would call, I finally feel ready to share

that night we were invincible

"He"- that's Simon Bolivar - "was shaken by the overwhelming revelation that the headlong race between his misfortunes and his dreams was at that moment reaching the finish line. The rest was darkness. Damn it, he sighed. 'How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!"

So what's the labyrinth?' I asked her...

That's the mystery, isn't it? Is the labyrinth living or dying? Which is he trying to escape- the world or the end of it?

— John Green (Looking for Alaska)

one teenage girl

You were a girl in small town America,
who dreamed of being a dancer.
But, would we have been friends?

You knew how to shoot a gun,
and were Miss Priest River.
But, were you nice to the weird kids?

You were smart,
always got good grades.
But, did you sneak out with friends?

I know so much about you,
but do I really know you at all?

The Ghost of Dishes Past

After dinner we'd wash the dishes,
you would wash and I'd dry.
you took off your rings and watch,
putting them on the right side of the sink, in every house.
you submersed your hands in the hot, soapy water
scrubbing the dried remains of dinner from the cookware.
Steam fogged up the window pane,
insulating us from the dark outside.
When I was little, we'd joke and laugh,
you'd flick foam in my face.
We'd blow bubbles with the lemon scented soap.
"Joy", now it seems ironic.

One day the laughter stopped.
You washed dishes in silence,
gazing out the window.
into the dark sillouettes of pine trees.
I knew something was wrong.

now,
I wash the dishes alone.
I can still hear the faint echo of frivolity,
almost see your vibrant smile.
You're an ocean away,
that youthful playfullness has vanished.
I still love you.