Stairs

I'm barefooted- 
Feet sinking into the earth
No one but wilderness guards me
Feeling masked by
Gloom and fog
No urge to carry on
No will to take one step
An effort far too great-
A task much too daunting 
Awaits me now
Barely able to see one
Of one thousand 
Tiny steps guiding
Me to the ringing 
Far above- I wished 
For a moment
I could fly-
If even to fly away
A tiny surge of 
Musty air blew
Against my back 
Rocking me forward- 
already unsteady
Stumbling towards the stairs 
I landed at the bottom-
Downcast my eyes were 
The entirety of my way
Barely glimpsing the tops of trees
As they became specks and 
The clouds as they
Blanketed me awhile
Nor did my eyes 
Catch sight of the 
Shimmering gold doors 
To a home that stretched
Far beyond anything
Seen through my 
Grayed eyes-
Heart thundering 
Limbs twitching in
Exhaustion 
Finally reaching the top-
Collapsing at the foot 
Of the golden doors
Dozing immediately
An image less dream
Met me- only
Solid black played 
Behind my drooping eyelids until
I heard laughter
And singing-
It made me sick
How could this place be so joyful? This
New home housing
The woman I love- taking her from me!
Rage tingled in every portion of my being-
Jolting me into a 
Standing position- I
Stopped immediately
Awestruck
There in the arms 
Of a large, kind-looking 
Man, she sat
Droplets stung in my eyes
She smiled, she was joyful
I could not bring 
Myself to move
As he began to sew, carefully-
What a perplexed look I must have had
As he continued to 
Sew very large, luxurious 
Feathers into her-
Without pain
Her smile broadened
With each stroke 
Finishing up she gasped
And she kissed him
Before fluttering 
Away- 
I began to call 
After her - fearing
The loss once more
But the man- 
His whisper hushed 
The entire room as
He called me
By name -his 
Voice full of compassion
Explaining this place
Is not where I belong-
Though my arrival is much anticipated
Coming one day-
But that I must go now-
I could not,
Would not leave
I told him so
For I wished to see
Her again-
To bring her with 
Me- to never let
Her go again
He rose and lead me
Calmly to the 
Golden doors saying-
You have seen
Her angel wings
But you must leave to feel them
He was gone instantly
Sighing
I surveyed the thousands of stairs
Once more
Dreading my descent 
A chilling wind whipped
Around me pebbling my skin, gone-
By a warm feeling wrapping
Around me
As I started towards the bottom the feeling stayed-
Swearing I saw luxurious white-
Do you believe in an angel's wings?

Art Class

A beast
Stomps inside
Rummaging
All the day long-
Tingling
In my toes
Growling
In my stomach
Catching
In my throat
Slipping amongst
The muscles in
My forearm
Bending at my elbow
Journeying
Greedily
To a formed hand
Whispering
Its secrets - like
Gears in a
Music box
Turning graphite
Swirling it
Until its
Finished -
To be left
Unformed,
Untouched
To be seen
For what it is
A beast
Free and beautiful

A Thrown Umbrella

I imagine a girl
Standing in an old
Hot pink romper
Tied simply on
The back of her neck
Plain faced and glassy eyed
Watching intently an
All-American house
The fabric along her stomach
Stretches with each breathe
Becoming more frequent
Up-down-up-down
Shadowed by an over hanging
Faded black umbrella gripped
By olive tinted hands
The sun beats down over head
Crisping all that lives-unable
To pierce the fabric of the
Umbrella-
What is in one tick of the
Clock?
She did whisper the thought
Despite herself and the fierce
Rays of the sun
The umbrella is thrown into the dirt
Cautiously, a foot is lifted
A steady walk up the
Doorstep of the brown bricked house
Resting both uneasy hands upon the
Handle
Turning, opening, entering
Welcomed by a rush...
The tenderness of flesh
The softness of a kiss
Surrounding the girl
Like a whirlpool, whipping
Her in circles
The wind sounding loudly in
Her ears ringing them with
Broken pieces and promises
Hallow feelings
Zipping her down the front, exposing-
The insides if her
Every inch
Every thought
every little detail that made formed her soul
Ripped out of her flimsy skin
Disappearing
As a minute hand Moves from three to four
Gone-
Sobbing she searches- only to find nothing
Of herself
Lively brown eyes dull under their lashes...
What is in one tick of the clock?
She whispered
Emptiness