mosaic

the light filtered through the broken glass
and the dilapidated shutters
and the tattered, faded curtains
and as bleak as the horizon
appeared to be sometimes,
all I had to do was look
at you and the whole world
shone bright.

~

RNH

flipped

peacock feathers flipped
convex their embrace
inside out, complete
the hypnotist in turquoise robes
sways, with a million eyes.

~

RNH

a silent note

tucked under the corner
left my love
hidden
in code and secret
messages
never to be voiced or written
silent as salt on the wound.

~

RNH

palette

the teal swept her away
the pale pink kissed her
the lavender rocked her to sleep
and she woke to a tangerine morning
dipped in the pastel palate of bliss.

~

RNH

water-bearer

Aquarius
brought her pitcher
of grief and her armor
of anguish and delivered
defeat with a slow
bowing
motion
conquering even as she kneeled
pouring
tragedy, spilling like water.

~

RNH

you, before

better the noose
caught you before the door hit
you, before
the stool broke in two, before
the ground, itself, betrayed you
and belief
walked out
lifted by the arm pits
carried
by large bodyguards
who did not to protect you
better all this
than when I met you
blind and deluded and faint.

~

RNH

third eye

with the eye in the palm of your hand
you saw me, looking
and swiveling
away
the truth residing
in the silence
and the fraying
quoted sentences unraveling
like so many bright
gold threads...

~

RNH

the last day

when your hands disappeared into liquid
and suspicion
drained you of strength as decay
carving trees
of their greatness, you turned
your soft face into me
and I held you like
there was no tomorrow.

~

RNH

the pool of forgiveness

dipped into the pool of forgiveness
I asked you to hold me
I asked you to take this
horrible, yelling anxiety
and witness
that I am not my frailties
that I am
so much more.

~

RNH

dagger rain

when it rained, it drenched
wicks dripping boiling spits
of wax and weary, angry tears
splattered clothing, soaking clear
through walls and words
of I don't love you
drove a knife in, screamed and twisted.

~

RNH

pocketed

with his jacket unbuttoned, he pocketed
one hand and held
back his shoulders and looked
squarely at me and I wondered
what kind of woman he thought
would not meet
his gaze
or his stance.

~

RNH

lipstick love

I think you left your lipstick
on my broken, red glass heart
and when you kissed it better
you, instead, lit brilliant sparks
and the fire burst the mirrors
burgundy bled
all down my chest
and I stood, with the fragments falling,
caught in the middle, unable to resist.  

~

RNH

the glitter show

she cried white rivers
of glittery tears
and the eyeliner ran
and the lashes stuck, smeared
make-up, ruined illusion
of the put-together girl
and she hid her hurt in shame
afraid to show the world.

~

RNH

icicles

last night
icicles burst, a silvery
flourish
in frozen hands
and pink, numb fingertips
opened to linger, wrists
unbound and upturned, fell
silence with a pen
and the small words of revelation
blossomed
as snowflakes shimmering within...

~

RNH

cried the raven

she held a raven in her
dark and feathered profile scraped
the sky bereft of all its colors
the pavement soaking up the fate
of love and faith and hope, extinguished
fluttering down into small pools
floating across the silvery surface
never mended, safe or soothed.

~

RNH

fringe of teeth

there were teeth at the window
looming, glaring, bared
impatient
and she lingered in the sunset's
palate of pinks and soft tangerines
pulled the curtain back and bristled
bracing resentment against the center
betrayal, the constant
quivering cornerstone
aptly bringing her to her knees.

~

RNH

at the dark window

Everything changes your perspective
Even the light upon the sill
Even the sadness in your glittered eyes
Even the small, curled wisp of hair
That you tuck
And you filter
Each word through the stained glass of truth
The brittle shards, swallowed
The splintered heart, soothed
Only by the open
Dark window of opportunity
You can see the risk--
Take it.
Be moved.

~

RNH

perch searching

tension in the air
fear and consequence and retribution
electric reciprocity, the anger and the dark solution
glaring, violent, fragile birds
flutter their hollow bones
from one branch
to my dangling
stiff-held wrist of an arm
searching for the words to console you.

~

RNH

tornado

her mouth contained the atmosphere
the universe slid
down her throat
and with her lips, she sealed
your fate
and in her arms, you lost
your control
torn between the spiral's twisting
lost in her blue tornado.

~

RNH

posable

doll-like
she crossed her arms, held
a small breath away from her slender
V-shaped
torso
and she claimed not to need
and she blank-faced the greed
to quarter, maim and destroy her.

~

RNH

the shoreline

i am not the shoreline, as you are not
the cold wintercoat i shrug
to stay warm
i am not the border, as you are not
the hat and gloves i wave
to stay silent
i am not the fence or the harbor, the ledge
or the doorframe
the sharp cliff looming before you
like death
or life or madness, the kind of love
i only felt for you
know my heart only by its
silhouette.

~

RNH

passenger

I was just a passenger on a train
and you were just a window on the car
you were something I could see through
another image in between
and the landscape that was revealed
flourishing, beaten, running away
sat in the camcorder of my mind
fixed and reticent, as you leave.

~

RNH

keep it

shaking your shoulders
let go of this demon, I said
let go of this worry and dread
let go of this fear of what you will do or you won't do
or you should do
let go of this guilt, all together
and keep your head high, little girl
keep your pride
let me tell you,
your good heart is truly unbreakable.

~

RNH

this way

if I could change you, I hope
it would be in the best way
if I had any effect at all
I hope I comforted you
on your worst day
I hope I brushed away those tears
and hugged you like you
had not been hugged in a million years
I hope it made one single ounce of difference
this way I love you
this way I love you more.

~

RNH

YOU MUST BE THIS TALL...

she looked at me with wet
weary eyes
contemplating the world
calibrating its size
and she knew you were too small
and too bitter, a person
to ever grapple with the truth.

~

RNH