Rally

You let that one tragic event define your fate.

you use it to render excuses, 

make it too delicate 

to mention,

to touch,

let it hinder life progress. 

Sometimes darling, you've got to rally. 

Dig with blind faith

for that strength to keep moving, 

to heal. 

Like my coach says about goals,

it doesn't have to be pretty. 

......and it's most likely what

she would want you to do...

Time passes, my love,

the past is to be remembered and honored

not something to live in. 

Business Casual

What is business casual?
I've spent weeks in olive green pants
that turn into capris.
I've been covered head to toe in mud,
had fingers too frozen
from sporadic snow in May.
I've sweated on black liner
in the unforgiving desert sun.
I've shot the shit with drillers,
talked about the man
swore like a sailor,
split hard rocks with hammers
carried loads of core.
I've off-roaded on the mine roads
drove pro on the left side.
I've been donning hardhats,
reflective vests, steel-toed boots.
Worked 12 hour days.
how could business casual
fit this in a suit?

Elizabeth E.

Elizabeth Edwards and I
two women scorned.
She died last year and I mourned her
To be so brave in the face of betrayal
cancer, adultery and she had still carried on
as I weeped in my car in a dismal parking lot
for the loss of a relationship
that was nothing to write home about.

Life moves on, the sun comes out again
NPR tells me
John Edwards is on trial
for using campaign money
to cover up the scandal.
Serves the damn fool right.

that time I gave up hockey

There was that time I gave up hockey
I needed to concentrate on school
I was always missing out,
on all these cool adventures,
chilling with my friends.
And then I realized,
I needed it
on sad Saturday nights
when my ex boyfriend left me
to go get stupid drunk.
I needed it
when I was mad,
to keep my soul alive.
Skating like the wind
how it was essential
and any time away from friends
was a time I spent for me.
solely for me.
I never felt so alone
like that time I gave up hockey

Birthday

I'm on the verge of tears, happy at my triumph.
This is my birthday, this is a 14er.
I'm on a mountain-top with my love
with my legs quivering like a baby deer
from the lack of oxygen.
We're eating peanut-butter on cheese crackers,
kissing between mouthfuls,
sun-burned to a crisp.
The sun is shining, there is no wind
and Colorado smiles upon me,
And the place and person I love
are fondly wishing me the best.

6 weeks is a loooong time

6 weeks is a long time.
I used 1 whole bar of soap,
half a bottle of shampoo,
put 5 grand on my credit card,
wept 3 consecutive days
by the 4th week.
I spent 3 hours commuting
to and from work,
learned about 4 hi
and 2 lo.
I drove 5 hours the wrong direction
to get to this airport.
It seems like a million years
since I've seen your face.

homeward-bound

Sitting at the airport
in my brightest dress,
four hours early.
I told the nice lady that it was okay.
I want cementation,
the firmness of fact
that I'm headed home,
where the buffaloes roam,
where my heart is,
where I belong.