First Love Affair

He freckled soft

white sand across

his island skin and asked

Have you ever 

been in love?

like it was an invite. 

I declined

to answer with a smirk

instead lifting his hand

to my face to breathe

in the beach 

that contrasted

all my clouds. 

Children and Their Toys

You rattle me 

over and over 

listening to me 

shake inside out 

and something about

the movement gives

me hope even though

I am no more 

than entertainment

to be hand me downed 

to another boy 

unappreciative of the way

I move like something 

inside is broken. 

Notebook

I am the back

pages of a notebook

smeared with meaningless 

doodles and scribbles

of things you really 

don't give a shit about. 

Lessons

My father taught me

to only say I love you

if you are yelling it

through tears

boiling against your skin.

No one must know 

how blistered I am.

It is like matches scraped

all over my bones. 

River

Watch for the current

of my rage while 

you burn this bridge;

make sure

you are a damn

good swimmer.