Life Flows Freely Through Cold Rivers While I Sit In My Stagnant Pond I Need To Be Cleansed Before The

He loved all seasons, save winter. He lived his life in winter Because he was winter, And he never really loved himself. He buried his heart beneath the snow, Became the barren, dead tree, Accepting a world of numbness.

I loved all seasons, including winter. I lived my life in summer Because I was summer, I was, am, and will be the sun. My heart beat strongly, It was warm, on fire, Embracing a world of passion.

We met and we collided, Creating spring. My sun melted his snow, Uncovered his heart, And after many years He discovered rebirth, renewal.

Our first dance was a tango, Parading on the dew. The smell of fresh grass, Fresh starts and new beginnings. But spring began to end And he awoke from his dream, Begging for winter to come again. Thawing began to sting And he missed home, His many blankets of snow.

I tried to follow my lover. I brought the summer heat along, And he could not find winter. He barked at me, “You cannot play god, You cannot change the seasons.” I explained to him that I did nothing, We changed it, We merged and created spring and fall, The lovely, romantic air.

So he in turn tried his hand, Bringing forth dark clouds. “There will be storms,” He warned me.

First there was rain. It poured down above us And as he ran for shelter I grabbed his hand, Leading him out into the fields And I said, “Let it rain, let it soak us. Let us dance And the rain will cleanse us.”

My lover was afraid. Afraid of what I might see If his skin were washed, His face wet, hiding tears. He created thunder and he warned, “There will be lightning, There will be flooding.” I kissed his cheek and said, “Then I will build us a boat So we can sail to safety.”

But he shook his head, Thinking I did not mean it. I stood in the spring field As he ran off to winter. Still, he looked back at me Not being so far off, And he watched as I stood firm As the water rose above my ankles. “He will surely run,” My lover thought.

The water reached my shoulders. There was nothing I could do, For summer had many rains And fire would only drown. I would surely drown as well, The water rising above my head.

My love, my beautiful love, Saw at last that I was his. His to love or leave, That I would always Be waiting in oceans for him.

His heart felt my summer breeze, Felt my year long devotion, And he, the god of winter, Ended the storms, Ended the rain, And as he stepped upon the water It turned to ice. A vast, frozen lake, He ran across to where I now, Was buried like his heart.

He called to me, “I am winter, You are summer. Bring forth the sun.” And I did. The giant, burning sun Melted the ice around me, Freed us both from fear, And he held my hand As he added more heat to the sun, Evaporating the water, Returning the lake to a field.

When the land had dried He kissed my lips, His frost to my fire, Bringing back the spring, Returning the field to gold. We lay in the shimmering grass. My lover and I, We love all seasons. We built our home in that field And we never again played gods.

Dear reader, I'm sorry, no, I am not writing to you I am not writing about us This is not our story You do not know me. I write about a love That is unique to me And my own, that is as Endless as a ring, As permanent as ink That does not die With our bodies when Our flesh has gone. I am writing to my own Someone, it is about Me and them, not you, I am sorry.

Dear reader, You're right, yes, I am writing to you I am writing about us This is our story. You know the soul of me I write about a love That is unique to us, To each other, that is as Endless as a universe, As permanent as dye That never fades When the fabric of Our existence has gone. I am writing to you, My someone, it is about You and me, and you knew, You were right.

Your neck is a canvas For the brush of my lips Wondering if we ever Had a chance at innocence A roguish glance as We walk towards the church My hand tugging you Down the blustering Sidewalk of fluttering Freshly dying leaves

We stroll side by side With familiar ease A lifetime's worth Of rising, setting suns You wear my sweatshirt You smell like me And weave yourself into The fabric of my being Our love was never Just in the leaving

Climb up the steeple Ring the bell with me Summon the flock of sheep Do they know they Worship at our feet? In cold October mornings High above the chapel The two of us are no sin Up here on my knees I'll give you my sermon

She asks me casually Why do I love you? And what sort of question is that?

I love you simply because I know no other way of being To not love you is not an option To not love you would be An emptiness my heart doesn't deserve

She asks again Why do I love you? Does she think I can find reasons?

I love you because I did once One time that is ever continuous One lifetime of love inside my body A body that is far from you still A body that holds me like I hold you

She asks once more Why do I love you? Did I not answer her question?

I love you because I want to My love for you is my greatest joy Without hope or fantasy or dreaming I love you because it is enriching I love you because it is necessary

If I can put my hand on a maple branch And feel its frozen bark If my fingers blanch At the remnants of snow Then it must be real, it must be so

But close your eyes, meet me in Rome I have been there Did you know? Or would you not agree? If I have never touched a cypress tree?

I thought we were art The kind that could heal Your paintings abstract My writing surreal Pieces that where honest And made us both feel But I wanted concrete And you've been ideal I look at you and see More than sex appeal Maybe you don't want art Or anything real I'm just another secret Someone new to conceal

If I write you You will never leave You will be with me When you are not

If I write you You will stay mine I will have you Even though I do not

I want to be somebody's songbird The same unclaimed way The earth is the galaxy's Or roots belong to the trees I long to be somebody's

I want to be somebody's songbird Create a new sound Compose our very own tune Whistle in the afternoon Singing come home to me soon

I want to be somebody's songbird A finch or a sparrow Even brown stands out in snow Under winter's dark I glow Somebody already knows

There are Monarchs in Mexico Where kings and queens still reign Lording over salvia and milkweed In their glorious campaign

Yet nomadic in their nature In summer fleeing their domain The Monarchs journey ever north Old royal kingdoms to reclaim

The dynasty will carry backwards An intricate floating train Resting upon their paladin trees The ruling of Monarchs ever arcane

I am always asking questions I am a hypothetical idea I am a torrent of branching thoughts Meanings are occasionally sought

I am a half circle above a dot I am a rumination I am the one planting a seed No rain or sunshine guaranteed

I am the roots that are growing Down into the depths of the earth Reaching and probing so much deeper But I am also axiom's keeper