Nights Like Tonight

On nights like tonight
When you find it hard to sleep
I'll stay awake with you.
We can talk about anything.
Or absolutely nothing...
We can laugh until it hurts;
We can have serious discussions.
Play your favorite songs;
Sing along if you desire.
I don't care that you're out-of-tune;
Your happiness is melodic.
Read the definitions
Of words you learned today.
I love how the dictionary
Puts a smile on your face.
And when you're ready to write,
I'll sit, patiently and quiet,
Reading your body language
As catharsis arrives.
I enjoy your quirks;
I love how your mind works.
On nights like tonight,
You clear your thoughts,
Reserving nothing from me,
And I witness the openness
You issue with exclusivity.

Remedying the Regrets

Humility, her newfound companion,
Offered her the gift of self-understanding,
Ending the lifelong discord within.
She took ownership of her decisions,
Reconciled with the consequences,
Extended grace to herself,
And accepted a bounty of chances
For trial-and-error;
Learning and growth;
Appreciation of her progress
While realizing how far she must go.
Empowered to stand transparent in her truth,
And disclose herself fully to you,
She silenced the depreciating voice of shame.
The experiences challenged her;
She knew she had changed,
And for that she was grateful.
Gratefulness for the lessons
Remedied the regrets.

Finally

Loving you is wrong;
It could never be right.
I accept it.
I won’t help you
Fool me. Tonight,
Reality has set in.
This is goodbye,
Finally.

That Place

Where no skeletons are buried
And all memories unborn
Where no secrets are hidden
And there's no reason for scorn
Where all faces are strange
And all glances meaningless
Where no one knows my name
And freedom is infinite...
Take me to that place

Mourning Before Morning

Too many losses to take it all in,
Motivated forgetting became a remedy,
But every now & again
The pain is dredged up,
Subconsciously.
Then dreams become reminders
That my grief is incomplete.
So tonight I'll stop deferring
The experience of pain.
I'll cycle through all of them:
Denial, anger, bargaining,
Depression, & acceptance.
I'll willing feel what's necessary.
I'll purposely search for the lessons.
Before sun rise,
I'll have the final cry
Before a peaceful sleep.
Mourning before morning
Can be a beautiful thing.

Violence Seized The Arms

I quietly adored them.
Your arms, so big, so strong,
For me, they embodied home.
In them I felt cherished and safe.
I loved how you held me
In the most perfect way...
A comforting amount of tightness
With a gentle touch of fragility.
Confirming my inner goddess,
You held me with sacrosanctity.
I was willingly subdued by them.
They became my favorite place,
Evoking something in me,
An inexplicable, beautiful feeling.
Enraptured in your arms;
I believed they brought healing,
And I had to touch them
As if they were the hem of Jesus' cloak.
I remember the night I watched the enchantment flee;
Your hands were steadfast around my throat.
In that moment, I felt
Inadequate in my femininity,
Helpless and weak.
Their strength betrayed me.
They shifted from affection to enmity,
And violence seized the arms
That I once held in high esteem.

Happy New Year!

May 2017 show kindness to you.
May laughter abound in your life.
May your worries lessen.
May happiness fill your heart.
May love overflow in and through you.
May this be one of your best, most productive, happiest, most growth-filled years!
Happy New Year!
With love & sincerity,
LeKechia Lyshell