The Girl Who Never Turned Back

She walked like someone
who had once lingered too long —
on thresholds, in gazes,
in lives not meant for her.

But this time,
she didn’t look back.

The evening held her
in a smoldering breath,
a breeze of silence
she had come to fear.

The fire was unspoken,
always smothered —
or flattered to deceive.
Now it rose slow and viscous,
curling through her like a secret
finally given its tongue.

The stones beneath her feet
held their heat.
They remembered touch,
and gentle weight,
and how surrender
is to bend, not break.

What waited ahead held danger —
but it was real.

It beckoned her soul,
twisted at her heart,
and made it
impossible
to resist.

Christmas of Muted Tones

Snowflakes fall in the north, a silent descent softening rugged landscapes. Winter’s stoic embrace blankets the earth in a seamless white, and Christmas; seemingly finds its place in muted tones. Footprints whisper tales of solitary journeys, and candlelit windows invite warmth into the cold night. In this northern tableau, Christmas is not flamboyant but quietly acknowledged. Nature and holiday merge in a serene simplicity, a winter scene wrapped in the unadorned beauty of life.

prayer of love

your eyes
are my cathedral;
therein lies hope

and I draw faith

from a daily dose of
love and kindness
in your eyes

you know
I need my peace
and a little worship

– now and then –

we can heal each other
be true to one another
you know, I know…

I glimpsed the gates of
paradise; between thine lips
salivating at the thought

why we always sin within

heaven-bound clouds
you lift my spirits, hope of
love, I glimpsed, in your smile

beyond this mortal bond

The Chains of Possibility

I loved from a distance once
I admired her spirit and
Inward beauty

She revealed her soul, her
Scars and her dreams, yet
I never saw or touched her face

She had a wounded heart
And I felt like I could understand
Heal her beating fragments

We never did meet and
The distance increased
But in her I saw; a future

Unchained

Wayna Picchu

At the heart of the Andean range,
Where the sky and earth mix in mystic exchange,
Stands Wayna Picchu, a majestic peak,
An irresistible adventure for all those who seek.

Its slopes are steep, its cliffs are high,
As if to touch the heavens and reach the sky,
And yet its grandeur is indescribable,
Igniting a fire within, a quest, that is undeniable.

The verdant jungle creeps up its sides,
A lush and vibrant tapestry that hides,
The mystery and secrets of a world unseen,
A treasure trove of life, forever green.

As you climb higher, the air grows thin,
And the challenge of the ascent begins,
But with each step, you’re rewarded anew,
With vistas of unmatched splendor and hues.

The valley below, a canvas of green,
Stretches out as far as the eye can glean,
The Urubamba River snakes its way,
Through the heart of the land, currents at play.

And at the summit, the view is divine,
As if the world has been made to align,
The sun, the clouds, the mountains, the sky,
All in perfect harmony, to catch the eye.

Wayna Picchu, a mountain of lore,
A challenge, an iconic wonder to explore,
May you stand forever, a symbol of might,
A testament to nature’s enduring light.