Parched
A Collaborative Effort With Elizabeth Helmich/Music: Sade, The Sweetest Taboo
Drained of everything
I need, my lips crack
And burn into the sun.
I have watched my words
Find a home in the clouds,
Buried among the stars.
Surrendering is an honor
No longer bestowed upon
The hard-headed, too engulfed
In the flames of intense love.
I stand guarded, waiting for
The right moment to
Signal you in for safety.
Landing gear exposes itself,
I bide my time in
Solid coffins of oak.
Under each lid, is a note
Carved by a younger you,
Full of wit and shine.
I follow the scent
Of memories, yearning
For water
In a tall glass,
Half empty and half full.
Your arrival flatlines me.
Waiting has taken
Too many turns I can’t
Navigate, game
Became lifestyle.
I no longer know how
To squint down the sun
Before pale stars yank
Me into lost stories,
Clutched to chest
When lampposts go out.
My stolen fire held
Captive, out of reach.
The chisels of your eyes
Set to work on my chin.
After a time my gaze
Braves yours and recalls
The outline of your face;
You break me back to life.
Stepping carefully out
Of my shattered shell,
I tremble as your hand
Finds my lips, bringing
The plump oasis.
I follow the scent
Of today, and yearn
For fluid clay to yield
More pots, overflown
With our saturation.
Guilty of loving you
Too much —
Of holding on
Too long —
I let go
And watch my world
Run back to the source.
Thirsty, no more.
I have known E now for what seems like ages and from day one, via WordPress, I truly admired what she does with words. This has been something we have wanted to do for so long — collaborate with each other. I am happy to see this and was more than honored to be able to work on something so special with someone I call friend/sister.
Thank you for reading.
