MORE THAN A BOUQUET

Pink

and white,

and lavender;

colors always different,

never dull, never

not fresh;

new set

for every few days.

From you, it's

more than just a bouquet.

HAIKU 14

Caring for a man
does not happen just because
but they know all else

CAUGHT

Like you painted

the bottom of your shoes

yourself, in red paint.

I was just there,

luggage and potato chips,

ready for whenever

the two of you finished.

HAIKU 13

When we used to match
we were sharp and could not fail
and now we’re ourselves

DO A SWITCH

Switch bodies,

mirror,

you being

what you did not think.

Exchanging minds

to know since you don't,

exactly why.

HAIKU 12

Words said to an ear
or spoken through devices
can’t speak on one’s heart

IS EVERYTHING

Loving you is nothing.

Parts of my life

were never as simple.

I seemed to have forgotten

what it is to be angry,

to be left for years after

a child's grown in my stomach.

I only remember today

in my thinking of how you are,

of how being loved

is everything with you.

HAIKU 11

They can lead the way
can tell us what they know now
but we are not them

AFRAID OF DRIFTING APART

And we would hug,

holding on tight but now we

do so with hand pats

on one another's backs

like we're just friends;

no kissing or

long phone calls like we've

decided, ourselves

to slow it down.

But we still say

"I love you more." We

say it

and it's said

and that's it.

HAIKU 10

Brother feels no love
but I’ve been busy being,
not meaning to be

THOUGH YOU'RE TAKEN

Taken,

so my thought are not normal

but if, from a distance.

I have to love you,

I will because I

cannot stop it.

HAIKU 9

Like smooth melodies
or the sound of the ocean
or both together

I'LL BE GRATEFUL

Lip switches up at the flowers,

perhaps their color,

or her own bad day.

You can only walk off

and create, in your mind,

something that feels better,

not knowing that never

is when she'll thank you

for all the gestures;

spontaneous, warm

thoughts.

I thank you for her

until the day

I can do it for myself.

HAIKU 8

Walking on a path
when someone taps your shoulder
and everything’s changed

LOVE YOU

Beautiful,

but you don't have to be;

your eyes

strip me themselves.

Talkative, but there's no

need to say much;

the sound of your voice

waking me seems enough

to carry the day.

Loving me,

you need to do.

That passion

from anyone else

would not be half as inspiring.

And so I thank you

for being it all

from in, on out.

Toast to us,

from here on out.

HAIKU 7

These wandering eyes,
at times they land on your phone
but know I trust you

ON THE LINE

On the help line,

I hear his tone,

deep, but gentle.

His accent

takes me back to

a place where foods like

yams and collard greens

are made on the daily

and everyone's over,

and everyone

loves being over.

It began about a bill

and if I had it I would give

a whole year's worth for

someone else's

just to have him stay

on the line.

HAIKU 6

They are muscular
thought my husband loves them much
I keep them covered

DRIFTING APART

The kissing is different,

your touching no longer warms my

cold or

cools my hot.

Compliments sound better

coming from the mouths of

strangers and some even

look better, though you used to be

the most beautiful man.

Something in the air or perhaps,

something in our love

has begun to unravel, having us

show ourselves as people

that the other no longer cares to

care for.

HAIKU 5

Trying to keep up
but we parted ways back then
maybe that was it

TO POETRY

If the world ran out of ink

and all keyboards jammed at once,

microphones went out of style, somehow, one would find me

alone in a dark room, smiling,

then crying, then just lying down thinking. I would be

thinking poetry

over and over

until my eyes went tired,

until my mind had played and scrambled words so much

that I was sure to dream

that poetry.

HAIKU 4

The kiss meant goodbye
while he had plans for Monday
her heart left early

NO OPINIONS

No more thoughts,

no more. I've

been thinking beyond myself

while you've been

looking up, then down,

doing an analysis of my words.

No more thoughts

but if you do think,

I will still move

according to a vision

far above where your life will stand

the moment I reach.

HAIKU 3

Calling from her throat
he laughs and he ignores her
but she is sorry.