in the mourning

In the mourning 

Do not mourn 

For she lives

Do cry or weep or wail

For she lives

Do not walk 'round with sad eyes

Or turned down faces

She lives 

Laugh at her stories

Smile at the memories just between the two of you

Clap at the humor she has given you

Nod your head listening to her sacrifices

Do all this

As difficult as it may

Smile

Wipe your tears

Stand up straight

Look around

At her family

Her friends

Look around at all of us

And see

Her

For while she is not standing amongst us

She is here

And we cannot wrap arms around her

She is with us

For she lives

With Him

She lives and waits

Patiently

For us

But also

She lives

In us

In hearts

And stories

And souls

In shared and private memories

She lives

She lives

She lives

And later

Tomorrow

In a week or month

Or years

You will find something

A thought or object or a phrase she owned

And you will know her

You Will feel her there with you

Recognize her scent

For she will be with us as long as we remember

She lives 

johnfklee 

her shadows

Darken her eyes

     Yet they sparkle

Cast lines o'er her cheeks and jaw

     But her skin remains flawless

Mingle with her hair

     Cheating you of her true silhouette 

Arm and forehead and hair all blend

     But she is clear as a cloudless sky 

Her shadows do not define her

     But they show parts of her yet discovered by eyes

johnfklee

Walked in

He smiled as she walked in
A small, slight smile
Only to himself
Because he was the only one in on the joke
She was his
and He hers

And no one could ever change that

johnfklee 

Kindness shown

Kindness shown

To stranger or friend

Wraps your own heart

In so much love

That it can only be lived

By giving again

The kindness

You gave in the first place 

johnfklee

no place to be alone

His heart

Was no place

To be left alone

johnfklee

past

It hurt

When people asked him about the past

But he still talked about it

Because it was His past

©johnfklee

words

Though her words were said in English

They are spoken in love

©johnfklee 

Canvas

Blank

Not empty

Clear

Devoid of marks and blemishes

Ready to build upon

No cuts

Or strokes

Or sweeps of a brush

Waiting

For a hand

Steady

Focused

With imagination

And cause

And heart

Blank

But not empty

©johnfklee

Watch her

Watch her

Because of her body

Follow her

Because of her mind

Love her

Because of her soul

johnfklee

fingertips

Fingertips on skin

Send a charge through the nerves

To the heart and the mind

And back again 

©johnfklee

Pushed

He pushed

Away

Back

Against

Others and himself

Against love

He didn't know why

Honestly 

He wanted to be loved

Like all of us

There were parts of him 

That needed love 

But he pushed

Those that got close enough

He pushed them until 

They would not push back

And then they would 

Push

Push him away 

©johnfklee

Faults

In response to an abused woman

People can be so beautiful on the outside yet so ugly on the inside. The public and private selves should be similar. Not mirrors but partial reflections of the other. It is the story of our faces, our many selves. But in all of us, in all of our many selves, there must be a common thread. Even those selves that are not so pleasant. Those selves we try to hide away. Within our faults, there must be a connection. If not, then we are liars and hiders of truth. For our true selves will always come out. And our most extreme selves show our true nature for they amplify what we are, at our best and worst. As a man, for the majority of men, I apologize for our failings. I would wrap you in my arms. Tell you I am so imperfect but love you and all women in spite of our failings and faults. We are out there. Good decent men trying our best. When you are ready. When you desire. We will be waiting. With flaws and scars and fear of failure but also with hope and heart and love of all life. We are out there, searching and looking. For you.

            

 ©johnfklee

moons

Low hanging moon

Moon lie in the sky

Big 

Bright

I can see it right there

Easy

You think it is easy

Being alone

Without a partner

To touch

To talk with 

Be near

You think choosing to walk away is easy

It's not

It never is

Not for me

I do want someone

To touch

To talk with

To just hold

Someone that I makes me stare in amazement 

Every time they walk in a room

But at what price would I pay

If I do not feel that

That "thing" inside

That magic

Then how long do I stay

What if the other person feels "it"

Staying

I'm neither true to myself

Nor them

So I leave

Because I cannot keep breaking their heart

I leave

But they want me back

I return

I try

I leave 

We do it again

And again

Until when

When I've worn them down so much

They stop believing in love

I won't

Not anymore

I've done that in the past

But not again

So I leave

And I hurt them for a while

And I hurt myself 

For a lifetime 

©johnfklee

Shirts

Do you mind if I borrow a shirt to sleep in

I'm cold

Of course not

Never

Are you sure

Always

The only reason you let me wear them is that

You just like how I look in your shirts

Well

I won't deny that

But there is an even bigger reason

Why I like seeing you in one my clothes

Why

Because it reminds me

I'd give the shirt right off of my back for you

And be grateful to have done so

©johnfklee 

Of course

Of course 

He thought of her

Wanted to talk to her

Missed her

But that did not change 

How he felt about her

And what he felt

Wasn't enough

To reach back

To her

©johnfklee

Held

Maybe

He didn't know how to let go of her

Because he'd never held someone so 

Closely

©johnfklee

some

Some words do not need spoken

they need shown

Some words do not need heard

They need felt

Some loves do not need given

They need shared 

©johnfklee