Listen to your song in stillness,

own the sound that beats inside,

kick off the dust of yesterday,

wing like an eagle to tomorrow.

Ladle out love in big scoops,

accept the winds of change

and ride them into the horizon.

Eavesdrop on heartfelt songs

of innocence reverberating,

uplift your questioning eyes

and seek your own advice

because others have not trod

your path scattered with

withered flowers and scars

of darkened corridors.

Stir laughter into your tears,

flow forth in lively colors,

speak your truths loudly.

Play with fire and flesh,

develop strength of spirit,

run swiftly into the future.

Remember who you were,

recognize who you are

and discover who you will be –

but above all, be yourself,

comfortable in your own skin.

Crocuses marching

trumpeting rebirth of spring

leading bloom parade.

Feeling clearer

than sun’s betrayal,

I still feel

my whispers inside.

I am a woman

with no face,

fleeting shadow

where I once bloomed.

Waking up desolate

where I once roamed,

stumbling across fields

of spellbinding bleakness,

darkened eyes

of no color.

Sheltered and cushioned

from life’s travails,

I finally feel free

and ready to soar.

Pooled in jewels

of liquid chemistry,

wandering in tranquility

through uncharted paths.

Floating blissfully

in unknown world,

circling around

the sleepless moon.

Superficial husk

many miles

down the road,

remembering

life before death.

Opinions

percolate through crowds

masses refuse

unfamiliar ideas

not their own.

Narrow minded,

closed viewpoints.

The moon was glued

to shroud of clouds

misplaced in blue dawn

I knew I was lost, adrift

unable to elevate the sun

and rip open the dark curtains

of the black unyielding sky

the woman in me

vanished, unable to breathe

tarnished life without spirit

hopes and dreams, dripping

listless wax on heart

listening to screeching sounds

of worn out soul

skin opened to empty space

hanging on by dangling thread

drawn into hollow echoes

boots adrift on a dusty trail

unable to embrace rain

with outstretched palms

but sunshine follows

even the darkest nights

as light looms

through shadows

of loss.

There’s nothing better

than being a writer

heaving paint

on canvas of life

mini dribs and drabs

and splashes of color

seeing things

only you can see

flowing into

wayward streams

slinging handfuls

of light

honing words

to sharp edges

uncovering

passion and lust

saying what

you mean

or leaving

gaps for

interpretation

screaming thoughts

in lightning bolts

twisted endings

emerging ideas

spirited words

aimed at target

tidal outflow

splitting to

form new bodies

of misty vision.

I write as I please

say what I want

don’t get paid

no chained words

I’m free at last!

Purple pours over ashen skies

Doused by distant rain

Moody and wild, unkempt on the ocean

Where waves roll like reluctant children

Angry to sleep, eager to persist

On beaches that steal your breath

In forests that quench depths

Of your soul, unhindered by any man made goal

But societies try, you have the stereotypes to deny

Capitalism has its eye on paradise

But you'd do well to refuse its advances

Ignore the posterity of perceived wealth

And soak in natures riches

Snapshots of experience

Away from the mundane

I hear distant rhythms of societies din

Parties of celebration and social sin

Where we can all fit in

Everyone loves a good tune

Beach fires under an almost full moon

Tribal and unrestrained by rule or law

Sunset celebrations at our core

Stories to score

Too many tequilas have me at the mercy of my thoughts

Where I devour the ambience

Live in the glow of the sun going down

To nocturnal birdsong and breaking waves

And how humanity plays

Under a tequila sunset...

© Richard Withey. All rights reserved.

Through

the fingers

beams of light

blazing rays which twist

into the heart of darkness

until only truth bursts through shadow

exposed in a perfect revelation

upon the written page

no longer hostile

towards the

prophet.

The last time I saw him

in the mist of his oblivion

his footprints whispered goodbye

harsh rain soaked into my soul

I clung to him with tears of no return

the heavy weight of water pulled him

away from me into his vague future

I wish I could swallow more time

keep it safely tucked into my belly

before he floated away from me

stagnant air festers in my head

as my haunting words linger in air

pleading for one more chance

but I only hear the echo of my voice

reverberating in the empty night

“Please stay, oh please stay with me.”

I am left with little piles of memories

encapsulated deep within my heart

as he vanishes forever from my view.

When you hear the word “soulmate”, you immediately think of the person you are to spend your life with in a romantic and/or sexual way; your husband, wife, partner, and lover. But a true soulmate encompasses so much more. There are so many different types of soulmates in the world because the category cannot be so narrowed to the mainstream way of thinking. It is my belief that you can have more than one soulmate simply because humans are so complex and filled with such different thoughts and emotions.

When you do find a soulmate, your heart soars; it beats more strongly than ever before because your soul is rejoicing in finding a missing piece. Ever met someone for the first time, but it feels as though you’ve known them forever? Or felt the urge to speak to a complete stranger because something is drawing you over? How about the confusion you may feel because you experience an attraction to someone that you never anticipated you would (for example, finding yourself attracted to the same gender if you identify as heterosexual)? Your soul knows what it wants, and actively seeks those people to help you feel complete.

In Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs, and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves. This did not explicitly imply a physical relationship; moreover, the people that were split were male/female, male/male, and female/female. This in and of itself should lend support to the idea that there is more than one type of soulmate.

Soulmates can be found based upon such things as similarity, love, romance, comfort, intimacy, sexuality and sexual activity, spirituality, compatibility, and trust. Have you ever felt so close to a person that you cannot understand why you are in separate bodies? You can love a person without being “in love” with them and the emotions and actions that said emotion entails. You can find comfort in similarity with another person. Intimacy is not strictly limited to carnal lusts; speaking of things no one else knows and sharing personal information requires a special bond, as well as compatibility and trust.

It is my belief that there are a lucky few people in the world who have truly succeeded in finding and reconnecting with their missing half. The rest of us may be joined at the foot to our best friend, by our torso to our lover or partner, the head by someone who stimulates and challenges you intellectually, and your heart by your spiritual equal. And while you can be content and quite happy with these different pieces coming together to make you whole, you might just have the fleeting thought that something might be missing. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but there’s an emptiness there. Simply put, you haven’t found the final piece of your soul, your final “soulmate”.