"They had these fantastic things called beaches. My family loved to spend long summer days there," my father muttered, dying. "Oh, you don't know what summers are. The weather used to change throughout the year... Oh, family... weather... years... time... difference... You didn't grow with any of that stuff, right?"

footprints blooming

in the night remember

your blood

footfalls stained crimson

through sand, dirt,

snow, and rock

carelessly sprinkled prints

line our paths

through the broken night

untouched and untamed

even when the marks

fade to oblivion

waves washing away

mountains crushing proof

spring destroying happiness

even when we

are gone and no one

remembers us

and that giant night

is left consigned

to the book

of unrecorded majesties

the blood remains

blooming

reddening

spreading

growing

becoming

I

Go spring

And forth fly

By divine wing.

Air rushing through me,

My body freed from care.

All about, my great fall see,

Under these clouds and sky so fair.

This must be what the birds and bees feel

That makes them joyfully flirt with nonsense,

For, without want nor burden, the appeal

Of being a teen, for once, makes sense.

But, it's too late and my prime's lost

With the ground rushing ahead,

The rocks my fall accost.

Near all has been said:

This is my will!

I'm at bat!

Until

Splat...

Born, born again,

Spurned, and destroyed

By forces beyond his ken.

At his core he's but a void never filled,

Waiting, wishing, wanting a nevermore,

Until, at last, he's killed.

Memories flow from deep within,

Buried under seasons

Of snow, leaves, and rain.

Peach juice dripping past a wide grin,

Smiles, giggles, waves: reasons

To shrug off today's bitter pain.