Falling back, a force

But then a hand, it frees me

To the surface, peace.

--TBJ (04/17/17)

Polar Fixations

Thin ice floor

One simple crack,

A valley is formed.

Apathetic infestations

Skinned, storied souls,

Plain ole denial, then raw--

Bound, the biting cold

Fire-bombed foundations,

Fury sparks & crackles,

True lives to ashes--

Still, oblivion, ignorance, cackles.

Discrepant realities

Amongst & between us,

We are one in the same,

Blurring, melting of cusps

Love-runged ladders

Small steps to strong leaps

Relentless rainbows, luminosity

And there, Trust, diversity, peace

--TBJ (07/19/16)

Ribbons of water fly through the air

As my heels catapult the beads of beauty

Over my head.

I salsa through the streets

Like a puppet without strings:

Full of rhythm, free of constraints.

I untie myself from the round,

Breaking free from gravity.

Refreshing fingers of wind massage my hair,

As it's trailing fingers form a hand

that waves in its wake, like a bouquet of

Bicycle streamers

A kite soaring through the sky,

My soul runs free,

Rising above the shard-studded streets,

Sprinkling the spectators around & about me

With the essence of euphoria, glee.

My heartbeat serenading the soundtrack of my life,

Track one to infinity, farther than the horizon I can see,

I untether myself from the grime & grunge,

Breaking free from the bonds of gravity.

Mind flying over matter,

Far above the screaming streets

My arms fluidly blend the physics-adherent air,

Intermixing the ingredients of inspiration

Eyes up to the sky,

I let the raindrops dance on my face,

Like confetti celebrating my victories

Infinite possibilities & space.

Singing at the top of my lungs

This is the Mardi Gras of my life

A festival that never ends,

A spirit that never sleeps.

--TBJ (11/22/05, edited 04/10/17)

Rain droplets skydive around me,

my peripheral vision veers

into a velvety blur,

Presence in the moment,

that intersection of Time & Place.

Percussion, a palate--

passion performed

What if,

I thought, the last droplet

that leapt off of my face

like a tap dancer on an

extra-spring-loaded,

ultra-taught trampoline--

what if the particles within it

had previously danced

atop the cheek

of a girl on the other side of the world,

pondering, just like me?

--TBJ (2016)

When I was a little girl.

Windows to the world

Intrigue ignited, served,

A magnetic pull unfurled.

When I was a little girl.

Windows to the world,

My heart, sucked through

Swapped, was my point-of-view.

When I was a little girl

Windows to the world.

Sadness-soaked streets, overpasses;

though not at my feet,

Made not the hearts of humans hidden, obsolete.

When I was a little girl

Windows to the world

Glass was just film between me, them

Distinct yet delicate as surface tension.

When I was a little girl

Windows to the world.

"I will come back one day,"

My promises to me, & the pained,

The only temporary passwords to turning away.

When I was a little girl.

Windows to the world,

My mind enabled night-, out-of-sight- vision,

My heart imparted this, my forever mission

--TBJ (11/17/16)

Together we always are just

Pushing "begin,"

Not fearful or believing in

Something finite like

El fín.

Blissfully, we live in our one and only,

Nevermore lonely;

Whimsically weathered,

Strong, but

Soft-as-a-feather.

True and honest,

Perfectly marred skin;

With you all, as I always say,

Together,

We can only win.

--TBJ (11/14/15)

You say we feign;

Time and again,

You reign,

See *us* as the banes,

Inflame,

Inflict pain,

Have no shame,

All a game;

Hatred untamed,

Selfishly full of disdain,

"No truth to facts," you complain,

"There's no such thing as rain."

Continued denial;

Barbarism,

Locking our country;

Binding ethics w/chains,

"What advantages?"

You try to deny,

Not wanting to give them up, share

Your right to mediocrity

That unless accepted as perfection,

Quickly becomes "unfair"

For renaming yours as the real

The completion of your deal.

--TBJ (11/14/16)

Like a Braille that tells a tale,

The stucco signifies. 

Dot Dot Dot

Dash Dash Dash

Dot Dot Dot

Valleys, dunes, tundras, reefs,

The flagship forays. 

Dot Dot Dot

Dash Dash Dash

Dot Dot Dot

Bygones of bigotry and biased,

Built borders betray 

Dot Dot Dot

Dash Dash Dash

Dot Dot Dot

Weighted words and walls,

In excess, democracy falls. 

Dot Dot Dot

Dash Dash Dash

Dot Dot Dot. 

     --TBJ (11/14/16)

She runs,

Trickles of the stamp of

Summer,

Watermelon

Pure & simple

Glancing her tastebuds.

Springtime

Touches of festivity charge the air

Slightly humid hide & seek

Ocean, pool water tracked about

By tiny little feet

Sprouting reminiscence

Of a face-cleansing towelette

Everyone together, cackling and chatting,

She's amenable to bbq induced sweat

Currency of memory

Priced above all

She's well versed in knowing its one of the last things left

When all else falls

Build it up

Replay to viral video extremes, decoding, encoding, priming,

Ensuring her mind will be readied

Whenever in need

Summer love,

The video, featuring

Her & the whole gang of good-time lovers

It will play

From the projector of her heart,

All day if it must,

onto her mind's big screen

From dawn well thru dusk

A fragile package with ornaments,

No,

Differences unite

There are no struggles

No things able to prevent

Her inner-driven fun fueled fight

You may see a gaze,

Seeming absence or exhaustion

But this summer lovin one,

She's filming every tick

Soaking up the simple things

Ready for the colder days,

Trying on the feelings of others

When the storms come

She'll be Basking in the glorious sun

Knowing we are all in it together,

A block party of the world,

Loving, living with our sisters & brothers.

(TBJ 05/27/15)

Soaring

a glitter vial,

Vexing

stylish cycles,

Spreading

a widening tunnel

Behind,

crossing the sky.

Eye-Black

an epiphany storm

Higher

inverted cyclone

Climbing

electric flurry

Slowing

the awe of magic

Feeling

victory mounted

Glitter

the limitless cloaked

Glimpsing

essence of eternity

Grasping

backless night blue

Seeing

diamond clarity

Knowing

spirit in tune

Breaking

string of the sonata

Moonless

Back down here

Dealing

grounds of near & dear

Over

worldly engine turned

Strolling

chance a glance up

Questioning

where's the next tier?

Slamming

eyes shut

Basting

cheeks glowing heat

Accepting

thoughts agreed,

Integrated

gently blinking,

Pleased

Lolling

athought inlet

Breaching

the glorious sea

Integrated

effort unlocks ability

Symbiosis,

both calm & glee

Gleaming

peaceful, home free.

--(TBJ 05/27/16)