The Bleeding Heart
Your words
slip in
to touch my soul
and the ache
of tight knots
unfurls
bringing tears
to my eyes
that wash clean
the lingering cling
of pain
and help
my bleeding heart
begin to heal
Gideon’s Challenge
Gideon’s Challenge
Home Coming
A welcome home
comes
in the chirrup
and meow
of a little voice
as tiny feet
stomp
on carpeted floors
to exclaim
displeasure
even as the rub
of sleek fur
against ankles
speaks the words
“I missed you so much”
over and over
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
Beltane Is Coming
New tips
in delicate hues of
sweet and tender
green
reach for a kiss
of sunlight
while being
coated
in raindrops
like a sacred bath
before the ritual
of Beltane’s fires
begin
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
The Shell
Solid and strong
I slip from tender
to flexed and knotted
in a matter
of moments
and yet the path
back to tender
and vulnerable
takes so much longer
as falling apart
is far more difficult
than holding it together
and pretending that
everything is okay
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
Coming Home
A warm welcome
as arms open
and the words
“C’mere”
welcome me home
into the sweet sanctuary
of your embrace
and the knots within
begin to untangle
and relax
as I breathe you in
and gentle kisses
soothe
the chaos
hidden in my soul
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
My Summer Sun
It is with you
I find my peace
as your lips
brush my skin
and your arms coil
tight I am finally able
to take a breath
and let the knots
release
for you ease my soul
like the breeze
eases soft and warm
through the leaves
of summer trees
Twisting the Leaf 