Shield Removal
Embrace me
gently
with light touches
of fingertips
and lips
while my shell
peels away
a little
at a time
and we find
the true me
hiding
vulnerable inside
waiting
for you
Gideon’s Challenge
Gideon’s Challenge
Winter Sky
Winter is dark
with dry fields
of brown and gold
and forests
gone to darkness
in a spill
of shadows
while the sky
stretches full
with clouds
that decide
the fate
of all below
on a whim
and a breeze
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
Yours
You melt me
with your
hungry glances
and
possessive touch
that warms
the blood
and leaves
me aching
for more
as the world
falls away
until there is
nothing
but you
and what you do
to me
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
Last Cold Days
Crisp cold
but no snow
only blue skies
and the promise
of ice
where the sun
doesn’t shine
as winter
stretches
just a little deeper
and everything
sleeps
just a bit longer
and the promise
of spring
is only a whisper
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
The Waterfall
Lets dance
like the world
has left us
alone
in a field
of flowers
carefree
and laughing
as we splash
into each other
over and again
until merging
together
in the pool
below
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
The Waiting Room
Patience comes
in fits and starts
as waiting
carries on
for what feels
like hours
and seconds
tick by
feeling like weeks
as people cough
and shift
in their seats
as heat rises
and we all look
for something
to focus on
than each other
Twisting the Leaf 