Rainy Day Hike
Raindrops
kiss skin
flushed with color
as soles splash
through puddles
squishy with mud
and the path
winds on
through the trees
as water drips
my hair
to tease cool
rivulets
along my nape
poetry
Gideon’s Challenge
The Anticipation
Lie back
and let me offer
to you
a temptation
of parted lips
quiet pants
as dark eyes
lift to light
and all the
little flaws
that paint my flesh
are exposed
for you
to explore
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
Still Climbing
Days
run together
and look the same
even as spring buds
and shifting seasons
should make each day
unique
and different
and yet
the struggle
to find the differences
is far harder
than
it should be
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
The Kiss
“Open,” he says.
and lips part
on command
to welcome in
the heat and hunger
that makes cheeks
blush
and blood thrum
like thunder
in the veins
as skin flushes
with hues of pink
and quiet sighs
turn into more
as intensity
begins to build
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
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
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
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
Twisting the Leaf 