A Whisper

when she was just a whisper in the womb she could hear her mother screaming

screams that would echo forever within her soul

those sounds that sometimes even fought

their way past the thin line of her small mouth

child-lips held determinedly closed beneath

sad brown eyes that saw sights no child should see

fearful of all those around her

her little voice spoke empty words to justify the sorrow

and those eyes yearned to soften their focus and carry her away from fear

at least for awhile

now at night all these years later she sees what was once a blur

through tears that have waited years to make the journey

down the face of a woman-child to whom innocence

could never be more than lines on a page or a word that once

hung briefly in the cold night air.

That Which Cannot Be Named

That Which Cannot Be Named

Consumed by wanting,

Although for exactly what, I am uncertain.

Maybe its’ just a craving for life,

A need to feel truly alive.

I feel as if a wild animal exists inside of me,

Scratching and screaming,

Trying to claw its’ way out.

It’s called passion, but sometimes it’s more like poison.

It makes me restless,

As one confined in a cage,

With just enough space to pace,

Back  and forth,

Along the bars, waiting for a chance,

To escape.

I know that it will come,

That day I will run free,

But not until I find the words,

To tame, what has no name.

Only then will there be peace

And an end to its torturing plea.

It’s like a lion,

Roaring in the dark void of my mind.

My soul is beckoning me to find it,

Calling me into myself,

Daring me to search for the meaning

Of my existence.

Challenging me to define it.

It is a living fire within me,

One that can no longer be extinguished,

And I am being incinerated,

By its’ tempestuous flames.

The only time I get relief from its’ wrath,

Is when I am with you,

In your  presence, my soul feels at ease,

And the feeling disappears.

I become anxious at the thought of leaving you,

Knowing, that shortly, like a familiar friend

It will return,

And I will feel as if I’m being eaten alive,

By this ravenous hunger.

With you, I want to do all those things,

Imagined, but not yet said.

I want to turn my animal loose on you,

Not holding back anything.

If you let me come close enough,

Will I burn you with these scorching flames?

Am I brave enough to quell this beast within me?

Are you?