Rooms II

Rooms II

By. MJB

The Transitive Property

When you move out of an apartment, 

you stand amidst the blank walls for a moment.

Your breath seems to echo

off a blank slate

full of memories.

and you wonder if maybe 

rooms are only what you fill them with.

And then you wonder

if perhaps life 

is just a collection of rooms.

Candles Through The Door

A few months ago

the sanctuary

(where I was baptised)

saw me not as a babe,

but as a nauseous remnant

of the night before.

A lost sheep–  

with one large headache 

and several regrets–

I wandered inside.

The pastor preached on the prodigal son,

and my sanctuary still opened her doors,

and God took me as I was.

Exhibit Love

In a little cabana

at the local zoo,

next to the koi fish,

you touched my back

“You’re ok” you said,

absent mindedly flattening your palm

to the fleshy spot between my shoulder blades.

The spot that always aches, and holds an extra knot of stress. 

The spot only exposed by a strappy top 

on a summer day.

I felt a swell in my throat,

a prick at my eyes,

and I exhaled. 

Then I laughed,

letting go of something old

that wasn’t mine to carry anymore.

I made a comment 

about red pandas,

trying not to look you in the eyes,

afraid that if I did, 

I’d fall faster 

than 

I meant 

to.

Circles

If you lose your direction,

sit down.

Close your eyes.

You are traveling around the sun.

Do you feel it?

Feel it.

The ground,

the warmth,

the breeze,

and the motion of it all.

And while your eyes are closed,

you just might fall asleep.

This is good.

Because while you’re asleep,

you’ll dream.

And when you wake,

you will still have that dream.

And there 

is your direction.