Baggage Allowance

Here are the requirements for entering this cabin
No more than the minimal amount of baggage
Cabin is sensitive; it cannot take too much weight,
It must be able to sustain balance, you understand.
Excess baggage must be checked elsewhere
If you insist on bringing on more, it'll cost you dear.
Please keep your voice down; keep the peace.
Avoid carrying any potentially dangerous items-
We will confiscate - don't complain.
Take what you need to pass the time-
We'll provide entertainment, but there's a limit.
If you're handicapped or have dietary requirements,
We can handle it - but do let us know in advance.
As for liquid matter, we have measurements,
But it's best left behind.

Thanks for choosing us - enjoy the ride.

Fresh Air

I leapt blithely into a rude awakening,
The way one sighs happily when resting in newly cleaned sheets
And wakes up in a sweat after a troubling dream.
Another week of unsolicited disturbances,
I tried to shut the door on your pretty speeches
But you stuck your foot in, and, like a clumsily scribbled tale,
Someone had to bring you back your orphaned shoe.
Instead of flinging it in your face, I handled it gently.
Didn't go as far as polishing, but, swallowing my bile,
I presented the clunky shoe to your open hands.
Then without even looking me in the eye,
You turned your heels, and all was silent again.
But the scent of your shoe's interior lingers.
Time to open the windows again, let in the fresh air.

The Battle of Early Winter

The cold has got me beat, for now:
Placed me under house arrest,
Doomed to domesticity,
Helpless to hibernation.
Someday I shall brave it:
Wearing ten layers of armor,
I will bear it all! I will
Go any way my boots direct.
Until that triumphant day
I have tactically retreated indoors
Compelled to coziness -
But not entirely defeated.

Vortex

I swing back and forth, almost dizzy
Pointing inward and sometimes forth, outstretched, ready to pounce
Then retreat into fetal position until I'm bored
Obsessed over words, perplexed over silence, depressed over chocolate
Pacing, then frozen, thrusting at points of vanity
Unable to accept, both sides lack reality
Sleep has fled; now this is expected.
And I'm just too lazy to cry.

Three

By Appointment Only

Slivers of time is all I get,
Fit me in between here and there.
There's no space for spontaneity,
Can't explore the possibilities,
Let's just see what's down the next road:
Sorry, I believe our time is up.
Maybe I'll see you again sometime,
As long as it's not anytime.



The Idea!

Sometimes I still consider it.
How absolutely silly of me
To contemplate the impossible, the ridiculous, the tried-and-untrue,
The one-sided fantasy.
To persist in something
Never worth the time's effort
Never mind my heart!
As if a tearing of time
Could have rendered a reality;
It's only pathetic.
Pleading with the incompetent;
All too laughable
And yet, I speculate.


Ode to Migraines

Give it a few days, it will pass
It seems nowadays that the months go so fast.
Cannot move, can't sit still
Wonder if I should take another pill.
Bagpipes buzzing in my skull
Pain is throbbing, never dull
All that I love can act as a trigger!
Prying my eyes open takes extra rigor.
Bring me some ice, turn out the lights,
It's time once again for a losing fight.

Eight

Sit and Wait

When finally time has passed through waiting patiently for time to pass,
We are rewarded with an answer to the questions we have asked
And with the questions' answers follow more questions to make us wonder
Where satisfaction only leads to more frustrated longing
And the wide roads turn into a maze of side streets and tunnels.
When our eyes become focused while the sun begins to set
And finally we reach the height of our aspirations
But cannot look around because we are afraid to fall,
So we sit and wait for time to pass.



Downpour

The rain is falling, becomes a downpour
Drops are striking me, stinging my eyes
But only my eyes, the rest of me is dry
I stumble as I walk into a puddle
And as of yet, my feet are not wet
The air is thick, my path blurred with fog
Streams slip under the cracks in the pavement.
Then I see myself, shining in a pool
I smile, the reflection does not move
Instead it is immersed forever, and
I am parched as I stand watching.




Waste of Three Bucks

My pretty yellow flower - why does it fall?
Maybe I put it too close to the wall -
Could it be my little lamp won't suffice:
Or because at the florist's it cost a small price?



After Hours

Forcibly removing myself from the eyes
Marking every step in the reverse
Pouring my heart out in distilled emptiness
Sniffing out new territory in my mind
Blue pockets of light, lay down in peace
Why be concerned at this hour?



Sometimes It Rhymes

And it must all end soon,
Always despairing - where is triumph?
Fittingly sitting there, staring ahead.
Barely noticing the minutes pass by-
A portion of hope is eaten by lies,
Acid devouring the slightest new smile.
Sighing now, past all the tears
Envisioning pain for over ten years
Maybe it will all end soon - or now.



Procrastination

Pressure keeps mounting on me
Like a heavy weight I cannot lift.
It is not a huge boulder that I carry
But hundreds of little bricks.One by one they get heavier
The only way to free myself is to toss them
Off me one by one and I will feel better
But I hesitate, because if I throw the wrong one
They may all tumble down painfully.
So I lay here thinking about which one to rid myself of -
And they keep growing heavier.



Insomnia

I only wish I'd fall asleep
And let the earth spin by itself
Instead of dreaming with open eyes
And crying out in silence.
Images floating all around
Slapping my face in maddening frenzy
There is no light in sight.
But before long - inevitably, untimely,
Except to most everyone.




You have come to me in tears,
But you weren't there when I was crying.
And you have lied for all these years,
I think my hope for you is dying.
I've opened up my doors for you,
But only found a wall inside.
Weakness does not flatter you
And now you've got no place to hide.

I'm sick of all the games you've played
The pain you've caused, the emptiness.
It should happen to you instead
You don't deserve any happiness.
So walk the path that you have chosen
Hope you don't fall flat on your face.
One day from your dream world you'll have awoken
You're going nowhere in any case.