Skip to content

Ink in the Blood Posts

Ashley

Ashley

in a month

she’ll be

what she

always wanted

to be

married

she turned 26

in July

and teaches

kids in the classroom

what they ought to know

when she was a little girl

she’d line up her dolls

on the couch

and pace in front of them

talking

telling them what to do

and they always listened to everything

she had to say

she had an amazing imagination

she could have been an actress

I could see her doing those Hallmark Christmas movies

but she’d rather have the real thing

to fall in love for real

to open her wedding gifts today

one step closer

to standing beside him

the love of her life

looking into his eyes

saying, “I do”

TL

The Prayer

The Prayer

it snowed

in Birmingham

today

it started falling fast

last Sunday

and now the ground

is frozen solid

and everything is winter white

and hushed

like when they bring

the baby out

for the mother

and the father

to hold

promises are made

in that moment

whispered like a prayer

that only God can hear

and even as the years

open and fold

and the baby changes form

becomes an adult

the parent prayer remains

ever wrapped in mortal flesh

the gift of time

is a clock on earth

that stops ticking

today or tomorrow

but in Heaven

time is a continuous thing

like a circle

… unbroken

TL

Under the Stars

Under the Stars

on the bridge

over the railroad tracks

in a tiny town I know

long lines of cars on the street

look like strands of twinkle lights

blinking white on a Christmas night

their red bulbs burning bright

leaving puffs of smoke in the air

and when they’ve all gone home

to their tree

I wonder of the street

stretched long

and all the steps that walk it

unlit

TL

Window Pane

Window Pane

in the tower

of stone

high upon

the ridge

sets the sunlight

laced in sheers

a spider left

hanging there

gauzy

in the square

like a veil

over the eye

softening

the view

TL

Self-Worth

Self-Worth

yesterday

a boy

called her

Mixed

last year

bullies called her a B

repeatedly

and she never flinched

but being called, Mixed

hit her in the heart

she’s gotten by thus far

without an uproar

‘cause she looks white

in any room

like all her white friends look

like how her Daddy looks

like how her grandparents look

like how her aunts and uncles and cousins look

but the kids at school know

how her Mother looks

and her Mother doesn’t look white

at all

so a simple walk from class to class

down the sidewalk

talking and laughing with a white boy

results in another white boy making fun of them

“Ew, she’s Mixed. You like a Mixed Asian …”

in that careless moment

her eyes were opened

and her world had changed in an instant

shifted somehow

her sense of belonging was tested

and she questioned her place in the world

her father and I already know how the world works

but she’s still learning hard lessons

in early chapters

I looked in her eyes and told her

whenever someone is mean to you

it’s a reflection of who they are

not who you are

so long as you know who you are

it shouldn’t matter what others think

but when you’re at a certain age

fitting-in is all that matters

the boy who walked and talked and laughed with her

stood up for her

against the other boy

when times get tough

you find out who your friends are

I just hope the best one

will always be

the one she finds

within herself

TL

Admitting is the First Step

Admitting is the First Step

I have a thing

for things

lots of things

apparently

I used to think

I didn’t

have a thing

for things

but things have

taken hold

and if I love it

forget it

I’ll take 10

it’s been

a gradual thing

this collection

of excess

this immersion

of stuff

I don’t like it

this feeling

of being taken

it’s a process

like most of life

to figure it out

the why of it

all

and make sense

of the what ifs

what if I didn’t

need that … anymore

what if I could just

let it go

give it away

set it by the road

even if it had a hold

I could jest let it go

right

WRONG

yeah, I’m shaking my head

no

as I’m looking at the things

all the pretty things on my desk

it’s a negative no

I wouldn’t say I’m a hoarder

I’ve watched those shows

but I look around

and realize

I have a lot of stuff

I really don’t need

but so much of it

I love

and as you get older

you tend to acquire

more of it

more of the stuff you love

things of beauty

are a weakness

things of comfort

even more

how many cardigans

does one person really need

A LOT

cardigans are like a safety blanket

like Linus, I like to feel secure at all times

wherever I go

wherever I am

‘cause ‘ya never know

how cold it could get

it could sleet

it could snow

it could ice over

be prepared for anything

and everything

TL

On the Eve of October

On the Eve of October

the shadows

are trembling

in the wind

as leaves twirl

to the ground

pass the pumpkins

on the sidewalk

footballs in the air

campers are rolling in

hunters are rolling out

boots and blue jeans

caramel and spice

hikers and bikers

wearing out the trail

like jeeps on the road

and golfers on the green

it’s getting cooler

in degrees

and the band

is playing

something upbeat

to drown out

the loss

TL

At the Bottom of a Sole

At the Bottom of a Sole

on the outside

looking in

I guess it depends

on the view

on how you view things

at the window

complex things

internally and externally

that affect the world

the world view

it can feel overwhelming

what’s at stake

too much on the table

too many fingers pointing

outward

there is a forgetting

when lines are drawn

and shields go up

basic things

get scattered

and everywhere you look

a mess

the mind shifts away

from early lessons

first steps

in the soles of another

how can you know

how it feels

if you’ve never worn heels

or boots

or moccasins

or patent leather

or plastic holes

or sequin slippers

or flops

or flats

or tracks

or sandals

or suede

or fins

or wedges

or steel toe

or combat

or tactical

or uniform

or casts

or surgical socks

or second-hand

or bags

or bandage

or bare

it’s hard to judge

a life

you’ve never stepped

a foot in

so why do we do

standing ignorant

in our own

set of shoes

TL

Deer

Deer

late on the green

putted ‘til the sun went down

‘til the cups faded into the field

Hogan’s quote about daylight

thinking how true

it ‘twas

as I headed home

in the dark

down

a

long

and

winding

road

feeling

relaxed

and

re-charged

when

out

of

the

dark

a

flash

of

light

hits

a

baby

deer

limping

fast

toward

me

I

swerve

left

to

miss

him

and

it

musta

startled

him

‘cause

he

fell

down

on

the

road

just

like

Bambi

did

on

the

ice

but

he

musta

got

right

back

up

‘cause

I

never

saw

his

body

any

where

on

the

road

or

the

side

of

the

road

I

never

saw

him

any

where

on

that

long

and

winding

road

but

I

see

him

in

the

dark

limping

fast

toward

me

TL

In the Middle of

In the Middle of

there was

an apple on the desk

uneaten

there were tickets in the drawer

unused

there was an appointment on the books

unmade

there was a project in three phases

unphased

there were messages left on the phone

unreturned

there were stacks of mail in the box

unopened

there was packaged lunch in the frig

unpackaged

there were endless emails

unclicked

there were papers and files and faxes

unread

there were books on break

unturned

there was a sentence in a line

unfinished

there were flowers in a vase

untaken

there were things, so many things left

undone

there was the goodbye

the abrupt goodbye

so final

so surreal

unaccepted

TL

The Little Prince*

The Little Prince*

in my time

i have read

a bit

of books

and re-read

stacks

that took

a hold

and it’s

interesting how

a

small

slim

bit of

a book

written so well

and illustrated

so close

can perhaps be

the biggest book

one ever reads

or re-reads

TL

Perfection

Perfection

if you

really love

a rose

everything about it

then let it

be beautiful

as it was

don’t tear the stem

out of the ground

and stick it in a vase

and put it in a room

and wonder why

it never bloomed

when it could have been

so beautiful

had it come back

year after year

TL

Quiet Morning

Quiet Morning

a little bird

with a blue tail

came in for a landing

on a patch of grass

I was staring hard at

the little bird

just stood there

staring up at me

with a tilted head

and then it flew up

from the grass

to the top of the stone

first to the left

it perched

then flew over to the right

and perched

then it took off

for the horizon

TL

No Beginning No End

No Beginning No End

inside

the circle

of grief

there are

grains

that never

f

a

l

l

and you sit

in all this sand

the ocean in your eyes

a day becomes

the rest of it

and you can’t explain

why

you weren’t there

when your body sat in the seat

and stood up

and walked around

that first year

you adjust to the silence

pick through the memories

stare at the photograph

love is a living thing

circular

TL

Worth It

Worth It

to have a

sense of self

of self-worth

is something

some nurtured

in childhood

with the right care

and consideration

daily affirmation

but not all children

grow up that way

in the warmth of the sun

some are left fighting for it

in the dark

and only find it

much latter in life

while others struggle

their whole life

in an on-going cycle

of inner unrest

the evidence is massive

prisons are overrun with it

suicides are at an all-time high

drug-overdoses are not just hard-core stuff

but an addiction to painkillers

obesity is taking over more than the body

alcohol addiction is not a cure for pain

but an excuse to escape

social media is messing with young minds

women and men are paralyzed in abusive relationships

that affect their children

long-term

abusive parents scar their children for life

physical abuse can heal over time

but emotional abuse is something else

young people are running away from abusive homes

and ending up on dead-end streets

in the worst way

it can affect

the sense of self

of self-worth

it’s easier to repeat a pattern

than create something entirely new

it’s easier to give up

to just give up

it’s easier to fill the emptiness

with drugs

with alcohol

with sex

with food

with stuff

it’s easier to bully behind a screen

and support human degradation

it’s easier to stay in an unhealthy relationship

than to believe you deserve better

it’s easier to put your pain on someone else

than to examine the root cause

of it

it’s easier to stay the same way

than to change

it’s harder to change

it requires more

of the self

the inner self

that’s constantly searching

for worth in the world

in worldly things

but can only be found

within

that’s where real change

begins

there is always a choice

in the darkest moment

of your life

you’re given a choice

to either change

or remain the same

TL

Unplanned

Unplanned

in the after

noon

there’s a party

unplanned

that everybody’s

invited to

and without

prompting

or promise

they bring gifts

to the party

unplanned

like laughter

that follows

a Frisbee

it’s everywhere

the boy with the ball

the girl with her boyfriend

the guy with his cooler

the woman with her book

the toddler but a blur

the old man in his chair

the old lady with her shells

the teenagers with their music

the joggers and the surfers and the peddlers

the snorkelers and the gliders

the parachutes and the planes

the boats and the kayaks

the fishermen and the fisherwomen

the castle builders and the castle crashers

the sunbathers and the shaders

the photographers and the posers

the volleyballs and the footballs

the kites and the pails

the cold drinks and the finger food

dripping dogs and snow cones

the smell of coconut

and seaweed

and somebody’s cigarette

drifting toward the pink clouds

overhead

outdistanced by the sun

over the sea

going

going

going

going

going

going

g

o

n

e

TL

Saltwater

Saltwater

with the sun

still low

i walked

away

down

the shore

line

watching waves

roll in

and listening to them

sink

against the sand

then quiet

they crawl

back into

the blue

TL