The Archive.

Solitary and magnificent among

the modern tombs nearby,

an ageless Victorian stands

forgotten.

Beyond its open iron gates

light shines through the windows like a beacon calling the lost in.

But with each passerby marveling in

the neighboring, generic, gentrified shacks...

the luminescence wanes.

The man approaches the gates

on a warm afternoon,

pulled by the heartbeat

emanating from within.

He steps forward

drawn by the beauty

entranced by the glow

invited without expression.

A gentle power exuding from within.

His heart pounding.

Curiosity piquing.

Inside he went.

Warm it was, but also cold.

Somewhere drums beat,

softly,

as if for war.

Love was depicted

in the misunderstood art,

Rainbows refracting

from deeply hued crystals.

The rooms hummed with

what had been,

and what had never stayed.

Loneliness clung to the walls like lichen,

Pain was meticulously hidden

beneath the carpets

and behind the drapes,

everything polished,

and precisely placed.

He climbed the stairs for a clue.

A breeze blew through smelling of citrus, mint, and sensuality.

Beyond the doors he will not know,

For they are locked, even to themselves.

One cannot show a house

that doesn't want to be shown.

So it carries on,

drowning in a sea of contemporary concrete—

Unknown, forgotten,

in magnificent solitude.

With my eyes closed

(Sounds of Thunder)

like an opus

from the angels

I heard Your voice,

but did not see

the light from which

it was birthed.

As I lay dehydrated

in the rain

not absorbing a drop—

finally I gazed into Your eyes

followed by

(Sounds of Thunder)

Flash

Once again our eyes met—

Lightning in a storm

sparking life

into what I thought

was a used up soul.

(Sounds of Thunder)

Could it be

You were whispering to me?

With each word lilting,

encouraging new growth

like a monsoon to the desert,

painting it anew.

After blooming to life,

Your touch spreading my seed

we walked hand in hand

for a moment

giddy with release.

What I thought was

the start

of love once again,

quickly became

one last touch,

and holding Your eyes

(Sounds of Thunder)

You disappeared

into the night.

I sat and I waited,

for a sign of Your sound,

but quickly I wilted.

Wishing for a murmur

or

breath

or

(Sound of Thunder)

(Sound of Thunder)

Could it be?

No. It's a new place

a new time.

I look up from

the ground

disbelief in my heart,

in blows a gale,

and with it

Your storm.

FLASH

(Sound of Thunder)

I've been struck once again.

Our eyes become gridlocked,

suspended in time

And I know now

all are fools

who tell you

lightning doesn't strike

twice.

(Sound of Thunder)

A field of sunflowers,

Like golden fingers reaching

Towards the heavens.

Stalks like stallion legs,

Never to be broken down.

Each petal as radiant as the next,

Inviting all who encounter

To revel in their beauty.

For each onlooker to relish,

Willfully blind—

None knew of the chaos

The history

The war

That once filled this magnificent field.

These roots feed off a land

So soaked with pain,

That showering it with their flowers' beauty,

Was balance.

My core came alive,

That I thought was now dead—

As like the dormant volcano on a planet

You woke me up

With each word you said.

For a moment we swirled,

Tails mixing in space

Creating a super nova one could see

From anywhere

With nothing but grace.

We swirled and we danced

Never missing a beat,

It's as if we were born from the same dust

And finally came to meet.

But as life goes,

The dance ended on beat

You went on in your trail

Of all of the colors

I forgot were my need.

I longed and yearned

For another moment to dance

In our celestial light

Just being.

As I shot on through the galaxy,

alive once again—

I won't ever forget that other stars

When right,

Can create the most brilliant displays

Of color.

We stumbled upon a bag of money,

So we took it and ran.

I'd never felt so lucky,

I knew this would change my life's hand.

The happiness it could bring,

The memories it could help create,

I would let this money help forever

Elevate our state.

We could have the life we wanted

We could share it all

Together we could be a home

Full of love, and strength,

And backed by this financial security

It would never fall.

But then the thieves

To whom the money belonged

Started chasing us down

Hunting, searching,

Trying to pry my new found dreams

From our grasp.

So my new life vision

Would be left to drown.

All of a sudden I was running

By myself.

Still holding on with all of my strength,

Unwilling to let go

Of this dream that filled my heart

Still burning with the tiniest of hope.

Tired and out of breath,

I kept trying to find new places to hide.

Albeit by myself,

These hopes and this future

Just had to be mine.

He would return and

We'd meet up again.

But first I just had to hide from the thieves

In order to win.

Finally worn from the pursuit,

I was left out in the open.

No energy left,

and completely stripped bare,

The thieves cornered me in,

And stole back what was theirs.

I crawled on my knees

Trying to go after it once more.

Then I realized

I had nothing left to give,

For something that wasn't even mine

To begin with.

The walls are as thick as the mantle.

With the strength of diamonds

And the capacity of the universe,

Holding everything you know

And everything you cherish,

Creating love and hate,

Violence and peace,

It can destroy you,

Or make you.

As you grow,

The matter contained within

Expands. It presses hard against

These fortress walls, wanting

More than anything to be released.

The pressure is forceful

Wanting to break free.

It screams loudly, and pounds

Against the sides. Slowly,

But surely it gets ignored.

The gates to this fortress are made

Of gold and precious stones. They are

Hand carved from marble and agates, all

Onlookers stare in awe. Each person

Full of jealousy, would love to get their

Hands on something so beautiful, so

Full of life.

Little do the impressions give to show

The dwindling flame inside. The flame to

Which there is no essence, no heat, no

Light. The flame which will flare up when

Given fuel, but quickly dies down to nothing but

A small spark. A spark with nothing more

To give, nothing more to gain.

There is no escaping, no salvage,

And no way to ignore. The walls are

Impenetrable, the walls give no lenience.

The walls just are, only the essence, the heat,

And the light of another can make the spark

Inside become a roaring blaze once more.

To love the first time,

Is to learn to love for the other;

To love a second time,

Is to learn to love for yourself;

And if you're lucky,

You get to love a third time;

And this time,

You get to simply love.