Sometimes its hard to keep the tears

from overflowing at the seams, spilling over

the sides, cascading down into the lakes within

the soul, pooling in crystal silver lakes,

the bases clogged with muddied footprints

of beasts not of this world. Strange keens of

nostalgic notes, homely smells, cooking; it all

sinks into the tissues of the earth, deep

down and deeper still, the moist, dark earth

opening its arms wide, to receive all that

battles upon its surface, blood spilled, spirits

crushed beneath the blazing sun, falling

to its knees, lifting its head back to

howl, howl, and howl, a call to the wild, to

kin, friend and foe, the heat buzzing, twisting

in the shadows of the trees, the view amongst

the needles a breathtaking sanctuary, unattainable

but within grasp, where a snow white doe lowers

its beautiful head to drink from the pool of starlight,

sunk into the earth, reflecting the heavens,

the galaxies upon skin, upon hair, within eyes, eyes

of the most precious gems, softly closing as the sun

reaches its fingers over the ledge of the world,

inching forward, slicing the darkness in clean, straight

lines, imprinting a portrait of a striking landscape,

caught in the flashes of dew drops, evaporating en masse.