The tourniquet of twisted emotions

Part one, Empty

I am standing here in this desert,

Looking up at that piercing, unforgiving star.

I keep standing here, always feeling that deep sense of lonely around me,

Wondering where you are.

I have lived amongst this desert death so long I feel

Embedded in this landscape

That burning, greedy sun

Burning up my heart,

Getting it to appear like this gritty

Sand overflowing like water,

Eating at my skin,

Eating away at the dreams I have dared to dream.

I don’t exist, I have

Nothing in my lungs,

Nothing in my veins,

I’m

Empty,

Unlike even this desert I reside in,

Because I see even with no beauty or love or kindness, flowers can grow on a cactus,

But me, I grow nothing,

I’m

Nothing,

Yet,

I saw your hidden message,

Far away from here,

And it was of celestial waves, stars and dreamy galaxies, the Aurora’s beaming across our eyes—-

I try to imagine such a wonder,

But all I can see is black.

*****

Part two, Meshing, the tourniquet

You saw the hidden message, what did it say? You ask a question and I answer it and it’s like we’re writing notes in a poem written without earthly words.

I have water, it feels like nothing

You came

And made it tea,

Soothing

With the sun, it cured us

A burst of thunder hit me as I sipped it under your peaceful eye

No rain,

A burst of strange warmth fills me

And looking into you was like staring into the night sky

With hopes that came true

A world with me and you

Your starry eyes carried me to a new dream

A dream of earth and moon.

I was no longer afraid of the sun

I was ready to carry out my dreams

As you helped me see their worth

*****

Part three, Full

The sun welcome me as a guest at its table

No judgment

Just love is on its agenda

We sip tea and discuss life and it’s meaning

The true reason for living

And discovered it is love

And I’m warm

Internally

My heart beats warmness throughout me

A beautiful pull into destiny cause I’m caught up in your ecstasy

I’m full and my cup runneth over

And drips toward the earth as I sit in the heavens

Our love is as rain drops in a desert

Saturating emptiness

And creating fullness

Of cliches like blue skies and rainbows

And sunbeams in day dreams

There’s no empty

Just you and me.

****

Author’s note: this was my second collaboration with the versatile and talented writer Quinn Patrick.

We went off the prompt of two different feelings, full and empty, and what they meant to us. Quinn’s was full, mine was empty.

Please check out her profile to read her amazing poetry and stories today!

Thank you, Melissa Ingoldsby