we are

etched deep in my heart

 is everything that we are

indelible love

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

there on time

the view is different 

depending where you sit 

on the passenger side

or behind the wheel 

no longer content 

or enjoying the view

I'm switching seats 

and I'm gonna steer 

I couldn't be sure 

of the roads we traveled 

it all looked close

in the rear view mirror 

we'll get there quicker 

I know the right way 

I don't need a map 

for where we're heading

 

so buckle up baby

and enjoy the ride 

no side seat driving

or bitchin' allowed

enjoy the music or

you can sing along

baby, I'll get us there 

right on time 

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

wrapped in warmth

night is almost over 

I watch the sun rise 

painting its way 

across the desert sky 

watching with my coffee 

and thinking of you 

wondering if you're watching 

and thinking of me too 

these nights I spend 

here all by myself

thinking about some things

that now lay shelved

nothing that has to do 

with parts of us at all

mostly thinking about 

how you broke my fall

the wind starts to blow

with its sweet breath 

last nights rain 

goes back where it is kept 

those all around me 

are still fast asleep

I'm wrapped in this warmth 

that you've given me 

night is almost over 

and I watch the sun rise 

painting its way 

across the desert sky 

watching with my coffee 

and thinking of you 

wondering if you're watching 

and thinking of me too

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

windows

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

never after this

my poetry was simple
mostly rhyming, wordy
it held meaning for me
my release
from sadness and my quest

I knew you couldn't save me
you were drowning yourself
I held high hopes
always dashed
He knew the reason

life holds many surprises
my future behind door three
this kind of love
never before
never after this

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

you...

You....fill every nook and cranny...

all the tiny spaces, expanses...

spots that I didn't know were empty...

overflow....


love...fills my life...

bubbling inside, oozing from my pores,...

spilling like sweet wine from my

lips...

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

math

moves; calculated
math was never your forte'
and so you blew it

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

yep!

the camo outside
hides lacy interior
that's rght, I'm all girl

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

meant to be

not one moment, did I doubt
I knew you were out there somewhere
there were those who told me
who I should love
tried to convince me
I wasn't buying it

one day, you were there
my heart said
"this is the one"
so secure were you
in all that you are
searching, also

so--we write a new story
one of brilliance and sun
of past days of rain and gloom
love failed us then
for a good reason
because we are meant to be

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

flawed

I know I am flawed
only a liar thinks they are not
but...
in your eyes,
I am beautiful,
perfection
it is love
that portrays me
this way

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

it sucks!

cortisone in my knee
and in my shoulder too
my joints all creak and moan
my jaw hurts when I chew
I thought that I was special
took good care with my health
it doesn't make a difference
if you're poor or you have wealth

when I was so much younger
I used to jump and run
played outside for hours
always so much fun
but now it really sucks
to hear my Doctor say
you just can't do those things
you did in younger days

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

the end of the game

Why ask the sage? 

Why pray to the heavens? 

Why seek the answers? 

You are just not saying 

Nothing is worse 

Than not believing 

Where is the faith? 

Without the deceiving 

The moon cycle changes 

The stars are the same 

The night sky is dark 

At the end of the game

  Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

is that too much?

I've quit you before, 

tried to stay away 

something draws me back 

like a fly to web 

I just get stuck 

and I can't stay away

ready for more hurt

ready for the pain

can you give me a hug, 

is that too much? 

can you kiss me long, 

is that pushing it? 

can you look at me 

like I'm all you want? 

hey there baby, 

can you loan me some love? 

I remember way back, 

how it all started out

I thought we were on 

the road to true love

didn't see the warnings, 

couldn't read the signs 

I thought I was yours 

and that you were mine 

somehow it just 

got twisted and bent 

soon there was nothing 

for you to relent 

you turned left 

and I went straight 

what we missed 

is a crying shame 

I've quit you before, 

tried to stay away 

something draws me back 

like a fly to web 

I just get stuck 

and I can't stay away

ready for more hurt

ready for the pain

can you give me a hug, 

is that too much? 

can you kiss me long, 

is that pushing it? 

can you look at me like 

I'm all you want? 

hey there baby, 

can you loan me some love? 

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

parking

let's go parking in the desert
you know that you want to
open up the moon-roof
and neck like a couple of fools

a million stars overhead
a full moon lights the sky
it's just a little cramped
that's why these seats slide

let's pretend that we are teens
I leave a mark on your neck
you'll need to wear high collars
oh but what the heck

let's pop in a cd
and listen to some tunes
while you are kissing on me
I'll be kissing on you

we'll have to keep one eye open
to watch out for cop cars
they shouldn't be looking for parkers
but rousting drunks in bars

ouch, my leg is hurting
it hit the steering wheel
your back is almost breaking
but honey, you make me squeal

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

paper rain

paper rain a confetti parade
falling around, littering the ground
you think you see clearly
in the eye of this storm
the things that you can't see
and one of them is me

thunder crashes, not shaking your calm
deafening your ears, so you can't hear
the sound of your voice
this storm that rages on
the things that you can't hear
and one of them is me

a lightning flash that starts your fire
burning your soul, spirit sprayed with holes
ash settles to your feet
you will never admit defeat
as you leave old ties behind
one of them is me

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

I

I see You in the mountains
I feel You in the breeze
I taste You in the raindrops
I smell Your sweetness in the flowers
I hear the sound of You in thunder
I sense that You are near

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

a dream come true

a constant craving 

my blood racing 

our hearts pounding

it's astounding 

what I'm feeling

keeps me reeling 

a dream come true 

when I met you 

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

tattoo

yeah, I've got ink no one can see 

hidden down deep inside of me 

not across my back or on my arm 

it's your love tattooed on my heart 

didn't go to a parlor and have it etched 

I don't need ink cause I can't forget 

the way we are...or the way we feel

I don't need ink cause this is real 

you know it's there as I'm riding the legend 

you can feel it's smooth, soft, deep, deep edges 

it's not apparent--this invisible ink 

but you put it there inside of me 

yeah, I've got ink no one can see 

hidden down deep inside of me 

not across my back or on my arm 

it's your love tattooed on my heart 

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

just one look

just one look is all it takes

blue sky eyes into ones of sea green  

I feel the spark--the intensity 

the fresh breath of love 

breathing life into me 

there is nothing more I could want 

nothing more I could ever need 

goosebumps form without a chill 

a touch brings heat from deep within 

I feel the spark--the intensity the fresh 

breath of love breathing life into me

through a door left slightly ajar 

bolted from the inside 

once you enter 

I feel the spark--the intensity the 

fresh breath of love 

breathing life into me 

There is nothing more I could want 

nothing more I could ever need 

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

symmetry

in the symmetry of mountain ranges 

the poetry of a cloudless sky 

the lyric of the nightingale

the song of the sage 

the dance of drifting tumbleweeds 

I see God's grace 

I am at peace

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

swells

on the outside, all looks fine
no one sees the things I hide
walled off deep within my heart
is a darkness set apart

I know all that I have done
buried baggage that would stun
would you think the same of me?
undertow sweeps inside my sea

moon predicts the sudden swells
washing sands with seaweed smell
once again, my beach is smooth
not at all to do with you

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

in the end

in the end, you weren't any stronger
in fact, the last time we met
the opposite happened
I grew stronger, more in control
you, a distant beacon
once glowing brightly
now--dim

what little you learned of me
wouldn't fill a thimble
and every time I told you
you said hmmm, "I don't think that's true"
but it was..
not the way we connected
you said

I set a new course, one just for me
and every footstep away from you
made me more sure
after all I had thought
that my future would hold...
wasn't even close to what I got

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

aging

I walked room to room
forgetting what I needed
aging sucks big time!

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

truly blessed

don't know how I got so lucky
I am truly blessed
you said I was a keeper

discarding all the rest
heaven smiles upon us
the full moon shines above
stars twinkle in the nighttime sky
because I am your love

the rains are just a sprinkle
the sun is bright and warm
the rainbows are more brilliant
because of all your charms
in your embrace I'm happy
the kisses never end
the flowers smell so fragrant
on you I can depend


Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

Let's

let’s cozy up on the love seat 

sit and talk a while 

asking unanswered questions 

exploring who we are

let’s find out all the secrets 

share deepest thoughts and fears 

telling childhood traumas 

the juncture that landed us here 

let’s share the funny stories 

one’s that others don’t know 

it’s been so long since we talked this way 

it’s the you I want to know 

let’s talk into the evening 

till there’s nothing left to tell 

the hours spent together 

drawing us closer still

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

What I Need

I had forgotten 

What it was like 

To be put first 

Till you 

You worry about me 

Am I doing ok 

How is my day going 

Am I taking care of myself 

You are cautious 

Careful of my feelings 

Careful of my space 

Careful of rushing me 

You are sincere 

You want to know all about me 

You ask the right questions 

You remember the answers 

This can work 

This is what I need 

This you understand 

This could finally be it

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

magician

my heart bleeds before you 

you do not see 

or choose to overlook; 

oblivious to my wounds 

how can you be so blind? 

how can you be so detached? 

how could I have been such a fool? 

smoke and mirrors 

sleight of hand, 

a magician twisting my fate

I stumble out of the darkness 

of this relationship 

into the blinding light of day 

the fog clearing from my mind, 

perspicacious once again

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Things You Taught Me (JPB)

High peaks and low valleys of a relationship 

About money 

About investing 

How to fillet fish 

Passion 

Anger 

Retail 

Shrewdness when buying a car 

Trust

Distrust 

Love

  Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Cat and Mouse

Play a game of cat and mouse 

Following your lead 

Is there potential danger?

Following at full speed 

Sometimes going slowly 

Sometimes way too fast 

You are always leading 

I follow unsurpassed 

You think you are a master

A master to this sport 

Teasing and provoking 

A flirting prince consort 

Are you really thinking 

That I am your prey?

It is I that am the cat 

It’s really double play

disturbing

the cold wind whips 

down the mountainside 

stirring leaves 

blowing dust 

disturbing things 

once settled

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

wild night

you walk up 

ask me to dance 

see if I might want to

take a chance 

I can tell by the look 

there in your eye 

this just may be 

one wild night

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

flash

unsuspecting flash
tells me I travel too fast
too late to slow down

love lottery

where the darkness once surrounded 

light sifts through each tiny crack 

where the monsoon rained for days 

Eden's greenery now remains 

what I thought was gone forever 

returns much sweeter than before 

on display for all to see 

like winning the love lottery 

  Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

twilight

explore mind and soul 

hands travel a path they know 

love lingers after

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

without beginning or end

in the whisper of the wind 

as leaves of color fall 

the afternoon shadows stretch 

reaching skinny and tall 

skipping cracks in the sidewalk 

hopscotching to avoid bad luck 

laughter fills the empty void 

of conversation when we're stuck 

desperately we hold on to

what little that we have left 

thinking if we don't look hard 

we can continue to drift 

how do we get back to there? 

that safe place we used to be

when distance isn't the only thing 

that's keeping you from me 

as the time slips quickly away 

we kiss and part once more 

each time a little more difficult 

and different from the time before 

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

look closely

baby, I couldn't let you down 

you can put your trust in me 

I will never make you blue 

if you look closely you will see 

my love is pure...my heart is full 

it's all because of you 

what you give rests easy 

and you know this is true 

there aren't any stormy nights 

here where our love dwells 

no thunder nor bright lightning 

just moonlit nights and sunny days 

I believe in miracles 

each one a shining star 

like the ones glowing in my night 

and burning white-hot in my heart

baby, I won't let you down

you can rest here easy with me

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

it's just like this

it's just like this 

it all stays in here 

with just one kiss

it all becomes clear 

like the flower that blossoms 

like the tide that ebbs 

like a small insect captured 

in love's intricate web 

for all that was 

and what's yet to be 

all that's ahead 

that cannot be seen 

my heart's revolution 

as you pump through my soul 

fragmented sections 

now once again whole 

it's just like this 

it all stays in here 

with just one kiss 

it all becomes clear 

like the flower that blossoms 

like the tide that ebbs 

like a small insect captured 

in love's intricate web

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

my sea

come with me 

to my sea

let's make love 

on my beach 

living on love 

day and night 

ebb and flow sand and tide

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

bio

you're studying my bio 

hearing every word 

committing it to memory 

like there could be a quiz 

asking the right questions 

delving into my depths 

this is just the beginning 

of a very long playing song 

you text me pictures of flowers 

saying they look like me 

a photo of the sunset 

the moon rising 

on our horizon 

you're giving me the rush 

the best I've ever seen 

and this time I'm not running 

his time I believe 

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

a scarlet heart

highs and lows 

of a loved that glowed

the ins and outs 

of what I know

darkness and light, 

day to night 

candles extinguished 

that once burned bright 

open my lips 

and speak the words 

I love you floats

and is unheard 

always here 

for you to see

a scarlet heart 

worn on my sleeve

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

monsoon

the sky is angry
the pending eye of the storm
flashes brilliant lightning
its voice booming thunder
letting loose...
torrential rains falls
cooling the earth,
watering all living things
plant and animal alike
granting us
a beautiful rainbow
when its rath is spent

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

my heart

I kept a close watch
on my heart
knowing, it couldn't be trusted
to make wise decisions
I purged all the bad,
the self-serving
thinking of themselves
and not me...
when you came along
thinking with the brain
God has given
I could see us....
not just you or I
my heart saw us too

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

spell

no one told me when to run

was it with full moon

or the warm sun?

I knew when 

the time was right

and ran full bore

under the moon's light

tired of waiting

staying home

while you ran wild

the one to roam

the time did drain

like sand in glass

I knew that soon

I couldn't come back

far away, across the field

once more love

refused to yield

the tolling of 

the iron bell

cancels out

your once cast spell

it's funny how 

the rain did stop

and how I finally

got on top

of all the tunes

that droned and played

where once we loved

what went away

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

kissed

your love is perfection
a confection I can not live without
sweeter than anything
I have ever or will ever taste

this union flies a flag
our castle surrounded
by a treacherous moat
to keep infringement away

I will dwell in this love forever;
in the arms of bliss
kissed by angels
and blessed by God

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

sympathy for the devil

no sympathy for the devil
though once an angel too
oh the heartache that he caused me
the misery I went through
the pain of separation
thought each time the last
but like the celestial boomerang
he just kept coming back

I turned and strolled away from him
I tried to turn him off
I'd start feeling loneliness
and head back to the trough
filling my head with nonsense
sometimes it even rhymed
reading myself into it
each and every time

no, sympathy I won't give you
morality was my fate
it's not that I don't like you
or border as far as hate
it's just that in the morning
that mirror where I look
is tired of knowing sadness
from that rhyming re-read book

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

thin mints

thin mints, thin mints
what a crock
go ahead eat the
whole damn box
you won't loose a
single pound
standing up or
sitting down
in fact the opposite
is true
step on the scale
it'll make you blue
Girl Scouts know
when they push
their wares
you will gain it
everywhere!!!

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

what I know

tore down the drive-in
built a strip mall
the pasture paved
since early fall
where I rode my bike
when I was a kid
has 12 foot walls
and is well hid

nature's wonders
has a fee
you now pay for
what was free
the roller rink
is now long gone
no longer music
or our fave song

Stockdale road where
I raced my Chevy
water all gone
from the deep levy
days of youth
a memory
hangs thick today
in my sensory

Friday dates
and football games
many friends with
forgotten names
days of wonder
long ago
wish I knew then
what I now know

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License