debris

and it all runs off
like a desert wash
after the monsoon rain
debris left in dry arroyos
hazard signs to remind
remnants of the storm
it all runs off

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

what is real

what is real is
you laying next to me
breathing softly
lost in your dreams

what is real is
me waking next to you
wrapped in your arms
that look in your eye

what is real is
what I won't trade
let old memories fade
I'll stay with what is real

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

breeze

it echoes in the mountains
whispers softly in a breeze
ruffling my hair a bit
but not stirring the trees
cool breath upon moist skin
my heart is now set free
the wonder of this love we share
and all you give to me

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

I still dream about you

I still dream about the ocean 

tides washing on the empty beach 

I still dream about warm summer nights 

glowing stars and the moon's light

I still dream about you 

I still dream about building castles 

crossing the border without any hassles 

walking barefoot in the sand 

strolling with you hand in hand 

I still dream about you

I still dream of your sweet kiss 

emptiness and the things I miss 

ocean breezes, wind in palm trees 

a heart that had too many needs

I still dream about you

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

every moment and thought

I tried to fight this feeling 

that burns inside of my soul 

occupying every moment 

and trying to take control 

overwhelming me at times 

constant thoughts inside my mind 

coursing, weaving its design 

if I falter, let it take over

if I succumb to every feeling 

will it take me down the endless path 

the one that needed ceaseless weeding 

or will it make me glad I followed 

light my life with endless glow 

to my heart will your love flow?

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

you are

you are the last thought of my night 

my very first in the dawn's light 

every thought that's in-between 

yet you say it's all about me 

you are wrong...it's all about us 

how is it that I was so blessed 

after all the frogs I've kissed 

love does shine now in the midst 

you are the last thought of my night 

my very first in the dawn's light

every thought that's in between 

every single thought in between

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

overload

once again I drew a line
you stepped over every time
this time thick indelible ink
so much stronger than you might think

not to wander to the past
there was none when I look back
you thought that I would hang around
hovering ever in your background

I tried to make it perfectly clear
but you heard what you wanted to hear
thinking this is all about you
another time of making me blue

you are wrong, it's all about me
finely getting the things I need
not put last or a sideline query
all those things that made me weary

you go your way, I'll go mine
and yes each passage needs to rhyme
it's not a song, more of an ode
from a mind on overload
Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

all over again

I didn't want to rush headlong 

into this love that I now feel

I wasn't gonna make mistakes 

the ones that always left me reeling 

I didn't think that I was ready 

wanted to just go slow and steady 

but baby, you put me in a serious spin 

now I'm falling and loving all over again 

( wasn't gonna play the fool 

I was gonna deal this hand 

I wasn't going to up my ante 

I would, this time, keep hold my sanity

but that wasn't part of your plan 

when I look into your eyes 

and I see there is no disguise 

you make me see all we could be

I'm giving back all you're giving me 

I didn't think that I was ready 

wanted to just go slow and steady 

but baby, you put me in a serious spin 

and I'm falling and loving 

all over again

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

intensity

the passion burns
the fire glows
a burning intensity
we both show
white hot heat
the embers blow
igniting, exciting,
every fiber we know

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

storm

I can feel the thunder
see the lightning in your eyes
as this storm is raging
riding passion in the night
like a candle burning 
strike a match the sulfur ignites
smell the heat
taste the honey
as it burns into the light

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

there is a reason

there is a reason
the sky is blue
the sun is warm
why I met you

there is a reason
for the cleansing rain
each silvery drop
erasing the pain

there is a reason
that the stars glow
lighting the way back
for the you I know

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

the plot

the plot was thick in the cloudless sky
all seemed great for a short time
wandering down the same old road
it was my fault if the truth be told

lies laced sweet with sugar cane
washing it down with lemonade
bitter was that aftertaste
I was getting nowhere fast

a test run like a cool new ride
miles sped quick, I bided my time
knowing I would have to go
you took leaving way too slow

one year fades into the next
no more calls or funny text
my life good here on the range
when I look back that time was strange

you got what you needed with a wink and smile
heaping sorrows into a neat pile
I didn't have time to slow my pace
I gave much more than I could take

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

happiness equals 20 pounds

happiness equals 20 pounds
this added weight is getting me down
once stick thin but alas, no more
putting it on was an easy chore

don't get me wrong, I'm not bitching
but for younger days, I am wishing
way back then I was much leaner
now flab is part of my demeanor

around my tummy, hips and rear
time to get my act in gear
going to boot camp, eating low carb
so I can wear a lot less garb

the older I get, the harder it seems
to shed these pounds is not a dream
working hard, making calories count
it will fall off I have no doubt

up and down the spinner goes
maybe the scale is a lie, who knows
but I'll get fit and stay that way
and still keep happiness in each day

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

negotiater

I'm a problem solver
a negotiator too
offering advice, and
what you need to do
changing the minds
of the many strong willed
most situations
require so much skill

I'm a middle child

sometimes overlooked

sitting in the corner

just reading my books

studying hard

and much I did learn

not giving the folks
much of any concern

wanting us all 

to just get along

trying not to  stay
where I don't belong
leaving my mark
wherever I go
JoJo was here
they'll already know
Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

start again

as the old year ends
as the new one will begin
time to start again

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

reflection

the afternoon is gone
drifting into night
moon shines on the water
stars glow in the sky

the only light I see
reflecting in your eyes
love that glistens there
warm and so inviting

your love flows through me
surrounds me, grounds me

all is right around me
as we lay down side by side
whispers of tomorrow
on hold for a short time

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

bubble wrap

memories in bubble wrap
carefully put away
bring them out and look at them
on a rainy day

some are happy, some are sad
I look at some and smile
wondering why I saved all this
as it is all  refiled

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

another Christmas

the mountain snow that fell last night
melting quick in morning light
the wind blows hard and is so cold
desert winters like this we know

another Christmas put away
empty boxes left at bay
another New Year rolls around
with Champagne pops and tooting sounds

what's in store for me next year
I hope all good with nothing to fear
what comes to me I know I'll handle
I may have to light a vigil candle

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

there your heart

where you find pleasure
there your treasure
where the treasure
there your heart
where the heart
there your happiness
where the happiness
there your soul

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

"uncle"

I want to wrap your heart around my little finger 

give you more than you ever thought possible 

make you cry "uncle" from too much love 

give you the feeling, you can't get enough

I want to make you breakfast while the world is asleep 

have coffee with you and watch the sun break 

go back to bed; pick up where we left off 

make you cry "uncle" from too much love

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

a new phase

I'm sweeping it away, all that is left 

getting rid of the dust and old cobwebs 

I'm airing it out, making' a new start 

there's only room for you in my heart

I'm deleting the past and all of the pain 

the text on my phone is all that remains 

it never does ring, that cute tone is gone 

I'm changing the sound to a happier song 

putting away the umbrella so now it won't rain 

I'm drinking in the sun that shines through my panes 

I'm waiting for the moon to move into a new phase 

making room for you and your love that's amazing 

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

Link Haiku

We have a thick link 

A solid mental connection 

A very good start

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

Beach House

I need to go to the beach house 

To walk in the sand and feel the sun 

Let my mind relax, regenerate 

But too much here is left undone 

Working hard with very long days 

Always pulled in multiple directions

Everyone needs a piece of my time 

No moments now for restful reflection 

Doing my job on auto pilot 

Hitting constant turbulence 

I am here in body 

My mind is at the sea 

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

Crystal Lake

On a crystal lake 

Pristine and calm

Early in the morning 

A fisherman prays for a catch 

Birds swoop, looking for food 

The sun not fully risen 

A light breeze blows 

Scattering ads from newspapers 

Laying on porches 

Too early for cars 

On the country road 

Leading into town 

Soon, it will all change 

The town will awake 

Busy with activity 

The crystal lake 

Will come to life 

Calm and pristine no longer

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

Tulip (My Favorite Flower)

Like a tulip that blooms in the spring 

Your love has made me blossom 

My petals open, 

wet from the evening’s dew 

To drink in the morning sun 

 My color, vibrant and pure 

After a long winters rest 

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

Santa Ana wind

a cool desert breeze

you blew down from the mountains 

 a breath of fresh air

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

you offer your hand

and your heart is connected 

I look in your eyes 

and see all that's there 

as I slip my hand in yours 

I give you my heart 

all my love attached

knowing it will be cherished

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

your love

like my patchwork quilt
my grandma made for me
your love surrounds me
your love warms me

like a caramel brulee latte
sweet and creamy, thick and hot
your love fills me
your love warms me

like my favorite garbage salad
tasty and nourishing
your love sustains me
your love warms me

like a angel sent from heaven
to shelter and protect
your love a haven
your love warms me

for the many reasons
and not enough metaphors
your love is immeasurable
your love is all

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

unsaid

if the truth is told
when we disconnect
another missed called
another blank text

if the feelings that hide
inside the heart's wall
are pushed to the bottom
hidden from all

if the thoughts spin around
circling inside my head
unspoken verity
better left unsaid

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

puzzle

I try to put it together
the pieces just don't fit
I'm studying the picture
the puzzle very complex
the border is completed
the edge was not that hard
it's right here in the middle 
where logic doesn't work

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

star

this star that rises
shining brightly down on me
and stays with the sun

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

the sleep of angels

my head rests on your shoulder
I listen to your heart beat
your breathing soft and even
while you lay deep in sleep

my face hidden in shadows
the darkness of the room
the stars drift from the evening
and clouds conceal my moon

why can't I surrender
and dream the way you do
just sleep the sleep of angels
when I lay down my truth

with my head on your shoulder
I listen to your heart beat
the love song that it's playing

the lyrics just for me

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

wonder

when I think of it
my heart is filled with wonder
with your tender touch
your fervent kisses
every way that you love me
the way you love me

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

locked

I wander through the skeleton 

of what used to be your life 

days when you were happy

now emptiness fills the space

your past now a vacuous hole 

the things that you cast off

the things you no longer need 

splatters on once white walls 

weeds have grown where flowers grew 

remnants of yesterday

pristine silence 

echoes in the dark

locked now, 

like this door

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

lover's script

too many in this room
open the window so I can breath
I've been here way too long
watch me pack and leave

I need to find the key
to release me from this chain
the skin that now is chafed
a mark that causes pain

the message that is clear
I can't embrace it all
written in lover's script
flowing across the wall

close the door behind you
don't even leave a crack
let me slip away
instead of pulling me back

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

this Christmas

to share all with you
welcoming in tradition
starting something new

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

winter comes

the weather turns cold
I am warmed from the inside
ready for the change

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

light my dark

light my dark
steal my heart
steal my soul
damage control
remove the thoughts
the hurt they brought
erase the pain
sing your refrain
bury the past
as you hold fast
erase them all
replace them all

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

Affair

A once brief encounter, that lasted 

For over a year

Far from being over, or maybe the end is near 

And if I face the facts, overlook the fiction 

Illicit though it may be, you have 

Rewritten all of my dreams

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

not afraid

you're not afraid to say

the things that you are feeling 

not afraid to show me

that all of it is real 

not afraid to display 

obvious affection 

not afraid to hold it up 

observing our reflection 

I am not afraid to say 

that I feel the same way

not afraid to add 

a verse to your refrain 

not afraid to show you

all that I have in here 

not afraid because I know 

what we have is real 

we're not afraid to talk

about starting a new future 

not afraid as we stitch 

this love with strongest suture 

not afraid cause what we have 

is written on our faces 

not afraid as both our lives 

entwine and interlaces

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

bring on the rain

bring on the rain 

let it beat against the panes 

bring the lightning and thunder 

as we snuggle and settle down 

we have no other thoughts 

nowhere else to be 

as searching lips explore 

where warm hands were before 

you feel the quivers 

but it isn't from a chill 

and candlelight shines 

on the treasure you seek 

with each moan and whisper 

with a quaking surrender 

the monsoon that rages outside 

is nothing like the passion 

in this room

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

second look

sometimes it turns around
wanna take a second look
slowing down this time
jotting thoughts in a notebook

studying the angles
trying to make a plan
doing the equation
start back where you began

erasing the mistakes
using all you learned
knowledge gives you power
as you plot your return

sometimes it turns around
you can take a second look
many shades of truth
when you reread the book

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

wind

when the wind calmed
I knew I could hold on
dust stopped blowing
I now see where I'm going
sun is climbing high
in my blue desert sky
every now and then
we all need
a little wind

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

dreams

finally, I dream
dreams of you
dreams of the beach
sweet, prophetic dreams

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

Santa

Hello there Santa
what is in your bag?
can you make this
the best Christmas
that I have ever had?

I don't ask for much
winning the lotto
could be nice
maybe that's extreme
or too high of a price

how about some happiness
some peace
some trust
some truth
all wrapped
in one person
it's all I want
from you

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

what I need

what I want and what I need
when it floats to the
top, is it all the same thing?
when the sun lifts the fog

and it's finally crystal clear
like looking through the glass, 

the reflection in a mirror
what I want and what I need
just this once;
let it be the same thing

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

happiness

what price happiness
if my cup runneth over
theirs will be empty

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

revered

the sound of a voice
far and yet near
whispered words
and thoughts I hear
hold me close
till you appear
love holds fast
and is revered

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

Fantasy

Fragrant memories in an
Abstract frame
Nourishing pleasures and
Tastes of yesterday
Amber glow of candles lit
Shadow play on moistened skin 
Yearning to begin again

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

truth of love

the clouds disappear
the sun now shines
I hear your voice

I hear a promise
of what can be
nothing but the truth

the truth of love

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

plenty of time

late in the evening
in the glow of the moon
as we lay our love down
hearts once in tune

we locked it away
there was plenty of time
to get what we wanted
that future that shines

somehow we missed it
the flags and the signs
now boards on that window
it unraveled like twine

now each with another
as it fell to the side
the "what could have been"
dissolves in our pride

those hopes for the future
now dreams of yesterday
the "what should have been"
a fantasy decayed

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