Four Letters

four letters
to form a word,
all different,
all equal -
though small -
missing even one
destroys the power
of the word;

four letters
can change the world,
can fill us up,
can break us apart,
can bring us together,
can keep us moving on,

four letters
essential to this life -
the root of existence -

four letters,
you must feel;

four letters,
you must give to the world;

four letters,
nothing apart,
everything together;

four simple letters:
l
o
v
e
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Radiator Cries

The cold is at the windows demanding entry. It whips itself in furious assault, rattling the frames. We sit inside warmed by the yellow glow of the living room lamps. Our minds are warmed by the banging of the radiators as hot water passes through the pipes.

“What about Ty and Christy?” Alice asks me.

“What about them?” I sigh. Alice has a huge heart, but I can’t go there. Not tonight. I don’t have the energy. It’s been a long week. I had no fewer than a million different demands on my time, and I have three different accounts I need to close by the end of the month – seven days from now.

“They’re out there, in this.”

“They made a choice.”

“That’s what you always say.”

“But it’s the truth.”

Ty is her younger brother. Christy is his girlfriend. They’ve made some poor choices in life. I don’t grieve for them. 

Alice’s family is great. Her parents are supportive and amazing. She and Ty had a great upbringing. From what I understand, Christy’s family was solid too. They knew better.

“You don’t have any heart.”

“That’s not true and you know it.”

The silence soaks up the wind and the noise of the radiator. I can’t hear anything except the tears forming at the corner of Alice’s stare. 

This is the only thing we ever fight about. It’s not even a fight. It’s more a disagreement. We know how it’s going to end.

The silence stretches. The wind batters the windows. It was bitter cold when I came home from work. Now the sun has gone down. It has to be miserable out there.

“I’ll get my coat.”

She loves her brother. I love her. I hope I can find Ty and Christy before it gets much colder.

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Dream Chaser

why fear
the blood of your labors
when you work towards your dreams;
what can hurt you there?

opinion is a stiff headwind
crashing against a rock
of your construction -

you have chased the dream,
you have journeyed,
you have bled;

the words of others
cannot harm the pursuit;
we must dream

we must chase what we believe,
no matter the headwinds,
we must live
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